MIRACLE OF NATURE

The emerald is a precious gift of nature, prized as one of four mythical gemstones along with the rubies of Mogok, the sapphires of Kashmir and the diamonds of Golconda. The emerald transcended earthly forces and time itself to come into existence through a geological miracle over 65 million years ago. When volcanic forces brought beryllium into contact with chromium and vanadium from ancient seabeds. Thus the elements of fire and water achieved an impossible alchemy that crystallized into a legendary gemstone.

DAZZLING GREEN

The  emerald dazzles in its rough state with impressive dimensions and an almost perfect hexagonal geometry. Its powerful and intense green color is lit by a streak of fluorescence. At first glance the effect is mesmerizing. The color – almost surreal, silky smooth, neither too yellowish nor too bluish– takes the breath away.

The sparkle of the emerald’s vibrant fire casts a velvety soft light. In the skillful hands of gem-cutters, the stone is carved into a multitude of facets to reveal a dazzling radiance that captivates the gaze, shimmering and flickering from within in a never-ending dance of light.

Etymology and History

Emerald is a variety of the hexagonal crystallizing silicate mineral beryl and has a Mohs hardness of 7.5 to 8. Its chemical composition is described by Al2Be3[Si6O18]. The color is green by admixture of chromium and vanadium ions, the line color is white.

The word 'emerald' was extracted from the Latin emeraldus from the Greek σμάραγδος, smáragdos (green stone) and is related to Sanskrit marakatam (green); presumably, however, the word is of Semitic origin, see akkad. barraqtu 'shining stone', to the root BRQ 'shining' and Hebrew ברקת (bāreqet), 'emerald' to ברק (bâraq), 'flashing'.

The beginnings of emerald mining lie in ancient Egypt. The precious stones were extracted there as early as around the 13th century BC; the mines of Sikait and Sabara supplied Europe with precious minerals for more than a thousand years. The stones were also in great demand in the Orient among Persians, Ottomans and the Mughal rulers of India. When the Spaniards conquered South America in the 16th century, they also encountered a lively trade with the stones there, which stretched from Colombia to Chile and Mexico. The muzo mine they captured in 1573 replaced the Egyptian sources. Today, 55 percent of all emeralds worldwide come from Colombia.

In 1935, I.G. Farben in Bitterfeld was the first company to produce synthetic emeralds of grindable quality. They were sold for advertising purposes under the name Igmerald, an artificial word from I.G. and the English word emerald for emerald.

varieties

varieties

Inclusions in emeralds are normal and are called jardins. Unlike diamonds, inclusions do not reduce prices if they are not disturbing.

Trapiche - Emerald

Trapiche-Emerald, a rare variety in the form of a wagon wheel with six spokes (no twin), mainly coming from Colombia, formed by inclusions and special growth processes.

Emerald Cat's Eye

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Emerald cat's eye, with cat's eye effect

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