While the color green may not be for everyone, you can't help but admire the beautiful verdant hue of emeralds. Its lush green hue is incomparable; no wonder it is one of the top four precious gemstones. Emerald has been revered since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, and emerald jewelry is still regarded as a valuable possession today. But there is so much more to this May birthstones than its hue. Are you curious to learn more about this priceless gem? We have put together some interesting facts about emeralds!
Emerald Gemstone
Emerald is a variety of mineral Beryl and owes its pleasant bluish-green hue to the presence of chromium, vanadium, and iron. It is a fairly durable gemstone with a rating of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness. If you have an emerald jewelry piece or plan to buy one, with proper care and maintenance, your jewelry can last for generations!
Let us now check out some interesting facts about this beautiful green gem!
More than 50% of emeralds come from one country
Can you guess which country is the world's largest emerald producer? It's Colombia in South America! Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez are the main mining areas for emeralds in Colombia. The former two, Muzo and Chivor, are known to be the oldest mines in the vicinity of Bogota. The mines are renowned for producing emerald stones of top-notch quality.
Emeralds are rarer and often more expensive than diamonds
Most people immediately think of diamonds when they consider rare and pricey gems. However, emeralds are quite rare, making them one of the most expensive gemstones. While emerald mines can be found in many regions around the world, high-quality or large stones are hard to come by, even in prominent mines.
Emeralds were Cleopatra’s favorite gemstone
Did you know that Queen Cleopatra was enamored with emeralds? Her robes, jewels, and crowns were embellished with these dazzling green stones. According to some legends, the Greeks' emerald mines were taken away by Cleopatra so she could retain the precious stones for herself.
Emeralds were used to adorn everything, including her palace! Aside from their beauty, emeralds' symbolism of riches and power could be the other reason behind Cleopatra's obsession with these green gems.
Chipembele is the largest emerald discovered
An enormous 3.3-pound emerald known as Chipembele is the largest emerald ever found as a single crystal. Kagem, which is the world's largest emerald mine, is where Chipembele was found in July 2021. This magnificent stone weighs 7,525 carats and is believed to be worth $2.45 million! Quite fascinating, isn't it?
It has a cut named after it
The only gem with a cut bearing its name is an emerald. Originally, only the priceless green stone was given the renowned emerald-cut treatment. That is because emerald gemstones, with a rating of 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale, is not as hard as the other three precious gems (diamond, sapphire, and ruby). The emerald cut was designed in such a manner that it safeguards the jewel's edges and avoids fractures. However, now, other gemstones also have the famous emerald cut.
Emerald jewelry on the red carpet
While Elizabeth Taylor made emeralds a popular choice for red carpet jewelry, it wasn't until Angelina Jolie donned a beautiful set of Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings to the red carpet at the Oscars in 2009 that they gained popularity once again!
Parting Thoughts
Did these interesting facts about emeralds fascinate you? Add a piece of emerald jewelry to your collection! You can find a stunning collection of gemstone jewelry at GemsNY!
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