May is the month where Spring really arrives, the days are warmer and the evenings are lighter and with that comes the birthstone that symbolises rebirth and renewal, the emerald. Coming from the Greek word “smaragdus,” which translates quite literally to the word ‘green,’ today the emerald is a symbol of loyalty, new beginnings, peace and security.
Like a lot of gemstones, emeralds have an array of different meanings that derive from different cultures and beliefs. In mythology, emerald is known to be the stone of the goddess Venus, which is where the association with romance comes from. Emeralds are also said to bring passion, bliss and unconditional love.
Some believe that emeralds have mystical powers. There were some who thought it could cure stomach problems, control epilepsy and stop bleeding. There were also some who thought it could ward off panic and keep the person wearing it relaxed and serene, possibly due to its soothing green colour.
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl, just like Aquamarine. The colour of emeralds can range from a light shade to a deep, rich green. Emeralds are also similar to aquamarine in the way that the colour presents itself in jewellery depending on how well that the mineral is cut. The more green that an Emerald is, the more valuable they are. The rarest emeralds will be an intense green-blue shade.
Emeralds were mined as early as 330 BC in Egypt but it is estimated that the oldest emeralds are 2.97 billion years old. Emeralds can be found all over the world in places like Columbia, where 50% of all emeralds are produced, Brazil, Zimbabwe and Zambia. The highest quality emeralds are very hard to come by so treatments are often taken out regularly to improve clarity. It is very rare to find emeralds free of imperfections, which means they can sometimes be worth more than diamonds.
The Egyptians used emeralds both in jewellery and their burials. Their monarchs were often buried with the gemstone as a symbol of protection. On the other side of the world in Columbia, the Muzo Indians had well-hidden and prized emerald mines. The Spanish Conquistadors overpowered them in the mid 1500s, however, it did take them over five decades to do this. Consequently, this was the first time that Europeans were introduced to the beautiful stone, and they quickly fell in love with it.
There are many famous fans of the emerald, with Cleopatra probably being the most famous. During her reign, she claimed ownership of all of the emerald mines in Egypt. Of course, we will always remember Elizabeth Taylor’s collection, especially her Bulgari emeralds that were bought for her by husband Richard Burton whilst they were filming Cleopatra in Rome. Her iconic emerald pendant even sold for $6.5 million in 2011 which equated to $280,00 per carat. Around the same time, the first lady Jackie Kennedy was given her famous art deco style emerald and diamond engagement ring that was said to be worth over $1million in 1953.
And no one can forget when an emerald ring featured in a royal scandal. When King Edward VIII of England proposed to his divorced American lover Wallis Simpson, he did it with a nineteen carat emerald ring which was engraved with the message “We are ours now.” The King had to abdicate from the throne so he then became the Duke of Windsor.
On the red carpet today, Angelina Jolie is probably the most famous emerald advocate. With the addition of Halle Berry, Zoe Saldana, and Olivia Wilde who all wear emerald engagement rings.
So if you're looking for a gorgeous piece of emerald jewellery to join your collection or maybe you want to surprise a loved one who is born in May, you can shop all emerald pieces on our website here
