The greenest green

THE GREENEST GREEN: EMERALD

This appealing gem is the birthstone of people born in May. The name Emerald is derived from "Smaragdos" (Greek) and "Esmeralde" (Old French/ Latin/Spanish), both meaning “green stone” or “green gem”. In Afrikaans the word “smarag” is the closest to the original Greek “smaragdos”.

According to sources, the emerald is a symbol of rebirth, new beginnings, and loyalty and is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune and youth. The month of May is the first month of spring in the northern hemisphere and the colour of the emerald signifies rebirth, growth, nature and energy.

Emeralds are among the most popular gems to be used in jewellery, along with rubies, diamonds, and sapphires. A true emerald is born when vanadium, chromium and iron mix with the mineral beryl, triggering a chemical reaction. The varying presence of these three elements give emerald its range of colour. While not listed directly on the Mohs Hardness Scale, it is ranked between 7.5 and 8 depending on how pure the beryl mineral is.

The enchanting green stone has a history with a broad range of cultures and religions. Emeralds were mined in Egypt as early as 330 BC, but it is believed that the oldest emeralds are 2,97 billion years old. Cleopatra cherished emeralds and claimed ownership of all the Egyptian emerald mines during her reign.

The Egyptians used emeralds in jewellery and in their elaborate burials, often burying emeralds with monarchs as symbols of protection. The Muzo Indians of Colombia had well-hidden and prized emerald mines. It took the Spanish conquistadors nearly twenty years to find them. The Aztecs (Central Mexico) and the Incas (in the Andes mountains) believed the gem was sacred.

The Romans closely associated the stone with Venus, the Goddess of love. They believed that emeralds would appease the deity and that she would in exchange, show them favour in love, fertility, friendship and luck.

According to conventional account, The Crown of the Andes, made from gold and 450 emeralds in the 1590s, was made for a statue of the Virgin Mary in Columbia. This was done in gratitude after the city of Popayan was spared from a devastating outbreak of smallpox in the region.

Ancient healers believed that emeralds are good for restoring eyesight. This is believed to be more about the colour than the stone, as science proves that gazing at the colour green will indeed relieve eye strain.

Ireland is known as “The Emerald Isle” thanks to its lush, green rolling hills. While not mined in Ireland, emeralds have a deep meaning in Irish jewellery because of their vivid green colour. From “The Emerald Isle” to the fantastical Emerald City in “The Wizard of Oz” written by Frank Baum and published in 1900, this magical stone has kept people captivated over the centuries. For the fortunate few who reach their Emerald anniversary of 55 years, what better gift to celebrate with?

There are few people, if any, who will not cherish this gem as a gift, birthstone or not. Big or small, if you own an emerald, lucky you!

Famous people wearing emeralds:

And the Royals, of course!

Till we chat again, love and light.

Shirley Rose

Sources: www.americangemsociety.org;

Charmaine Chee, www.trulyexperience.com;

www.wikipedia.org; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; www.theknot.com