Emerald is a stone of rare beauty and is considered a symbol of hope, wisdom and insight. It has many names. So, in French the stone was called emerald, and the ancient Slavs called it emerald. Emerald refers to gemstones that have a green tint.
Emerald is a stone that has a spectacular appearance.
History and description of emerald stone
This stone has a rich history that dates back to 330 BC. It was then that emerald mines began to be developed in Egypt. Moreover, mining was carried out until 1700. Queen Cleopatra valued jewelry with emeralds.
The physical properties of the gem were described by the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder. He did this back in the first century AD. The work stated that people used green crystals to relieve stress and eye fatigue.
When describing the history of emeralds, one cannot fail to mention the Incas. They used these stones for religious rituals. The Spaniards traded precious metals for Inca emeralds. This way they found their way to Asia and Europe.
According to legend, the emerald was one of the 4 precious stones that God gave to King Solomon. Today these are one of the most common crystals and look very impressive.
The Spaniards traded emeralds with the Incas
What is an emerald? According to IMA, the crystal belongs to beryllium and aluminum silicates. The composition contains a lot of chromium and iron.
The properties of emerald stone include the following:
- hexagonal system;
- hardness on the Mohs scale 7.5-8;
- density - 2.69-2.78 g/cm³;
- single axis type;
- molecular weight - 537.5 g/mol;
- white color of the dash;
- resistance to various types of acids, with the exception of hydrofluoric acid;
- poor solubility in KOH and NaOH;
- transparent structure;
- presence of natural inclusions;
- glass shine;
- typical impurities - iron, chromium, vanadium;
- fragility;
Color - most often green, but yellow-green and even blue emeralds are also found.
The most extensive deposits are present in Brazil, Zimbabwe, and Russia. Emeralds are also mined in India, France, the USA, Colombia and other countries.
Finding a high quality crystal will require a lot of effort and time. Experts determine the origin of a gem by special inclusions that are characteristic of specific deposits.
The most famous minerals
Many extraordinary minerals are known in the history of mankind; we will list some of them.
- The Duke of Devonshire's Emerald is the largest emerald in the world, located in the British Museum of Natural History (London).
- "Patricia" - mined at the Chivor mine in 1920, weight - 632 carats, exhibited at the American Museum of Natural History (New York).
- “Hooker” is a square-shaped Colombian emerald, weighing 75.47 carats, which was the property of the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II, bought by Tiffany & Co in 1911 and inserted into a brooch.
- “Emerald Buddha”, weight - 3600 carats, found in 1994, a Buddha figurine was carved from it (Madagascar).
- The “truck,” weighing more than 2 kilograms, was found in the mines of Muso (Colombia).
- "Mogul" - weight - 217.8 carats, discovered in 1695. The texts of prayers are engraved on one side of it, and flower patterns on the other. It was purchased at Christie's for $2.2 million.
- “President”, weighing about 1200 grams, was found in 1993 at the Malyshevsky mine, located in the Diamond Fund (Moscow).
- "Miner's Glory", weight - 6 kilograms 431 grams (Moscow).
- The 18th century dagger is decorated with three emeralds. At the end of the handle there is a watch with a cover made of lamellar emerald, the scabbard is made of gold, stored in the Topkapi Palace Museum (Istanbul).
Where is it mined now?
There are quite a few deposits of emerald stones:
- Colombian crystals are considered the highest quality. They include small particles of fluorite or calcite. Such stones contain gas, solid and liquid elements. They are characterized by high quality and rich color. There are practically no defects in the structure.
- The crystals that are found in the Urals have a bright green color. The unusual color scheme indicates the presence of iron and chromium in the structure.
- Brazilian stones are characterized by gray and brown colors. Such shades are associated with the presence of vanadium in the composition.
- Zambian gems have a bluish color. It is associated with inclusions of iron.
- Crystals mined in Zimbabwe are characterized by a deep dark color. Their distinctive feature is the presence of tremolite in the structure.
The main property of Brazilian stones is considered to be a grayish tint.
Famous deposits
Emerald stone
The largest quantity of emeralds is mined in Colombia. In second place is Zambia, where high-quality gems are obtained. In addition, large deposits are available in Egypt, Austria and Norway. In Russia, gems are mined in the Urals. There are deposits of emeralds in the USA, India, Canada, Kazakhstan, Australia and China, as well as in other countries. In Europe, valuable beryl is mined in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland.
Emerald color
What color is emerald? This question interests many people. The main color of the stones is green. The shade is affected by the presence of impurities. These include: chromium oxide, iron oxide, vanadium oxide.
If we talk about color, emerald has 5 main varieties. They depend on the tone and lightness. As a rule, stones are divided by shade:
- light;
- medium light;
- medium - it is often called herbaceous;
- medium dark;
- dark.
When purchasing a natural stone, you need to take into account that emerald contains many inclusions and cracks. Therefore, its purity should not be assessed too strictly.
Emerald can have a darker or lighter shade.
The magical properties of emerald stone
Since ancient times it has been known that the emerald stone has pronounced magical properties. It was believed that it helps develop intuition and open connections with the other world.
Magicians and fortune tellers used the gem to communicate with the souls of ancestors and ask for their advice. The gem also helps to look into the future and see signs of fate. In addition, it shows all possible scenarios. According to ancient beliefs, crystals were even used to bring rain.
Emerald is considered a talisman for sailors and mothers. It protects against water disasters and diseases. Crystal gives mothers and pregnant women health and makes relationships between children and parents more harmonious. The stone also helps protect against the evil eye and helps eliminate problems with conception.
In general, emerald is associated with the heart chakra:
- His aura attracts prosperity to the family.
- The crystal helps to remain faithful and maintain passion.
- Allows those people who do not have a partner to find love.
The magical properties of emerald are reflected in the qualities of a person. It helps develop positive qualities and neutralizes shortcomings.
Owners of such jewelry become more successful in communication and public speaking. In addition, gems help improve intellectual functions and creativity.
The stone has a beneficial effect on the well-being of its owner. In addition, it extinguishes manifestations of aggression, intolerance and rudeness. This is very important for businessmen, lawyers, writers and teachers.
Emerald jewelry has pronounced magical properties.
One of the meanings of the emerald stone is the ability to stabilize mental balance. It helps you calm down and not get discouraged. The gem also charges a person with positivity, increases his self-esteem and brings bright colors to life.
Crystal helps men and women successfully cope with panic attacks. The gem allows you to get rid of depression and eliminate the influence of stress factors.
Emerald provides reliable protection from evil forces. This means that jewelry with this stone protects against scams, lies and witchcraft.
According to Feng Shui, stone is associated with the element Wood. It is best located in the south and south-east of the apartment. In this case, he will bring health and prosperity to life.
The healing properties of emerald stone
Green emerald has many healing properties. The use of the stone helps to obtain the following results:
- Rejuvenate the body. The stone has powerful energy and is used to combat age-related changes. The gem improves health, increases life expectancy and neutralizes negative energy. To restore vigor, you need to place several emerald crystals in the house. It is important to place them near sleeping and eating areas.
- Improve and restore visual functions. To relax your eyes, just look at the stone for a few minutes. To cope with inflammation, you need to make emerald water. To do this, the crystal must be left in water overnight, and then the solution must be used to wash the eyes. To cope with diseases of the organ of vision, you need to apply the stone to your eyelids every day and hold it for 20 minutes.
- Improve sleep. If you just look at a stone before going to bed, you will be able to get rid of insomnia. Placing a crystal in the bedroom improves the quality of sleep. Thanks to this, a person can wake up rested and full of energy. To get rid of nightmares, you need to wear gold jewelry with emeralds.
- Cope with inflammatory processes. The properties of the gem also help with diabetes and heart disease. To avoid such violations, the stone must be carried with you - in the form of jewelry or without a frame. To prevent epilepsy, Aristotle advised children to wear emeralds. Moreover, he recommended wearing such jewelry around the neck.
- Normalize your state of mind. Answering the question of who the emerald stone is suitable for, lithotherapists advise wearing it to people who need peace of mind, peace and relaxation. The stone helps restore emotional balance and calm the nervous system.
The gem also helps to cope with chronic fatigue and sleep disorders. If you wear the stone as jewelry and keep it at home, you will be able to improve your well-being, cope with depression and anxiety, restore peace of mind and become much more cheerful.
A ring with an emerald has pronounced healing properties.
Application in healing
An emerald set in gold in a ring or pendant protects against infectious diseases, and set in silver helps preserve youth and good health for many years. To strengthen memory and develop attention, the emerald should be worn in a pendant on a silver chain.
For those who work a lot at the computer, healers advise keeping a small emerald on the table and looking at it from time to time. Placed near the bed on the night table, it protects a person from nightmares and promotes healthy sleep.
Eastern medicine recommends placing an emerald on the navel for fifteen minutes every day; in this way you can get rid of diseases of the liver, spleen, kidneys and stomach.
During colds or flu, the emerald should be placed on the chest just below the jugular fossa.
An emerald pendant on a silver chain strengthens the heart, and in some cases it can even prevent a heart attack.
Methods for counterfeiting an emerald and identifying a real stone
Emeralds are counterfeited in different ways. For this, the following options are used:
- imitation;
- doublets;
- synthesis.
Quite often, emeralds are passed off as other stones that have a similar shade. These include green quartz, jade, chrysolite and other crystals that have the same color.
Doublets and triplets are imitation stones in which several stones of different quality are glued together using green paste. In some cases, for greater plausibility, fragments of natural emerald are glued to the surface of the product.
Another option for counterfeiting are synthesized stones. Natural crystals have the best parameters of hardness, strength and light reflections. Although the fake resembles the hardness of a natural emerald, it has a softer shape and structure.
There are several criteria that allow you to distinguish a natural emerald from an imitation. These include the following:
- color;
- defects;
- inclusions on stone;
- strength;
- clarity of edges;
- treatment.
Jewelry with emerald has a rich green color. This is due to the presence of chromium in the composition, which gives the crystals a pronounced shade of young grass. On the fake you can see a yellowish color. It is especially noticeable if you hold the stone up to the light or look through it at the sun. Shine is also of great importance. It is found exclusively in natural crystals.
Products with emeralds have defects. To hide them, jewelers often give the stones a hemispherical shape or use a stepped octagonal cut.
Another feature of emerald is the purity of the stone. The imitations are perfectly pure. At the same time, solid, liquid or gaseous impurities can be seen in natural crystals. The doublets also have inclusions in the area where the stones are glued together. In order not to confuse a natural emerald with a fake, you need to be extremely careful.
Natural gems are considered very durable. According to the Mohs scale, this characteristic is at the level of 7.5-8 points. The edges of the mineral have a clear outline. However, the fake ones have a softer shape.
To perfect a real emerald and eliminate all defects, natural stones are treated with special green pigments or clear liquids. Cedar oil is also used for this purpose. Counterfeits do not undergo this treatment. They already have a smooth structure without any special defects.
All natural stones are accompanied by certificates of authenticity. To verify their naturalness, you need to contact a gemologist.
To distinguish a natural crystal from a fake, you should carefully study its structure.
Hydrothermal or nanoemerald?
These two names imply a synthetic gem grown in a laboratory. It has a perfectly even color without defects, cracks or inclusions.
The mineral is synthesized from natural beryl. It is placed in a special mixture, after which it is sent to an autoclave, where the crystal is grown at temperatures up to 1000°C.
For which zodiac sign is emerald suitable as a talisman?
Many people are interested in who suits emerald according to their horoscope. Astrologers are sure that this stone is considered an excellent talisman for Pisces and Cancers. It will give representatives of these zodiac signs self-confidence and a positive attitude towards life. The gem also helps get rid of stiffness, unlocks creativity and enhances intuition.
The crystal should also suit Taurus. They have excellent compatibility. The gem will help representatives of this sign achieve their goals faster.
Representatives of the air element should wear products with minerals. It helps to tune in and promotes concentration, eliminates anxiety and provides wisdom.
However, the stone is not suitable for Scorpios. It has a neutral effect on other people.
Emerald is perfect for Taurus, Cancer and Pisces.
Emerald is a unique gemstone that has pronounced magical and healing properties. In order for the gem to bring the desired result, it is important to wear jewelry with it correctly. In this case, contraindications to the use of the mineral should also be taken into account. In addition, it is important to consider that only natural gems have special properties.
Origin
Emeralds are formed by the interaction of acidic magma with host ultramafic igneous rocks, so their deposits are represented by greisenization zones. Occasionally, small emeralds are formed in the exocontacts of pegmatites.
In most deposits of the world, emerald is associated with phlogopite mica, formed as a result of greisenization - the impact of high-temperature aqueous solutions on ultrabasic rocks. As a result of this process, the original rocks, due to the feldspars of granites, are transformed into complex rocks containing quartz, light mica and often valuable ore minerals in the form of inclusions. The presence of greisen is a leading search indicator for deposits of rare metal ores and precious stones, including emerald.
The best quality emeralds are confined to hydrothermal veins located in carbonaceous shales. Colombian emeralds occur in low-temperature carbonate veinlets cutting through black bituminous limestones.
Since emerald is close in density to quartz, alluvial placers of this stone are usually not formed; secondary deposits are represented only by weathering crusts.
