Precious Stones The Big Five Part 1 Emerald

Precious Stones The Big Five Part 1 Emerald   The emerald is probably the rarest of all precious stones and is considered by some to be even more valuable diamond. Compared to other precious stones the emerald in its occurrence in nature is unique, because it is in the rock in which they were formed. Unlike diamonds, sapphires and rubies, which never occurs in gem gravel. The oldest locality where emeralds were found in Egypt near the Red Sea coast. The best stones, however, are in British Columbia, South America. Fine specimens were found in the states of North Carolina. Although the colors used in emeralds is alluded to as emerald green, there are other shades like grass green, sea green and green slightly tinged with yellow. The most popular colors are those of a green, fresh at times compared to that observed in a meadow in spring. Beryl is a mineral known to gem lovers under several names, most of what is emerald. The mineral beryl composing the various rocks is almost identical composition, hardness and other properties, and stones May differentiated by their color. In the composition beryl is a silicate of aluminum and glucinum. A scale of hardness beryl is graded 7? to 8, and is much softer than the diamond, ruby or sapphire. It is due to the fact that the emerald scratches easily and that care must be taken that when wo, is not subject to wear by friction of diamond or other precious stones difficult. Beryl is a very common mineral, crystals and minerals in its rudimentary form of growth often enormous size. There is a single crystal kept at Boston Museum of Natural History, which is three and a half feet long and three meters wide and weighs several tons. Beryl in this form occurs in many localities, but in rare mineral form of emerald is comparatively rare. The beryl or emerald green, as it should be scientifically known, has long been the most popular green gemstone. In brightness exceeds all other green gems with the exception of rare green sapphire. The most valuable specimens are green grass shadows, and it is this color that they owe their great value. Other considerations, such as freedom from imperfections, are quite secondary in determining the value of the stone. In fact, a perfect emerald is almost never found, and this is a similarity in the past that is working? As rare as a perfect emerald? which is a symbol for the ultimate in rarity. The emerald is light in weight and an emerald of a given size is approximately one third of a diamond of more than forty-five percent larger than a sapphire of equal weight. The distinctive color of emerald is probably due to traces of chromium in its composition. Fine emeralds are generally cut cushion shape with step cutting, and the East are often cut cabochon. Fine emeralds have advanced very rapidly in recent years, both because of growing demand for fashion for the gems and the scarcity of specimens very beautiful. Many curious legends of gigantic emeralds have been handed down to us primarily from the accounts of early travelers, for whom every transparent green stone they saw to be an emerald. The ancient emerald much appreciated not only for its beauty but for its supposed occult properties and its wonderful power to cure all diseases of the eye? They also believed that if the eyes of a snake met the gleam of the emerald, which immediately became blind. Moore alludes to this superstition in the lines: Blinded like serpents, when our gaze on emerald? S virgin flames. The Emperor Nero, who was myopic, had an eye for an emerald glass, through which he witnessed and gloated cruel sport. Many interesting stories are told of the first emeralds taken by the first conquerors of Peru, Spain, and a certain Joseph D? Acosta was back in Spain in 1587 with two boxes of emeralds, each of which weighs more than a hundred pounds. The truth of this story may be questioned, but it is a fact that the stones were very popular and widely used by the Incas and Aztecs in the extraordinary civilization that exists in Peru. The emerald was highly appreciated by lovers of old and precious stones of the Middle Ages, and that a lot of legends and superstitions related to the jewel. As for today, the emerald is still very high value as one of the most precious stones. The emerald is May? S birth and is a favorite gem stone artisans from all over the world.