Magical and healing properties of emerald. Emerald gemstone, its types and properties

Graceful stone emerald is popular element for decorating jewelry. It is widely used to enhance expensive jewelry and elegant decorative elements. The emerald is the source of numerous mysteries: its magical properties are shrouded in mysticism, and the noble effect on the body, although not recognized, is widely used. This precious crystal is not only a symbol of beauty, but also a famous amulet for young girls and mothers of many children.

History and origin

In Ancient Egypt, emerald was considered a symbol of the goddess Isis. Its amazing color matches perfectly with the image of mature femininity. The goddess Isis gave emerald branches to selfless mothers who prayed to her for the good of their children. By patronizing women's affairs, Isis strengthened the correct image of motherhood. The ancient priests included these precious stones in the list of the best gifts for her. It was thanks to faith in the goddess that emerald became firmly established in use among the Egyptian high castes and the wives of high-ranking priests.

Emerald was also highly valued in Babylon. This rich country had many precious resources. Most of the famous figures, thinkers and politicians of Babylon accumulated precious stones as a personal resource, among which emerald was often found.

The mystery and value of the emerald gradually brought the stone to wide distribution in the circles of the aristocracy of all countries. The resource escaped the borders of the countries in which it was mined and became a worthy adornment for kings and a value for sultans. They say that Arab sheikhs collected entire piles of stones of ideal quality and purity.

Physical properties

Emerald is classified as a first order stone. It is deservedly placed on a par with, etc.

Properties that distinguish emerald from other stones:

• All representatives have a rich green color.
• The stone can withstand temperatures up to 700 degrees, after which it begins to lose color.
• Resistant to acids.
• The hardness of the stone is estimated at 7.5-8, which is not too high on the Mohs scale. Emerald is inferior to sapphires and diamonds.
• The fragility of the stone ensures that individual specimens often have cracks in the form of individual defects and small meshes.
• The stones are often diluted with gas bubbles and inclusions of other rocks.

The quality of an emerald is determined by two main criteria: color and transparency. The color of the stone should be rich, deep, uniform. Specimens with a pure shade, a sufficient degree of transparency and absence of damage are considered ideal, and similar models larger than 5 carats cost more than high-quality diamonds.

Emerald colors

The structure of emerald has a structure identical to beryllium. Nowadays, the distinction between them is weak, and since the 19th century, emerald has been officially classified as a variety of beryllium. Previously, all varieties of beryllium, including those that had a bluish tint, were called emerald.

The colors of emerald can be very different, however, they are all united by the presence of a pronounced green fragment of the gamut. There are varieties of yellowish-green, blue-green shades, while yellow and blue can only be indirect accompaniments to the main green tone. The base itself can also vary from light colors to shades of dark green foliage.

The edges of the stone can change color and reflection when rotated. One stone can simultaneously reflect different tones of green, yellow, and blue. The purest color is considered to be green grass, which has a sufficient degree of transparency.

Place of Birth

The emerald industry on a small scale is widely developed throughout the world: stones are mined in Russia, the USA, Australia, Bulgaria, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, France, Cambodia, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Mozambique, Namibia, Ethiopia, and South Africa. However, there are only a few large industrial centers where high-quality emeralds are mined in large quantities.

The largest deposit of crystals is in Colombia. There are smaller deposits in Zambia, Egypt, Brazil and New Granada. These five places hold the bulk of the world's emerald supply.

Talismans and amulets

Overgrown with parables and mysteries, emerald has become a popular stone for making amulets and talismans. Since ancient times, talismans have brought women good luck and revealed certain qualities, and amulets served as protective amulets against evil spells.

Not only among the Egyptians, emerald is strongly associated with the image of mature femininity and beauty. This meaning of jewelry is firmly rooted in the consciousness of different peoples. The Scots and Saxons sincerely considered emerald placers to be wonderful offerings from dryads. They associated the pebble with purity female love and girls' connections with nature.

Russian aristocracy of times Kievan Rus considered emerald a stone married women and allowed it to be worn only by those who had more than three children. Over time, this custom died out, but it clearly shows the deep symbolism of the stone.

Magical properties of the stone

The magical properties of the emerald stone include:

• Emerald protects virgin beauty and a deep connection with nature in young girls. He maintains purity of thoughts towards men, helps to cultivate in a girl fidelity and devotion towards her future family and her man. Emerald protects pure fantasies and protects against external sensual temptations.
• Protects the correct development of motherhood in a woman: helps to bear a healthy child, protects the fetus from the influence of evil extraneous thoughts, makes the child close to nature. It nourishes the mother's correct expression and cleanses her of bad influences.
• It preserves a woman’s connection with nature, thanks to which her natural sensuality (but not passion) and the ability to deeply experience living things are revealed, to distinguish the true, living, real from the inanimate, unreal, far-fetched.
• It preserves a woman’s deep connection with the wisdom of the family, helps to better feel and anticipate what is coming, intuitively make the right decisions for the benefit of the future of the family and children.
• It reveals the inner wealth of a woman, thanks to which the material level of the entire family can be leveled.

Emerald best reveals its qualities in women who want to understand true femininity in themselves, enhance natural girlish qualities and grow from a girl to a woman not only in body, but also in mind and heart. This is a stone for women who truly understand the value of family and long to become a constant blessing to their loved ones.

Healing properties of the stone

The stone is endowed with powerful healing properties. In the Middle Ages it was considered one of the attributes of healers and healers.

Emerald has a positive effect on:

• on the autonomic nervous system, due to which the functioning of organs and systems can improve;
• on the gastrointestinal tract, improves the functioning of the walls of the esophagus and intestinal patency;
• on vision, improves the ability of crystals to correctly conduct light;
• on the reproductive system, helps get rid of pain during menstruation, normalizes the ovulation cycle;
• on the endocrine glands, helps normalize the normal production of hormones.

Scientific evidence may refute the healing properties of a stone, because there is no direct evidence for it, but interaction with the natural aspects of the crystal structure and confidence in its action can create a placebo effect. Whether this is true or whether crystals have real healing qualities is unknown.

Emerald and zodiac signs

Green emerald is suitable for all zodiac signs: this stone has a mild positive effect, calms the psyche and improves the functioning of the senses. However, the stone is most compatible with Pisces and Cancer.

Artificial emerald

Modern artificial emeralds can have a quality even higher than real ones: high-quality analogues are given greater strength, greater color purity and saturation, they are larger in size and superior to natural specimens in all respects. Naturally, we are talking only about analogues of truly high-quality production. However, no matter how durable, pure and rich an artificial emerald is, natural specimens are many times more expensive and are valued much higher. And this is not surprising: natural crystals will always be valued higher than synthetic material due to their origin and structure.

The first time synthetic emerald was mined in Germany was at the end of the century before last. After this, the United States gathered scientific resources and in 50 years brought the production of artificial crystals to large sales on the world market. Now the largest corporation providing supplies of synthetic emeralds belongs to a joint production of Thailand and Russia.

How to distinguish a fake?

Most artificial emeralds are sold as a separate product called igmerald. However, if you decide to choose a natural specimen, then sometimes you need to make sure of the quality of the product you are purchasing. The high quality of counterfeits makes identification a rather difficult process.

So, how to distinguish a real emerald:

• Natural emeralds often have a duller color, while synthetic ones are often saturated with shine that is too bright for this crystal. If you see a stone that shimmers in the light as well as a diamond, then it is most likely a fake. If you come across a stone with a deep, even, uniform color, then it is most likely real.
• You can check the crystal under ultraviolet light: synthetic crystals have a brownish-orange glow in the UV spectrum, real emeralds do not react to radiation in any way. However, this method cannot be considered definitive: cases have been recorded when natural stones reacted like artificial analogues.
• You need to take a closer look at the edges of the stone: it is important that the crystal does not have erased or worn edges. The edges should be clear and sharp, precisely defined. The strength of emerald does not allow the stone to wear out quickly under normal conditions. Worn edges indicate a low-quality fake.
• The internal structure of the stone must be homogeneous and uniform. The presence of layering or hints of the possible existence of internal layers indicates a cheap fake.
• The presence of cracks and internal small defects in large stones indicates the probable natural origin of the crystal.

Caring for products with emerald

Emerald does not have the highest strength, however, it is quite difficult to damage it in everyday conditions. Despite this, it is better to be careful when handling jewelry:

• Remove pebbles from possible contact with cosmetics and household products: remove jewelry when performing household chores (cleaning, cooking, etc.), as well as before performing water procedures.
• Wear jewelry after applying makeup: powder, blush, eye shadow may get on the stone and the stone will not be able to express all its beauty.
• Store accessories in a cool, dark place. You can wrap each item in a separate soft cloth.

To clean the accessory from minor dirt, soak it in a warm solution of water and soap. After this, you can wipe the jewelry with a cloth or clean it with a soft brush.

Emerald (Smaragd) – green gemstone

Emerald is the last mineral among the highest class of gemstones (if you take into account the Mohs scale). In Sanskrit and Persian, the name of this stone sounded like “zammorod” and “zumundi”, which meant “green”, and in Old Slavonic emeralds were called “smaragd”.

But the English word emerald appeared only in the 16th century. There is a version that this is the name given to all minerals that are green in color.

Emphasizing the aristocratic nature of the stone, its “inaccessibility” and transparency, people nicknamed the gem green ice.

What did emerald do to deserve such a reputation?

Mysteries of history

Like many other gems, green minerals sometimes became the makers of history.

So, at the beginning of the 16th century, conquistador Fernando Cortes wanted to give his bride five rare emeralds. The minerals were distinguished not only by their unsurpassed quality, but also by their special shape in the form of a rose, bell, goblet, horn and fish. In order to get the stones, a desperate Mexican stole them from the Incas.

Cortes did not know that Queen Isabella of Castile, who became his mortal enemy, was hunting the stones with him. The story of the emeralds only added fuel to the fire of the then raging struggle between two clans for the Spanish throne. However, none of the jewel hunters were victorious.

In 1541 unique stones mysteriously disappeared.

Igneous mineral

Emerald is of igneous origin and is a type of beryl. However, it is easy to distinguish it from other stones of similar color due to high degree purity and transparency, as well as a cool shade of green.

Along with diamond and ruby, it is considered one of the most expensive minerals. According to the law “On Currency Regulation” in Russia, this stone is equated to freely convertible currency, that is, it can be exchanged for any foreign currencies, act as payments in international transactions, and also participate in trading on the main foreign exchange markets. Unlike many other beryls, emerald is quite soft. Therefore, if products with green minerals are stored incorrectly, the stones lose their original shine and become dull.

Colorless oil or oil tinted with green pigment will help to enhance natural emeralds and give them a special shine. This method is often used by jewelers from different countries.

Many years ago, the German physicist Goldschmidt, while studying the mineral, discovered that the color of an emerald depends on the amount of chromium or vanadium impurities.

Natural stones, as a rule, have many defects, so it is quite difficult to find gems in nature that are ideal in purity and shade. Thus, during mining, minerals weighing hundreds of carats are found, but have no jewelry value. At the same time, rare pure bluish-green emeralds can cost more than diamonds.

The most valuable emeralds are called “antique”. These stones have a rich dark green color, which samples mined from new deposits do not have.

In nature, there are many minerals similar to emeralds: green garnet, jade, tourmaline, tsavorite, fluorite and other stones of a similar shade. How not to confuse them?

You can distinguish emerald from other green gems using a refractometer. This special device measures the refraction of light that occurs in a particular stone. The emerald indicator is approximately 1.58 units.

Modern technologies

Most often, gem-quality emeralds are relatively small in size, but modern production often uses artificially grown or synthetic minerals. The main growing methods are flux and hydrothermal. To do this, the crystals are placed in an environment whose temperature is about 600 degrees Celsius, and the atmospheric pressure can reach up to 1400 atm.

Jewelers also use the ancient technology of making doublet stones, connecting two small emeralds or an emerald and some other mineral.

Emerald is one of the few stones after which a certain method of cutting minerals, widely used in jewelry production, was named.

This is a type of step cut, in which the stone is given a rectangular shape with beveled corners. The emerald cut protects even the most fragile minerals from damage and chips, and also advantageously represents the color of the stone and its purity.

Southern Stone

When valuing expensive stones, their location often plays an important role. So, for example, the best sapphires are considered to be those from Kashmir, the highest quality rubies are those from Burmese, but those from Colombia are recognized as the standard emeralds. It is in Colombia that the famous Muso mines are located, where amazing bright green minerals are mined.

The famous Etbay deposits of Jebel Zubara and Jebel Sikait are located in a mountain range on the Red Sea coast at an altitude of 550 m.

In addition, precious minerals are mined in Eastern and Southern Africa, Egypt, India and Pakistan. In Russia, the Urals are famous for their emerald deposits.

Experts can recognize the “nationality” of each stone by special inclusions characteristic of minerals of a certain country.

In addition to Colombian ones, gems from Zimbabwe are also especially valued, which are still cheaper than standard stones.

Star image

Having never lost its value, this precious mineral is still very relevant today. In the right frame, even classic products with emerald inserts sound new and modern.

Most often the stone has a gold frame. Supplemented with diamonds, jewelry with emeralds looks sophisticated and elegant. Such products will be a wonderful accent to your evening look.

Emerald jewelry may well become a family heirloom. Luxurious gems are preferred by style icons such as Sherlize Theron. Sharon Stone, Beyonce, Cameron Diaz, Dita Von Teese and others.

The well-known emerald is a rather rare stone that is of great value and popularity. Its amazing appearance and unusual properties attract the attention of many mineralogists and collectors.

Physical properties and features of emerald

This transparent crystal belongs to the variety, and it owes its green color to chromium and vanadium. The hue and saturation of a color are affected by angle and temperature.

You can often find cracks and small splits on it. This is considered a normal flaw due to the fragility of emerald. It is also very sensitive to compression and high temperatures, and has good resistance to acids and various reagents.

Emerald in history

Many ancient manuscripts and legends describe the magnificence of the mineral and its magical properties. Emeralds have always been an object of wealth and respect. Now a large number of stones can be seen in museums and personal collections. These include an emerald cup in the New York Museum, the diadem of the ruler of Farah in the Jewelry Treasury of Iran, and a treasury vase in Vienna.

Many peoples highly valued the properties of emerald and even idolized it. The stone is mentioned in the Bible as an ornament worn by Jewish priests and in the description of the rainbow that surrounded the throne of God.

Mining locations

One of famous places Emerald mining is Egypt. The crystals found there are light in color and of low quality. In contrast, high-quality minerals are mined in South America. Their deposits have also been found in Colombia, Australia, India, and Pakistan. In Russia, emeralds are mined in the eastern Urals, where they were discovered in the mid-nineteenth century. Near Yekaterinburg there are crystal mines that are quite large in size. The Malyshevskoe emerald deposit is also known. It is located in the Sverdlovsk region.

The extraordinary properties of emerald

Many cultures consider this gem a symbol of chastity and purity. The emerald stone can become an indispensable assistant and strong protection against grief, sadness and despondency. It encourages its owner to do good deeds, not to succumb to evil thoughts, helps to increase wealth and find a way out of complicated situations.

Symbolism of emerald

Jewelry with it is often given to young mothers, thereby providing support, strength and protection. Sometimes he is put in a cradle small child as a talisman. Emerald will be a good amulet for travelers. It will provide peace and spiritual harmony away from home. A gem with a silver frame is used as an amulet against sorcerers and evil spirits. A gift in the form of an emerald is considered a wish for success and is presented as a sign of the donor’s sincere feelings.

The stone will help young people fight vices and depraved desires. Creative individuals will be able to feel the rise mental strength and endless inspiration.

Emerald symbolizes love and romance. If you give it to a loved one, he will not be able to change, deceive or betray. IN otherwise the stone will split. This wonderful crystal will help lovers come to a common opinion in various situations, and will also protect their relationship from evil intentions.

The importance of emerald for culture

IN Ancient Rus' This gem, along with the ruby, was considered a symbol of wisdom and hope. Sometimes they made wedding rings with it. For clairvoyants, emerald helps to perform magical rituals, see the past and look into the future, communicate with other world and read minds.

Emerald is suitable for spiritual and noble people. Then he will fully demonstrate his magical powers and beneficial effects. If the owner is an insincere person, the stone can take revenge on him. The legend says: “Whoever owns an emerald will gain glory.”

Healing emerald

Lithotherapists have long known the beneficial properties of this precious mineral. With his help:

Emerald helps with gynecological and urological problems, stops vomiting and relieves skin diseases. It destroys bacteria and is able to purify water. It is recommended to purchase it for those who have diabetes or hypertension, as well as for those who are bothered by nightmares.

The green gem will calm the nerves and help the eyes relax. Its powerful energy eliminates any negative impacts, promoting longevity and good health. For greater effect, emerald rings are worn on the little finger.

The influence of emerald on the zodiac sign

If you know who an emerald is suitable for, you can easily use its magical powers and wonderful properties. Those people whose horoscope sign is Gemini, Cancer or Taurus have the greatest connection with him. The stone must be real. If it is artificial, no zodiac sign will be affected.

The influence of the stone on Cancer

A bright green emerald will help Cancers become less emotional. The stone will relieve them of loneliness and complexes. Girls are recommended to wear silver earrings with it. This will give them charm. Males can purchase rings or other jewelry.

The effect of the mineral on Gemini

A pendant or pendant with a mineral will suit Gemini dark green. This zodiac sign will be able to get out of difficult situations with dignity, become calmer and wiser. Lonely Geminis will be able to find a partner and arrange their personal life.

Emerald for Taurus

Taurus will become wiser, more insightful and calmer, and will be able to cope with life's obstacles. The stone sharpens the character traits that are inherent in this zodiac sign. This does not prevent Taurus from finding new values ​​and personal happiness.

Effect of the stone on Sagittarius

Sagittarius will be able to get rid of worries and worries, relieve irritability. The stone will teach them to subtly sense beauty and help them decide on what they love in life.

Virgo's reaction to the mineral

For those whose zodiac sign is Virgo, emerald will become true friend and an assistant. It will give you optimism, teach you to enjoy every day and control your desires.

Aquarius and emerald

Aquarius is a calm and cheerful sign. Emerald is suitable for such people. It can be used by them as a talisman, thereby protecting them from stress and fatigue. Creative Aquarians will be inspired by new ideas, begin to think differently and fantasize. The stone will instill confidence in them and bring them luck in love affairs.

The influence of the crystal on Aries

The crystal will teach Aries to subtly feel people and understand them. The extraordinary properties of the stone will only enhance their cheerfulness and optimism.

How does the stone affect Leo?

Leo is the sign of a leader who sometimes lacks the strength to reach his intended goal. If these are good goals, then emerald will help you concentrate on them and achieve them. desired result. The mineral can improve your financial situation and also help in solving complex cases.

Stone for Libra

Those people whose zodiac sign is Libra will also be able to experience the beneficial properties of the crystal. It will help you relax, become bolder and more emotional. This is something that the closed Libra sometimes really lacks.

Capricorn and the influence of emerald on it

For Capricorn women, emerald will be a real find. It will give female representatives beauty, softness, and romance. The stone will help this zodiac sign improve and develop their love relationships.

Scorpio and emerald

Scorpios will be able to refrain from rash actions and discover new talents in themselves. However, this sign must use the stone with extreme caution, because its energy can be destructive for Scorpio.

Effect on Pisces

Those people whose zodiac sign is Pisces can count on establishing peace of mind and balance. The stone will help you find stability in love and material terms.

Conclusion

The luxurious and exquisite emerald has captured the hearts of many people. Being a rare and expensive stone, it continues to delight the eye with its incomparable radiance.

Emerald is a green variety of beryl. This gem has been known to mankind since the time of the Sumerian civilization. One of the earliest names for this mineral - the Sanskrit "marakata" - is mentioned in the ancient Indian book Bhagavata Purana, dating back to approximately 3100 BC. e.

In Latin and Ancient Greek, emerald was called “smaragdos” (Latin smaragdus, Greek oiiraubos), which literally means “green stone”.

Pliny the Elder wrote in volume XXXVII of Natural History: “There are twelve types of emeralds in total, but the noblest of them are Scythian, named after the tribe from which they are found. No other emeralds have a more saturated color, and they also have the fewest flaws. Just as emeralds are more expensive than any other precious stones, so are Scythian emeralds more expensive than other emeralds. The closest to the Scythian ones in terms of fame are the Bactrian ones. However, they say that they are smaller in size than the Scythian ones..."

Initially, in the Russian language, an unprecedented green gem appears under the name “izmagd” in the manuscript “On the situation of Jerusalem” of the 11th century. Only one document of the 16th century has survived, in which the following is written: “... on the other side of the country there are stones hanging... on the right sardia, topaz, izmragd.”

However, there is no evidence that anyone in Rus' before the beginning of the 15th century. saw an emerald or held it in his hands. The first evidence that this gem found its owner in Rus' appears only in the middle of the 15th century. This stone was first mentioned under the name “izumrut”: “Icon of gold on izumrut.” The document talks about cut gems brought from abroad.

There is evidence that the first emerald of Russian origin was found in 1669 by M.I. Pylyaev in his book “Precious Stones” refers to an article published in the “Bulletin of the Geographical Society” in 1860, which states: “In the above-mentioned year [meaning 1669], Dmitry Tumashev built above the Murzinskaya settlement on the river. Neiva blast furnace and submitted an announcement to the Verkhoturye governor Fyodor Khrushchev that he had found an emery stone on Neiva, which is suitable for any diamond business and at the same time announced; two emeralds, three stones with purple sparks and three topazes, and that he found those stones over the river. Neiva to the proximity of the Murzinsky fort.”

At the end of the 18th century. Academician V.M. Severgin in his work “The Kingdom of Fossils” wrote: “...emeralds are found in the Verkhoturye Urals, along the Vagran River.”

However, if you follow the official version, the first emerald in Russia was found in 1839 by Maxim Kozhevnikov, a peasant from the Beloyarsk volost. The discovery occurred in the Yekaterinburg district, on the coast of the Tokovaya River. The aforementioned Peasant was examining the roots of a tree that had been torn up by a storm, and accidentally found green gems in the hole underneath them.

Since the 19th century nothing changed. Until now, emeralds in Russia are mined at the only Malyshev emerald deposit, which is located near Yekaterinburg.

During the Soviet Union, this deposit was of interest mainly as a source of materials for the military industry. Beryllium, tantalum and uranium were mined there, and emeralds were a by-product that was sold abroad. This brought the Soviet Union up to four hundred million dollars a year.

After the collapse of the USSR, in the “troubled 90s,” beryllium ceased to interest anyone and the mine changed many owners. Foreigners and criminal circles tried to take over the production, and as a result, the work of Malyshevsky completely stopped. Activities resumed only after the personal intervention of Russian President V.V. Putin.

Although Russian emeralds are not considered high-quality and expensive on the world market, there is now hope that jewelry with natural Russian stones will appear in jewelry stores.

First known deposit emeralds were in Egypt. Mining of green stone has been going on since the 300s. BC. up to the 17th century. Before the Spanish conquest of America in the 16th century. Egypt remained the only country supplying emeralds to Europe.

The quality of Egyptian emeralds, the only ones known until the 16th century, was extremely low. But even the weakly saturated color and many cracks did not affect the value of these stones. Good, high-quality emeralds appeared in Europe only when the Spaniards found and took away ceremonial jewelry from the Indians of South America. The country where the Indians mined emeralds is now called Colombia. Stones from there are considered the best and most expensive in the world. According to various estimates, from 75 to 90% of all modern emeralds are mined there.

In addition, large deposits of emeralds are located in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Brazil. This gemstone is found in small quantities in Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Germany, Egypt, India, Spain, Italy, China, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Mozambique, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Norway, Somalia, USA, Tanzania, France, Switzerland and Ethiopia.

Astrological and medicinal properties of emerald

The Jewelry Industry Council of America and the British National Association of Jewelers have designated emerald as the birthstone for the month of May.

Emerald is a talisman for people born under the sign of Taurus. Since ancient times, there has been a belief that this stone grants its owner the loyalty of a loved one. There is also an opinion that green allows its owner to see the future and sharpens intuition.

Another medieval misconception from the same source states the following:

“To heal a person stung by a snake or scorpion, you should mix an emerald with rose water, chant it and apply it to the wound. Those who wear this stone are also freed from melancholy and hypochondria.”

If it is a cure for melancholy and hypochondria, then we can somehow agree. Indeed, if you give someone a piece of jewelry with an emerald, their mood will in any case improve. But with the cure for a snake or scorpion bite with the help rose water and emerald is not worth experimenting with. Practice says that the faster you use a modern antidote that is not based on medieval recipes, the higher the likelihood of staying alive.

Marbod, Bishop of Rennes (1035-1123), wrote in the “Book of Stones” (12th century) that emerald cures fever and alleviates attacks of epilepsy, endows its owner with supernatural clairvoyance, and also develops many useful properties, such as eloquence and exceptional memory.

Saint Epiphanius of Cyprus in the 4th century. in the book “Twelve. Gems from Aaron's Robe" described the emerald as a gem that resists any magic and any witchcraft. He argued that no magic or witchcraft is possible if this stone is somewhere nearby.

The green gem has always been considered a healing stone that promotes relaxation and calm. In the Middle Ages, they believed that emerald could protect against malaria, cholera, dysentery, help newborns survive, and prevent epileptic seizures and insomnia.

It is widely believed that emerald has a positive effect on vision. One of the medieval recipes says: “...to strengthen vision (the light of the eyes), rub emerald thoroughly on porphyry and, mixing it with safran, apply it to the eyes.” Leaving this statement to the conscience of the author, it is nevertheless necessary to note that the positive effect of emerald on vision was noted by many ancient scientists.

Pliny the Elder mentions in Natural History XXXVII. 16 that Emperor Nero watched gladiator fights through a huge emerald. This emerald has haunted historians for many centuries. There is a version that this stone is still kept in the vaults of the Vatican Museum to this day. Other scientists insist that it was not an emerald, but a huge peridot or even simple green glass.

Color and price of emerald

The influence of shades and the smallest nuances of color on the price of an emerald is quite significant. Color is so important that all other characteristics are often neglected, even cleanliness. High quality emeralds are considered to be bluish-green and green stones. Any deviation of the shade from this range transforms this gem into a cheaper variety - green beryl.

Russia has its own standard for assessing the quality of emeralds: TU 95 335-88. The definitions adopted in this standard are not used anywhere else in the world.

The color of emerald according to TU 95 335-88 belongs to one of five groups:

• Group 1 - dark green.
• Group 2 - medium-dark green.
• Group 3 - medium green.
• Group 4 - medium light green.
• Group 5 - light green.

The color is determined by comparing the sample under study with a reference stone. The most expensive colors are those belonging to groups 1 to 3.

The clarity of an emerald is determined by how the gem is cut. Cabochon-cut emeralds are divided into two categories - K1 and K2, where K1 is the best clarity and K2 is the worst.

Emeralds with facets are divided into categories G1, G2, G3. Where G1 is the best purity, and G3 is the worst.

The first group is emeralds with facets:

G1 - transparent, inclusions and cracks are rare, barely visible to the naked eye;
G2 - transparent, forming condensations and a network in certain zones of the stone, visible to the naked eye;
G3 - partially lost transparency in the peripheral zone of the stone, forming condensations and a network in the volume of the stone, visible to the naked eye.

The second group includes cabochon-cut emeralds:

K1 - partially lost transparency in the peripheral zone of the stone, forming condensations and a network in the volume of the stone, visible to the naked eye;
K2 - those that have lost transparency in the central zone or in the volume of the stone, forming a dense network throughout the entire volume of the stone, visible to the naked eye.

If the characteristics of the emerald are not indicated on the tag jewelry, this means that the stone does not have the characteristics of jewelry quality and, most likely, does not have the right to be called an emerald. In this case, you have green beryl.

The characteristics of an emerald on a Russian jewelry tag are indicated as follows.

1. The inscription “emerald” must be present. If there is no such inscription, it means that the decoration contains cheaper green beryl.
2. Next, the word “emerald” should be followed by a notation in the form of a fraction C/H, where “C” is one of the five color groups, and “H” is one of the five purity groups.

For example, the jewelry tag says: “Emerald 2/G3.” This suggests that:

• firstly, the jewelry contains a cut gem-quality emerald (as the characteristics are indicated);
• secondly, this stone has a good color - 2;
• thirdly, the emerald is partially transparent only in the center due to numerous cracks or inclusions (category “G3”);

In general, these are the characteristics of a fairly good, expensive stone.

Emeralds 1/G1-2/G1 will be very expensive. just expensive 1/G2-3/G2 and 1/G3-3/G3. Until recently, the document “Price List: Selling prices for natural perfectly cut emeralds from 02.1997 in dollars excluding VAT” was used as a price guide in Russia. The information provided there is hopelessly outdated and has nothing to do with real prices. For example, the highest price for 1/G1 quality emeralds weighing 4.00-4.99 carats is $2,835 per carat. If we translate the characteristics of the stone from TU 95 335-88 into the GIA system, then today an emerald of this quality and with this weight costs about $8,500 per carat. The whole world (except Russia) uses the GIA system to evaluate gems. It clearly determines the quality of stones, down to which specific price categories certain shades of color belong to. Below are GIA guidelines for grading emeralds.

Commercial quality emeralds

According to the GIA system, commercial quality emeralds include stones with the following characteristics.

Purity groups:

• inclusions are very noticeable (English: Severely Included);
• highly noticeable (English: Heavily Included);

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with saturation/hue 4/3, 8/3, 7/4;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation/hue 4/3, 7/3;
• very weak blue-green (vslbG) with saturation/hue 7/3;
• green (G) with saturation/hue 4/3, 7/3;

Either very light or very dark, slightly saturated stones with highly visible inclusions fall into this category. The price of commercial emeralds depends on the weight of the stone; the greater the weight, the higher the price:

• from 0.01 to 1.99 carats from $10 to 120 per carat;
• from 2.00 to 3.99 carats from $30 to 600 per carat;
• from 4.00 to 5.99 carats from $50 to 800 per carat;
• from 6.00 to 15.00 carats from $75 to 1200 per carat.

You can see that the price range is very large and, therefore, we should expect a big difference in the quality of the stones. The main feature of the commercial category is that it includes stones that are almost always refined using the method of filling cracks (fracture filling).

Premium quality emeralds

According to the GIA system, the group of premium quality emeralds includes stones with the following characteristics.

Purity groups:

• inclusions are moderately noticeable;
• Slightly Included inclusions.

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with saturation/hue 6/4;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation/hue 674;
• very weak blue-green (vslbG) with saturation/hue 4/4;
• green (G) with saturation/hue 6/4.

Premium stones include stones of medium-dark and medium-light tones and medium-high saturation. Emeralds in this category weighing from 1 carat are almost always sold with a certificate from a gemological laboratory.

The prices for premium emeralds are approximately in the following ranges:

• from 0.01 to 0.09 carats from $90 to 600 per carat;
• from 0.10 to 0.99 carats from $200 to 1000 per carat;
• from 1.00 to 2.99 carats from $500 to 4500 per carat;
• from 3.00 to 4.99 carats from $1000 to 5500 per carat;
• from 5.00 to 15.00 carats from $1500 to 7500 per carat.

Top quality emeralds

According to the GIA system, into the group of emeralds highest quality include stones with the following characteristics.

Cleanliness group

• inclusions not visible to the naked eye (English: Eye-clean).

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with saturation/hue 5/5;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation/hue 5/5;
• very weak blue-green (vslbG) with saturation/hue 6/4, 5/5;
• green (G) with saturation/hue 5/5.

Emeralds of the highest quality category are extremely rare on sale. These are medium-tone stones with strong or bright color saturation, without inclusions visible to the naked eye. The complete lack of refining makes the stone 10-50% more expensive, depending on the weight of the stone. The larger the emerald, the more expensive you will have to pay for the lack of refining. Top quality emeralds weighing 0.5 carats or more are always sold with a certificate from a gemological laboratory.

Below are the price ranges for the highest quality stones:

• from 0.01 to 0.09 carats from $700 to 1000 per carat;
• from 0.10 to 0.49 carats from $1100 to 2000 per carat;
• from 0.50 to 0.99 carats from $2000 to 3500 per carat.

Unrefined emeralds of the highest quality category weighing from 0.01 to 0.99 carats are valued at 10-20% more expensive:

• from 1.00 to 2.99 carats from $4000 to 7000 per carat.

Unrefined emeralds of the highest quality category weighing from 1.00 to 2.99 carats are valued at 20-30% more expensive:

• from 3.00 to 5.99 carats from $6,000 to 9,500 per carat;
• from 6.00 to 15.00 carats from $8,000 to 13,000 per carat;

Unrefined emeralds of the highest quality category weighing from 3.00 to 15.00 carats are valued at 30-60% more expensive.

To understand how important the nuances of color are for an emerald, let's take two stones with the same weight of one carat. Let the color of these emeralds according to the certificate be the same “very weak blue-green” (vslbG), but the saturation and tone are different. Suppose the first gem is vslbG 7/3, its expanded description reads: “Dark very slightly greyish very slightly bluish Green”, and the second vslbG 5/5, expanded description reads: “Medium strong very slightly bluish Green” . If the first one will cost the buyer no more than $300, then for the second one he will have to pay about $4000-6000, depending on how he can negotiate with the seller.

Sometimes the color is named after the deposit of the stone. From emerald sellers, you may hear about colors such as Colombian, Zambian, Zimbabwean and Brazilian. The Colombian color is considered the best. Most often it means the vslbG color group, 5-6 tones and 5-6 saturations. When people talk about Zambian color, they mean bluish green (bG), with 6-7 darker tones. It should be noted that, compared to Colombian emeralds, Zambian emeralds contain significantly fewer inclusions.

Zimbabwean emeralds are distinguished by their spectrally pure, intense green color(G). As a rule, these stones are rarely found larger than 1 carat.

All less saturated emeralds are called Brazilian.

When assessing the value of an emerald, one should be guided by a verbal description with great caution. The name of the area of ​​origin says nothing about the exact color characteristics of the stone and its value. Moreover, in the same deposit you can find emeralds of completely different colors. For example, Afghan emeralds are very similar in color to Colombian emeralds, and Ural emeralds are very similar to Zambian emeralds.

Refinement and imitation emerald

Precious green gems have been tried to be imitated and counterfeited at all times.

Emeralds belong to type III gems of the purity group, and their peculiarity is that they always contain big number cracks, inclusions and internal imperfections. Therefore, these stones are almost always sold refined. All emeralds (up to 90%) undergo a treatment called Fracture filling. Cedar oil or epoxy resins are used as a filler material. Some gemological laboratories even specifically note in the certificate that the oil treatment found in the stone is a normal, expected phenomenon. If suddenly the stone is processed to a lesser extent than usual, or not processed at all, then this adds to its price from 10 to 60%, depending on the quality category.

Jewelry with a high-quality emerald can cost hundreds of thousands, and sometimes many millions of rubles. If you do not intend to spend that amount, then you can purchase a product with synthetic stone. Artificial emeralds appeared in the 30s. last century and are now widely represented on the jewelry market. They are grown mainly in two ways: hydrothermal and flux. High-quality synthesized stones, in a layman’s opinion, are exact copies of natural ones, in which even the imperfect structure of natural emeralds with many inclusions is recreated.

However, even synthetic emeralds can be quite expensive because their production costs are high. Therefore, when studying such a complex topic as emeralds, you can come across the terms “doublet” and “triplet”. These are no longer exactly emeralds, but rather imitations of them. They are assembled from two (doublet) or three (triplet) parts, which are a material that often has nothing to do with emeralds.

For example, doublets are now very popular, which are two halves of colorless synthetic spinel glued together with green optical glue. It looks very similar to natural emerald. At the same time, the green glue between the halves performs another function - it serves as an imitation of inclusions. If you look at such a stone from the side, you will notice that the upper and lower halves of the stone are colorless and are connected by a thin dark strip of glue. IN natural stone there is no such effect.

Triplets are even more sophisticated in design. They consist of three parts glued together. The triplet material can be thin plates of natural emerald (to imitate natural inclusions), hydrothermal green beryl, green synthetic corundum, colorless synthetic spinel, glass, etc. "Sandwich" of three layers different stones, being fixed in jewelry so that it is impossible to look at the gem from the side, it can mislead even a specialist.

It has long been very popular in many countries. Thus, in Ancient Egypt it was believed that the stone was a symbol of the goddess Isis. This goddess, in honor of her greatest favor, bestowed emerald branches on mothers who tirelessly prayed for their children. Since then, the stone has been highly valued in Egypt by the fair sex. Emerald was also popular in Rus'. Here it was called the stone of wisdom, hope and composure.

Description of the stone – a transparent mineral that most often has a green tint. It is this that represents the greatest value in jewelry.

Since ancient times, people have believed that the emerald stone has healing and magical properties. It was used as a talisman and therapeutic agent. The properties and meaning have been studied by esotericists, stone healing specialists and astrologers. If you use the mineral as an amulet, then you need to know who the emerald stone is suitable for from an astrological point of view.

The color of the stone is most often green. Minerals from Colombia are of particular value in jewelry. It is there that transparent grass-green stones are mined. In addition, in Colombia there is a deposit of emeralds called Trapiche. If we talk about what such a mineral looks like, it is a stone with six rays coming out of the center. This pattern increases the visual attractiveness of the mineral, and therefore its value increases.

In addition, emeralds from Zambia are in demand among jewelers. They have special transparency. In addition, they are famous for their purest color. There are also stones with a bluish tint here. In addition, minerals with a yellowish tint are mined in Zambia.

Magical properties of Emerald

The magical properties of emerald have been known to people for a very long time. It is believed that this mineral preserves the innocence of girls and helps them grow into real women: faithful wives and caring mothers. The mineral protects them from committing wrong actions, protects them from temptation and awakens femininity. This is the main meaning of the emerald stone.

The magical properties of the emerald stone are also manifested in the fact that the mineral provides protection to a woman while carrying a baby. It helps her to more easily endure all the difficulties during pregnancy. In addition, it protects against premature birth. The woman is recommended to keep the stone with her during the birth itself. It eases her suffering and helps give birth to a healthy baby.

Emerald helps a woman find harmony with nature. Thanks to this, she realizes her true purpose, namely that her main task is marriage and procreation. In addition, emerald helps a woman connect with her family. He gives her the opportunity to gain the wisdom of her ancestors, as well as accept correct solution in one situation or another. Thanks to this, she will know exactly how to act to make it good for her family.

Emerald can be used as a mascot not only for women, but also for men. The stone helps to get rid of bad habits, as well as bad character traits. In addition, the stone enhances the positive character traits of a person.