EMERALDS IN ESTATE JEWELRY AND ANTIQUE JEWELRY
Perhaps it is the very presence of their flaws that make emeralds the most valuable of all gemstones. Maybe they most closely resemble humans, beautiful, shining, irrepressible, but flawed. It is the flaws that insure that the stone is natural.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Emerald is the birthstone for May and the suggested gift for the 20th and 35th anniversary.
VISIT OUR EMERALD ESTATE JEWELRY COLLECTION
Estate Emerald White Gold Ring
Art Deco Emerald Ring
Natural Colombian Emerald Diamond Ring
Long, Gorgeous Heavy Gold Colorful Multi Stone Ring
Estate Emerald Jewelry
VISIT OUR AQUAMARINE ESTATE JEWELRY COLLECTION
Antique Bucherer Aquamarine Pierced Earrings
ESTATE JEWELRY AND ANTIQUE JEWELRY USAGE
Emeralds were a desired gemstone during the Victorian Jewelry Period and the Art Deco Period. It is often found in current and contemporary fine estate jewelry.
VALUE
Valued for their deep green color, translucence and for their flaws, emeralds can be more valuable than diamonds of the same carat weight.
FORMATION
Born of the tectonic (mountain building process) it is unsurprising that the agonies and pressures of the reshaping of the surface of the earth cause the inclusions, air bubbles, cracks and fissures that exist in natural emeralds. It is extremely rare that an emerald of any size will be free of some sort of inclusion. true admirers of emeralds call these inclusions the "jardin" or "garden" of the stone. Yet it is this violet collision of the earth plates that causes beryllium and chromium to come into contact with each other. These minerals usually occur in different areas of the earth's crust. It is the happy introduction of chromium to beryllium that creates the magnificent green of the emerald.
AREAS FOUND
Ranging in color from a slightly yellowish green to a deep, dark bluish green, the most prized are the deep green emeralds containing not the slightest hint of blue found in such wide ranging locals as Columbia, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Russia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and North Carolina. The finest colored emeralds in the world traditionally come from Columbia. However, fine emeralds rivaling the intense green of the Columbian emerald are also found in Brazil, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
ESTATE JEWELRY AND ANTIQUE JEWELRY CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Hard use can cause the stone to crack or split. The presence of the cracks and fissures cause almost all emeralds to be filled and sealed. The filling and sealing process also adds to the luster and fire of the stone. Exposure to cleansing agents, even mild soaps, can cause the sealants to fail leaving the stone with a matt or dull finish. Emeralds in rings should always be removed prior to washing one's hands. Likewise, ultra-sonic cleanings can remove the sealants ruining the finish of the stone.
CUT
The presence of the cracks and fissures makes natural emeralds difficult to cut, set and clean. The presence of the cracks and fissures also caused gem cutters to develop the "emerald" cut. The emerald cut allows in light that enhances the beauty of the stone while the cut greatly reduces the stress and strain on the stone.
LEGENDS
Colors appeal to our feelings and few colors are as evocative as emerald green. In ancient Roman mythology, green was the color of Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Green is a color of meaning in almost every religion. It is the color of harmony, peace and of regeneration. It is the traditional color of springtime, of constant love, serenity and harmony. It is said that long term wearing of emeralds brings balance in life, a harmony of the spirit and of the soul, increased creative abilities and increased intuition. Emeralds are known as the "stone of peace".
But for all its magic; who can resist an emerald?
TECHNICAL DATA
Crystal system: hexagonal
Cleavage: Poor-Seldom Visible
Refractive Index 1.576 - 1.582
Double Refracting
Specific Gravity:
2.70 - 2.78
HARDNESS
With a hardness of 7.5, on the Mohs' Scale, emeralds are hard enough for daily wear, however; the presence of cracks and fissures in the stone makes the stone brittle.
Visit our emerald estate jewelry at Ten Two Three.
