Emeralds: One Of The Oldest Gems In History

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When you think of the color green what comes to mind? Grass, lime popsicles, shamrocks? Being that I’m a May baby, the first thing that comes to mind for me is the Emerald. It’s my birth stone, and being that green is one of my favorite colors, I think it’s perfect. Emeralds are one of the oldest gems in history, and have been part of many stories and legends. They have adorned Cleopatra, were collected by Caesar for their value, and used in jewelry and religious ceremonies by the Incas. One legend says that an emerald was one of the four precious stones given by God to King Solomon. The possession of the four stones was said to have given the king power over all creation. And let’s not forget that Aristotle praised the gem, saying …show more content…

Before we get ahead of ourselves however, let’s go back to the beginning . . . The first emerald mines date back to at least 330 BC, back to the time of Alexander the Great. According to Indian mythology the name was first translated from Sanskrit as “marakta”, meaning “the green of growing things”. The name we use now historically comes from an ancient Persian word (translated to Latin) as “smaragdus”, which morphed in time to “emerald”. History has recorded the presence and selling of the gem in the markets of Babylon as early as 4000 BC. Emerald pieces have been found in mummy wrappings, tombs, and ruins at Pompeii and Herculaneum. Emeralds have a place with some of the most important people in history: Cleopatra loved emeralds, and gifted them to her favored ambassadors; Charlemagne’s crown and the famous Iron Cross of Lombardy were both set with emeralds; and Henry II was given a large emerald ring when he became the king of Ireland in 1171. In the 1600s Spanish conquistadors …show more content…

They are real emeralds in the sense that their makeup has the same chemical, physical, and optical properties. They are much less expensive, and allow for a person to have a larger, less flawed stone. Because they are synthetic, the properties are controlled by the producer, resulting in perfect color and clarity. They are no where NEAR worth what a natural emerald is. A natural stone that is practically flawless will come with a very hefty price tag . . . and that is for a small piece. Depending on the preferences of the person, one option may outshine another (pun intended). A major drawback, in my opinion, is that an uneducated person can’t tell the difference between synthetic and natural. It would be very easy for a dishonest person to sell a man-made gem with the claim that it’s a natural stone. Someone could get swindled twice: paying WAY more than it’s worth (the usual reason it’s done), and being denied the beneficial effects of the natural stone. If the purchase is for spiritual reasons, it would be devastating to learn that they were tricked. The best way to determine if a stone is natural . . . it’s not perfect. The color may be lighter than you’d like, and it may be cloudy versus crystal clear. Synthetic stones may look perfect . . . but natural is created and powered by Mother Earth, and is perfect all on it’s

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