May’s Emerald
Friday, May 17th, 2019May 17, 2019
If your birthday is in May, your birthstone—the gem associated with the month of your birth—is the emerald. The emerald is a rich green gemstone that is a variety of the mineral beryl. It owes its color to minute amounts of chromium in the crystals. The value of an emerald depends on its color and its freedom from flaws and inclusions (other substances enclosed in the crystals). An emerald with a blue tint is more valuable than one with a yellow tint. Most emerald crystals contain minute fractures, which are sometimes called veils, and various kinds of inclusions. Perfect emeralds are very rare and therefore may be more expensive than diamonds (April’s birthstone).
The emerald, such as this one with a blue tint, is the birthstone for the month of May. Credit: © Carl Frank, Photo Researchers
Emeralds have been used in jewelry and other adornments since the days of ancient Egypt. “Cleopatra’s Mines,” an ancient system of emerald mines, can still be visited in the Wadi El Gamal National Park near the Red Sea coast, east of Aswān. The people of ancient Greece, India, Persia, and Rome also treasured emeralds. The ancient Aztec and Inca civilizations of the Americas did too, mining emeralds in the mountains of modern day Colombia. Today, Colombia continues to produce the world’s finest emeralds. Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Madagascar, Pakistan, Russia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe also produce emeralds.
The emerald is a traditional birthstone for Cancer (June 21-July 22), a sign of the zodiac. It is also a traditional gem gift for the 20th, 35th, and 55th wedding anniversaries. In the past, some people believed emeralds possessed magical powers. According to legend, an emerald in the mouth guarded against dysentery, aided eyesight, and allowed a person to see the future. Emeralds were also believed to reveal the truth (particularly regarding a lover’s fidelity), protect against evil spells, and cure such diseases as cholera and malaria. The bright green color of the emerald is also used to describe such verdant (lush green) places as Ireland (the Emerald Isle) and Seattle (the Emerald City—also an important place in The Wizard of Oz). Thailand’s most sacred religious icon is the Emerald Buddha, an ancient figurine carved from green jade rather than emerald.
According to tradition, a birthstone brings good luck to a person born in its month. Each birthstone also corresponds to a sign of the zodiac. The belief in birthstones may have come from a Bible story about Aaron, the first high priest of the Israelites. The story describes Aaron’s breastplate, which was decorated with 12 precious stones. Early writers linked these stones with the 12 months of the year and the 12 signs of the zodiac. The custom of wearing a stone that represented a person’s zodiac sign probably originated in Germany or Poland in the 1700′s.
