Emerald
Everyone knows emerald and its distinctive and uncomparable green. But not everyone can say they own one and even less can say they own a quality one.
"Even an expert can tremble when evaluating an emerald. Be wary of the quality and always ask for a gemmological certificate!"
Emerald
Emerald is the green variety of the mineral beryl which counts among its members the Aquamarine (blue variety), Morganite (pink variety), Heliodor (yellow variety) and the Bixbite (red variety).
The emerald one is the finest variety and has ancient origins. It derives its name from the Latin title “smaragdus”. Its green colour is most typical and is created by the presence of traces of chromium and vanadium in the crystal lattice. Up to now the most beautiful emeralds that have been found are from Colombia from Muzo and Chivor mines.The traditional green colour generally contains a light hue of yellow or blue, according to where the emerald was mined.Due to its metamorphic genesis this mineral often has inclusions or fractures and therefore it rarely can be find in pure crystals.
For this reason most emeralds are treated with a variety of substances to enhance and improve their colour and clarity.
For the same reasons a customer must be careful and well aware of difficulties to recognise a quality gemstone. So it is crucial to trust your retailer or ask for a gemmological certificate.In conclusion we can say that inclusions and fractures are more tolerated in the emerald than in other gemstones and often they are considered as part of gemstone character and used to assure the buyer of its naturality.
These characteristics also make the emerald a very brittle gemstone so it is very important to be careful when polishing it: solvents, alcoholic substances or ultrasound could remove part of the oil used in any treatment and highlight the fracture. Is therefore advisable to use less aggressive methods such as soap and water.
Birthstone of May
