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Emerald
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General Information:
Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May, and used for commemorating the
25th and 30th wedding anniversaries. Emerald is the most precious stone from
the beryl group. The name Emerald come from the Greek smaragdos via the
Old French esmeralde, and means 'green gemstone.' The most desired color
of emeralds are a rich grass green, and they are desired even with inclusions
present in them. Emerald has adorned many crowns and royal artifacts including
ancient Egyptian pieces.
Emerald is simply the mineral Beryl (Be3Al2Si6O18) with chromium or vanadium
impurities giving it its intense green color. |
Origin:
Emeralds can be found in Columbia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Russia, Afghanistan,
Australia (New South Wales, Western Australia), Ghana, India, Madagascar,
Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Zambia and the United
States (North Carolina). |
Common Treatments and Lab Created
Forms:
It is common that emeralds go through an oil treatment, where they are immersed
into colorless oil. This process enhances the appearance of the gem by covering
inclusions, but it does require careful and special care when setting and
cleaning the stone. Green colored oils are sometimes used as well as hard
epoxy-like resins.
Lab created emeralds are available that are identical to the natural in
composition. There are also simulants made from glass and other materials that
resemble the rich color of natural emeralds, but they are not the same in
chemical composition. |
Physical Properties:
Moh's Scale Hardness: 7.5 - 8.0
Specific Gravity: 2.67 - 2.78
Refractive Index: 1.566 - 1.602
Fracture: conchoidal producing smooth brilliant surfaces, brittle
Crystal Habit: typically small elongate first order prisms, often with vertical
striations and irregular pinacoidal terminations
Colors: Emerald green, green, slightly yellowish green |
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