Emerald
About
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, known for its rich, lush colour that ranges from bluish-green to pure green, depending on the chromium and vanadium content. Emerald has a rich history dating back to ancient Egypt. Major sources of emerald include Colombia, Zambia, and Brazil, each producing stones with distinct hues and characteristics.
Birthstones & Anniversaries
Emerald is the birthstone for May.
Crystal Healing Energy
The overarching theme of emerald is love and compassion. Often seen as a stone of the heart, emerald is thought to promote unconditional love, encourage balance, and foster healing. It is also associated with emotional growth, clarity, and inner strength, offering a calm energy that encourages harmony and compassion. In crystal healing, emerald is often used to support relationships, enhance patience, and strengthen intuition.
Facts
Inclusions: Emerald is known for its characteristic “jardin” (French for garden) of inclusions, which are often visible to the naked eye and considered a mark of authenticity.
Rare & Valuable: High-quality emeralds with rich colour and few inclusions are rarer than diamonds and can command exceptionally high prices.
Famous Mines: The most notable sources are in Colombia, known for producing the finest emeralds, followed by Zambia and Brazil.
Hexagonal Habit: Emerald’s hexagonal crystal structure makes it unique among gemstones, often forming elongated hexagonal prisms.
Science
Mineral: Beryl
Crystal System: Hexagonal
Chemistry: Be₃Al₂(SiO₃)₆ with chromium and/or vanadium
Colour: Green, ranging from bluish-green to pure green
Refractive Index: 1.565 to 1.602
Birefringence: 0.005 to 0.009
Specific Gravity: 2.67 to 2.78
Mohs Hardness: 7.5 to 8
TreatmentsMost emeralds are treated with oil, often cedar oil, to fill surface-reaching fractures and enhance clarity. Some emeralds may be treated with synthetic resins. The treatment process is common and generally accepted in the market, but untreated emeralds are typically more valuable.
SyntheticsSynthetic emeralds have been produced since the mid-20th century using hydrothermal and flux-growth methods. These lab-grown emeralds are chemically identical to natural emeralds and are commonly used in jewellery.
ImitationsGreen glass, dyed quartz, and doublets are commonly used as imitations of emerald, but these are less durable and lack the true depth of colour of natural emerald. Garnet-topped doublets and triplets are also used to mimic emerald’s appearance.
similar materialsGreen Tourmaline: Known as verdelite, it can appear similar but typically has a different refractive index and lacks emerald’s internal inclusions.
Peridot: While also green, peridot has a yellowish-green hue and lower hardness.
Green Aventurine: A quartz variety with green colour and shimmering inclusions, though softer and less intense in colour than emerald.