Originally posted on May 3rd, 2017

Updated on April 17th, 2020

At long last, we can welcome the warmth of May! We can finally put away our winter clothes, go outside without jackets (unless it's raining), and relish the newly sprung greenery of nature. At Moijey Fine Jewelry & Diamonds, we can provide another option where the green lusciousness of life can be a constant presence all year long: emeralds.

The official and the only birthstone for the much welcome month of May, emeralds have always been revered. "Emerald" originates from the Greek "smaragdus," which means, I am not making this up, "green." For ages, emeralds have been a part of the Big Three in the gem and jewelry world alongside rubies and sapphires. That makes sense, considering the vibrant color often compared to trees and landscapes, like our 14kt White Gold Natural Emerald 7" Line Bracelet shown here in yellow gold.

Incomparable is emerald's soothing color. Pliny the Elder credited emerald for possessing such a soft and relaxing tone to relieve eye strain. Cleopatra adored emeralds, so much so that historians say that Cleopatra claimed all the emerald mines in Egypt during her reign. This 14kt White Gold Emerald 1/6CTW Diamond Stackable Ring would be fit for a queen, don't you agree?

Emeralds today symbolize rebirth, wisdom, growth, and patience. People also believed that emeralds ward off panic and bring peace and serenity to the wearer. Emeralds associated with love and people dedicated the gem to the Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus. These 14K Gold Emerald & Diamond Earrings come to mind for all the symbolic meanings of emerald.

Emerald is a variety of the gem species beryl, which makes the emerald a cousin to aquamarine and the pale pink morganite. What makes emeralds unique from the other beryl varieties is the chemical composition necessary to produce emeralds. The elements of chromium and vanadium are responsible for the brilliant green color. Once upon a time, emeralds were considered to be colored only by chromium. In 1963, miners discovered an emerald deposit in Brazil, where the emerald rough had vanadium instead of chromium. After being tested in a GIA Laboratory, gemologists concluded that the stones with vanadium were emeralds.

Not only do emeralds contain chromium and vanadium, but they also have other chemicals in their composition, which are incredibly rare in nature. Beryllium, aluminum, silicon, and oxygen produce the beryl gem structure. As a result of this unique chemical combination, the structure of the emerald crystal is fragile and becomes more vulnerable through the mining and faceting processes.

For durability purposes, and sometimes to improve the appearance, emeralds are treated with either resin or oil, sometimes combined. There are a wide variety of oils used to treat fractured emeralds, like cedarwood oil, for example. This 14K Gold Emerald & Diamond Halo-Style Pendant has an emerald, treated with oil and resin. It's only to improve its durability because it already looks fabulous.

Some emeralds don't need treatment, but these are rare in nature, and when they do appear, they're swept up for n the higher markets.

The emerald jewelry Moijey provides had the described treatments, and in the retail market, it is standard practice. Procedures for emeralds need disclosure at all times, and the owners of emeralds should always be cautious when wearing their emerald jewelry. If you want to learn more about emeralds and the jewelry Moijey Fine Jewelry & Diamonds provides, stop by our office in Silver Spring, Maryland, and we will gladly answer any questions you may have about anything jewelry related.

Thank you for swinging by our site. Go back outside and enjoy the much needed warm weather! If it's raining, come on back inside, get dry and continue to read our fantastic blog!