Emerald Gemstone

Emerald is a bright green color gemstone, which belongs to the beryl mineral family.

Emeralds are gem-quality specimens of the beryl mineral family with a rich, distinctly green color. They are found in metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks in few numbers of places worldwide.

It have been one of the most valuable gemstone for over 5000 years. Ancient civilizations in Africa, Asia, and South America independently discovered emeralds and made them their gemstone of highest esteem.

It is one of the “big three” gemstone in the world (Emerald, Sapphire, Ruby). Swat produces one of the best quality emeralds in the world.

Emerald’s Green Color

Beryl, the mineral of which emerald is a variety, has a chemical composition of Be3Al2(SiO3)6. When pure, beryl is colorless and known as "goshenite." Trace amounts of chromium or vanadium in the mineral cause it to develop a green color. Trace amounts of iron will tint emerald a bluish green or a yellowish green color depending upon its oxidation state.

Physical Properties of Emerald

Color	A distinctly green color that ranges between bluish green and slightly yellowish green. Stones with a light tone or a low saturation should be called "green beryl" instead of emerald.
Clarity	Almost every natural emerald has eye-visible characteristics that can be inclusions, surface-reaching fractures, or healed fractures.
Luster	Vitreous
Diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent.
Cleavage	One direction of imperfect cleavage.
Durability	Emerald is very hard, but almost all specimens have inclusions and surface-reaching fractures that compromise their durability
Mohs Hardness	7.5 to 8
Specific Gravity	2.7 to 2.8
Chemical Composition	Be3Al2(SiO3)6 Emerald's green color is caused by trace amounts of chromium or vanadium.
Crystal System	Hexagonal. Often as prismatic crystals.

           

Clarity

Emerald has a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8, which is normally a very good hardness for jewelry use. Even with that hardness, emerald has a durability issue. Most emerald contains numerous inclusions and surface-reaching fractures. These weaken the stone, cause it to be brittle, and make it subject to breakage.

This is an expected characteristic of emerald. It is rare to find an emerald that does not have inclusions and surface-reaching fractures that can be seen with the unaided eye. Under low magnification most emeralds are said to have a "garden" of these features.

Treatments

To improve appearance, most cut emeralds are treated with oils that enter the fractures and make them less obvious. Some are fracture-filled with resins or other materials. Although these treatments improve appearance, they generally do not improve the durability of the gem.

Geologic and Geographic Occurrence

Emerald is a rare form of beryl which is occur s in very small amounts in the Earth’s crust. Today, the following four countries are mostly involved in emerald production.

·         Colombia

·         Zambia

·         Brazil

·         Zimbabwe

Minor amounts of production or irregular production comes from Madagascar, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Canada, India, Russia, and a few other countries.

          Swat produces one of the best quality emeralds in the world.

Synthetic Emerald

The first synthetic emeralds were produced in the mid-1800s, but it was not until the 1930s that Carroll Chatham began producing emerald in commercial quantities.

Synthetic emeralds or so called lab-created emeralds have the same chemical composition, gravity and structure as natural. Compared to natural emeralds gemstone, the synthetics have superior clarity and a more uniform appearance than natural stones of equivalent cost. Many consumers purchase them for their attractive appearance at a lower cost.

Imitation Emeralds and Alternative Stones

"Imitations" are materials that have a similar appearance to natural gems and are used in their place. They are often manufactured specifically to serve as substitutes. Green glass, synthetic green spinel, green cubic zirconia, and green yttrium aluminum garnet are common imitations used in place of emerald.

Notice how some of the least expensive stones are free of eye-visible fractures and obvious inclusions, while costly emeralds have fractures and inclusions that are clearly visible with the unaided eye. Some people have such a high desire for "emerald" that they are willing to pay more for an emerald than for another green stone that is larger, cleaner, and more attractive. Buy what you like!

"Alternative stones" are other natural stones with a green color that are purchased by people who simply want a green gem or cannot afford emerald, so they prefer to use chrome diopside and chrome tourmaline and tsavorite garnet. Tsavorite garnet is wonderful green color gemstone. Dyed quartz can be a beautiful stone at a very low cost.

Spirtual Benefits of Emerald Stone

It is a symbol of peace and harmonious married life. It helps in developing good relation with children and creates unity in the family.

The stone has the ability to increase the power of reasoning and spirituality.

People having issues retaining wealth can benefit by his stone, as it is said to have the power to hold money with the wearer.

It is also helpful in following matters:

Education, fear of nightmares, evil spirits, promotion, for good talking and writing skills (lawyers, teachers, publishers, writers), for business success, seeking a government job, it improves memory and analytical abilities, helps in land dispute cases, creates lovely relations, bring good fortune in lottery, decreases the chances of getting bitten by snakes,

it decrease the pain and stress of a pregnant women, it also helpful for patients of insomnia, asthma, amnesia, cardiac problems, eye problems, paralysis, hypertension, meningitis, nerve problems, cancer of the mouth, breast and stomach, etc. However, a person suffering from any of the above mentioned health problems must definitely go for medical treatment, without simply relying on gemstone therapy.