EMERALD BIRTHSTONE FOR MAY
This month sees the beautiful Emerald as it’s birthstone. Emerald is a precious gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. It has a hardness of 7.5-8 on Moh’s scale although emeralds are often considered to be brittle and need care. Again for grading emeralds we use the 4Cs, these being Colour, Clarity , Cut and Carat.
Colour: If the stone is not a green colour it is considered a coloured beryl not an emerald, to make this decision we measure the hue, saturation and tone.
Clarity: Emeralds are like diamonds in that they have natural birthmark like marks known as inclusions that affect the clarity. Unlike diamonds however inclusions in emeralds are viewed with the naked eye so if there are no inclusions visible to the naked eye they are considered to be free from inclusions. Emeralds are very often treated and most often emeralds are oiled to improve the clarity.
Cut: Is the way the stone is cut and how many facets the stone has. This will result in the shape of the stone.
Carat: This refers to the weight and size of the stone.
Emeralds are considered the stone of the heart and they symbolise compassion , mercy and love. Emerald is believed to have a soothing energy that generates freshness and vitality in the spirit of the wearer. A stone that embodies patience and compassion, it gives the wearer those same qualities while enhancing mental clarity and focus.
When cleaning your emerald it is important to treat them with care and avoid over heating them, a soft cloth and lukewarm soapy water will clean your emeralds but always make sure to rinse the soap from the emerald and dry with a soft cloth.
As this is a very popular gemstone all our members carry a selection of emeralds and will be happy to show you their selection, so do call into your local member to see their selection of Emeralds.
Happy Birthday May