Exquisite Emerald: The May Birthstone

The popularity of May’s exquisite birthstone emerald has been well documented for thousands of years, with historical mentions dating back as far as 4000 BCE. The earliest historical mention of emerald is from records indicating it was traded in Babylonian marketplaces. Emerald is even mentioned in the oldest book in the world, the Papyrus Prisse, which is 4500 years old. Emerald’s name is believed to be derived from the Latin word “smaragdus” which translates to “green gem.” The first known emerald mines were located in Egypt in 330 BCE. For a long time, Egypt was the world’s only supplier of emeralds. Egyptian queen Cleopatra was known to have a great love of the gem. She even claimed ownership of all the emerald mines in Egypt during her rule, dubbing them Cleopatra’s Mines. After mining production decreased and emerald was discovered in South America during the Spanish conquests, these mines were thought to be lost, only rediscovered in 1817. When conquistadors came upon Incan societies in the sixteenth century and discovered the valuable emeralds, its popularity increased even more among the royal and elite circles. Even today, the emerald remains one of the most precious and rare gemstones. Many beliefs and myths have been attributed to emeralds over the centuries. In the second century BCE, Damigeron, a Roman magician, stated that emerald “influences every kind of business, and if you remain chaste while you wear it, it adds substance to both the body and the speech.” The mineral is one of many mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. According to Pliny “..nothing greens greener” than emerald. Green has always been considered a therapeutic color, known to relieve stress and eye strain. There is a myriad of references to emerald being used to assist with fatigued eyes. It was written that Nero used flat lenses carved of emerald crystal to watch gladiator games, using it as an eyeglass. Other accounts state that gem cutters would keep emeralds nearby in their workspaces to gaze upon for relief after hours staring intently at other gems. Other lore associated with emerald includes its use in preventing epilepsy, as a talisman of truth and chastity, and in expressing love and devotion. Aristotle was a big fan of emeralds and believed that owning an emerald would not only give its owner eloquence in speaking but also that it could be worn as a pendant or ring to prevent falling sickness, an old name for epilepsy, in children. In ancient Egypt, emerald was associated with fertility and rebirth. In China, wearing green and emeralds on Thursdays was thought to bring about good luck, although other countries varied on the particular day a lucky emerald should be worn. Many cultures believed in emerald as a symbol of fidelity. In the Middle Ages, it was thought that by wearing an emerald, a woman would remain chaste. Some cultures also propagated emerald’s use in fortune-telling, believing that an emerald gem placed under the tongue would result in the ability to foresee the future. Throughout the known history of the gem, there has been evidence of emerald’s efficacy as a healing stone. Reports of emerald being helpful to one’s eyesight are found in many cultures throughout history. For Sumerians, it was wearing an emerald pinky ring on the left hand to reduce inflammation; in ancient Greece, emerald was ground into fine powders that were made into ointments for the eye. Paracelsus, a Swiss physician of the Renaissance era, advocated grinding an emerald up and mixing its powder with laudanum to relieve fevers and other ailments. Other medical uses historically included prevention of childbirth complications, an antidote for poison, and treatment for burns, indigestion, headaches, and asthma, among many other conditions. In the present day, the powder of emeralds is still used in traditional Chinese folk medicine. We now know that many of the emeralds referred to in ancient texts were probably a variety of gemstones that were green in color. With the advent of modern technologies, we are able to differentiate these gems with ease to distinguish emerald from peridot and tourmaline. Emerald is a member of the beryl family, like aquamarine, and its green color is attributed to chromium oxide or vanadium, depending on where the stone originates from. Emeralds are typically around an 8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale but are brittle and prone to fracturing. Most emeralds have tiny mineral inclusions within the stone. These can appear in patterns or as cloudiness in the stone’s color. Because the patterns can resemble branches or moss, these are referred to as the emerald’s “jardin,” meaning garden in French. The abundance of these inclusions means that flawless emeralds are a rarity compared to other stones. Grading the clarity of emerald even differs from other stones. While diamonds are graded under 10X magnification, emerald clarity is graded by the naked eye. While there are treatments that can enhance the natural beauty of emerald, there are limitations to these processes. Many people enjoy the natural inclusions found in emerald as a part of a stone’s unique personality and history.