The Glamorous Emerald

When most of us think of high-end jewelry, we think about diamonds. Diamonds are beautiful, stunning stones that have an air of luxury and glamour. But they aren’t the only beautiful gemstone.

There are tons of other precious gemstones that make gorgeous pieces of jewelry. Whether you are looking for something classic or trendy, unique gemstones are a great way to show your style and personality.

We shouldn’t limit ourselves to diamonds. While diamonds are beautiful stones, some of us want something a little more unique. We may want color or we might just want something that isn’t like 

Perhaps you want something with color. Or, perhaps, you just want a piece of jewelry that stands apart from the more common diamond jewelry. In this case, other precious gemstones are a great choice.

Precious gemstones like emeralds make great stones for all sorts of high-end jewelry. This stone looks great in rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more. Emeralds pair well with pretty much any precious metal and give a punch of color.

Emeralds also pair well with other precious gemstones. They look great with diamond accents. However, they also look amazing with colored precious gemstones. You can create a truly colorful piece of jewelry pairing multiple types of gemstones together. 

The Geological and Social History of the Emerald

The emerald is a stunningly green stone. This is a rare stone that many covet. It is such an eye-catching stone with its rich, deep green hue, it is no wonder it is so popular.

Since ancient times, the emerald has been a popular stone for jewelry. The stone has an association with the upper classes and socially powerful in society, even in early times. It is because of this association that the stone is so coveted.

The word emerald comes from the Greek word for green “smaragdus.” This shows the ancient history of this beautiful stone. The famous Pliny the Elder makes a commentary on the emerald in his famous world, Natural Histories. This shows that the stone has been greatly important since ancient times.

There has long been an association between the emerald and stress relief. Many people believe that the green of an emerald can reduce stress and even eye strain.

Emerald mines are almost as old as human civilization. There is evidence of emerald mining all the way back to the ancient Egyptian empire. Some of these mines date back as far as 330 BC!

As the Spanish undertook their colonial pursuits, they found emerald mines in Colombia. They would exploit these resources and take all the stones from the country and send them back to Spain.

However, the Spanish were all about gold. They didn’t care much about precious gemstones. They would use their emeralds to trade for other products, particularly gold and other precious metals.

The emerald is the birthstone for the month of May. It has long associations with spring and rebirth. There are tons of legends that surround the emerald that show just how shrouded in lore the stone really is.

In addition to being the birthstone for May birthdays, the emerald is also the gemstone for the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries.

Interesting Facts About Emeralds

The emerald is a deep green, richly hued stone. However, an emerald may range in color from a very light grass green to the deep, rich hue we are all most familiar with. The deeper the color of the stone, the higher the price tag it will have. Lighter-colored stones still look nice in jewelry, but they aren’t as rare or as high in quality as the darker stones.

One of the things that make the emerald such a versatile stone is its hardness. The diamond is the hardest natural stone known to man. The emerald, while not as hard as a diamond, is one of the harder stones. This is what makes it so well suited to use in jewelry. Since it is harder, it can withstand everyday wear and tear better than other stones.

The Mohs scale has been in use to rate the hardness of stones for many years. A diamond is a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. An emerald is 7.5-8. This makes it stronger than many other precious gemstones. However, it is still possible that the stone can chip or scratch if hit against a hard surface. This means you will still need to practice some caution. 

We find the emerald in many different places around the world. The highest concentrations are found in Latin America and parts of Africa. However, it is found outside these regions as well. Some of the earliest known uses of this stone date back to ancient Egypt. We find emeralds in Colombia, Brazil, Russia, Madagascar, and Zambia.

The rarest of emeralds is the deepest green stones. Lighter-colored stones will not garner nearly as high a price as the rich deep green stones. This doesn’t mean they don’t make beautiful jewelry, they just aren’t as rare.

Inclusions and Imperfections

One rarely finds emeralds that don’t have inclusions. Basically, most natural emeralds have some degree of the flaw in them. This is why the truly flawless emerald garners such a high price tag.

High-end emeralds with small numbers of inclusions tend to be small. However, there are incredibly large emeralds as well. The Mogul Emerald comes in as the biggest emerald to be found thus far. The stone is 10 cm high and weighs an incredible 217.80 carats!

Interestingly, almost all emeralds have some level of treatment.  This makes them brighter and richer in color. It also reduces the visibility of inclusions on the stone. This doesn’t mean the stones aren’t natural. Without these treatments, it would be much more difficult to find emerald jewelry with stones that aren’t imperfect. 

Jewelers use green-tinted oil to fill in cracks and reinforce the strength of the stone. This is pretty much an industry-wide standard. It helps to create jewelry with a more uniform look and that is strong and more resistant to cracks or breaking. The toughness and longevity of the stone increase as a result of this treatment process. The jewelry world accepts this as a best practice in jewelry making. 

Unique Alternative to Diamonds

The emerald has such a unique and rich green color. This is part of why it is popular for high-end jewelry. The stone is easy to recognize. It is known for its luxury and the lore that surrounds this unique stone.

Too often, we limit high-end jewelry to diamonds. Diamonds are beautiful stones, but they aren’t the only precious stone on the market. The emerald is an excellent choice for someone who wants something a little different and more unique than a diamond.

However, this is not to say that the emerald doesn’t pair beautifully with diamonds, because they do. Jewelry that features an emerald as the central stone and uses diamonds as accents creates stunning, eye-catching, glamourous jewelry that will easily draw the attention of anyone who sees it.

Emeralds look amazing with rose or yellow gold. They also look great with white gold, stainless steel, silver, or platinum. Emeralds look amazing with diamonds. Paired with diamonds, emeralds create stunning pieces of jewelry of all types.

Whether you choose pieces that are all emeralds or that mix emeralds with other gemstones like diamonds, these are unique pieces that are stunning to behold. And given their rich green hue, they are a nice alternative to a clear diamond.

The emerald is stunning on its own. Emeralds also look great when paired with diamonds or other gemstones. It works great in pretty much any type and style of jewelry. They pair well with vintage designs, classic designs, and modern trendy designs. The sky is the limit when it comes to the options available to you with the emerald.

Emerald Jewelry

Emerald jewelry is less common than diamond jewelry but just as stunning. The price tag for a piece of emerald jewelry is likely to rival that of a piece of diamond jewelry.  Pieces that feature emeralds are unique and one-of-a-kind. These stones have such a deep, rich green hue that they catch the eye of all who see them.

Whether you pair emeralds with other stones or use them as the main stone of a piece, you end up with truly stunning jewelry. It gives an air of mystery and being in touch with nature.

The emerald has a much different lore than other stones and this lore is transferred to those who wear it in jewelry. Emeralds look amazing in pretty much any type of jewelry. We often see emerald rings, emerald necklaces, earrings, tennis bracelets, and you will even see emeralds as accent stones in high-end timepieces.

For those who love the lore behind this storied stone, or who simply love the color, this is a great way to show your unique style and give yourself that air of mystique and style.

Show Your Style

Choosing a colorful stone like the emeralds gives you a great opportunity to show your style and fashion sense. One can use the emerald in pretty much any type of jewelry. It can also feature pretty much any style of jewelry.

Whether you like classic designs or something like Art Deco, the emerald works well. It lends itself to all sorts of styles and this gives you the freedom to choose a piece that will enhance your everyday look.

A piece of emerald jewelry can easily become part of a signature look. It also makes a great statement piece. So whether you want something for daily wear or something that will catch the eyes of those at a high-class social event, the emerald is still a great choice.

Be Unique

When you choose the emerald, you have a lot of freedom. Since the stone is harder than many other precious gemstones, it can take different cuts and shapes than other stones. It isn’t as versatile as the diamond, but it comes pretty close.

Jewelers cut emeralds into a wide range of shapes and sizes. One may use it on its own or with other stones. You can also use emeralds or emeralds with other stones to create a larger pattern for a piece of jewelry. You have room for a lot of creativity when choosing your design. 

Or, perhaps, you choose a uniquely shaped stone. You can find emeralds cut into a whole range of shapes, from traditional round or rectangular cut stones to heart-shaped stones. The sky is the limit when it comes to unique designs.

You can pair the emerald with other emeralds or other stones. This can create a classic, sophisticated pairing, or may be part of a larger overall pattern. For example, one may use emeralds and diamonds to create a ring that looks like a flower. There are tons of shapes and patterns stones can create. This is a unique way of creating one-of-a-kind jewelry. 

In Closing

When we choose a piece of jewelry, it should reflect our personality and style. The diamond is not the only high-end stone suitable for luxury jewelry. There are tons of precious stones that make excellent pieces of jewelry, including the emerald. The emerald is a stone that has the lore of mystery and earthiness. It is a rich, deep green and is prized for its unique color and the versatility of the stone.

While not as hard as a diamond, emeralds are one of the stronger precious gemstones. This makes it suitable for a wide range of cuts and shapes. Emeralds work well in pretty much any type and style of jewelry. They look great in rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more. Emeralds look amazing on their own or paired with other stones. The stones also look great with pretty much any type of precious metals.

A unique piece of emerald jewelry will easily become part of your signature look or a stunning piece you bring out for special occasions. This stone creates a stunning, elegant, and unique piece of jewelry that can represent your style, your personality, and taste.  There are so many shapes and styles for this gemstone that you are sure to find the perfect piece of jewelry for your needs and taste.