Emerald

The most desirable Emeralds have a good strong colour, and a bright, lively appearance. Traditionally the finest quality are found in Colombia, in particular three key mines, Muzo, Coscuez and Chivor.

Other great mining regions now include Brazil and India not to mention Zambia where the company Gemfields are putting a huge amount of resources into mining some very beautiful stones, take a look at our Kissing Frog ring and our Emerald and Ruby bead ring and tassle necklace for proof!

They frequently have tiny feathers and crystals inside them and this internal landscape is referred to as the jardin; these inclusions can be used almost like a fingerprint to identify the origin of a stone. The emerald-cut is a simply faceted, rectangular shaped style of cut with the corners removed and was developed especially for the emerald to help minimise any damage to the stone caused by its brittleness. 

The earliest record of emerald mining was by the Ancient Egyptians, indeed Cleopatra was such an ardent fan of these green gems that she reputedly had her own mine. 

Throughout history Emeralds have been thought to possess a surprisingly wide range of attributes, from the belief held in the Middle Ages that wearing one would keep a woman virtuous (not so for men sadly) to its ability to soothe tired eyes, aid memory, improve eloquence and attract good fortune to the wearer. 

Combine all that with its reputation as the stone of love and eternal youth and it’s no wonder Theo named his daughter after this delightful and seemingly all-powerful gem!

Description: Emerald is the head of the Beryl family, highly prized for its rich vibrant green colour which is caused by traces of chromium in the crystals. Colombian stones are widely regarded as the crème de la crème, but which colour and from what source is very much a matter of taste. 

Hardness: 7.5 – 8 on Mohs Scale

Birthstone: May