Emeralds have fascinated mankind for thousands of years. It has been reported that emeralds were being traded in the Babylonian marketplaces as far back as 4000 BC.
Many different ancient cultures adored and worshipped this incredible stone and held it as sacred and valuable. The Egyptian Queen Cleopatra herself was famously obsessed with emeralds. There are even emerald mines in Upper Egypt that are named after her, due to her love for the gorgeously hued gemstone.
In Cleopatra’s time, emeralds were a symbol of eternal life, gifted to mankind from the god of wisdom, Thoth.
Ancient Indians too had a special association with the emerald, the Sanskrit translation of emerald meaning “the green growing things”. Aligned with the Heart Chakra, the emerald is sometimes referred to as the “Stone of Successful Love”.
Indeed the ancient Romans dedicated the stone to Venus, the goddess of love and fertility. So what is it about emeralds that is so awe-inspiring?
The humble emerald is a member of the beryl family and ranges in colour from yellow-green to blue-green. The most highly sought-after colour variety is the pure, deep green that we all associate with as a true emerald colour. Think of the Wizard of Oz emerging in a puff of verdant green smoke out of the depths of the crystalline emerald city.
Colour psychologists associate the colour green with balance and harmony. Green is the colour of nature and life. It is the anticipation of things to come, like the first breaking buds of spring after the winter thaw. It is the colour of regeneration and hopefulness. Yet green also connotes darker tendencies including desire, jealousy and envy. In gemstone lore, emerald is said to be a channeler of passionate energy, both the dark and the light.
Emeralds are fascinating, looking within is like looking at the universe back in time, a glimpse into what was happening millions of years ago beneath the earth.
I’ve always had a particular fascination with emeralds. The birthstone for the month of May and the star sign of Cancer, it is a truly beautiful gemstone. Each and every one has its own attributes and character that is brilliant to observe and contemplate from a valuer and gemologist perspective. This stunning ring is bound to excite the senses of whoever owns it. Unashamedly big, it screams out for the right woman to take ownership of this riveting design. An ideal companion piece for the modern and urbane woman of today. This ring is not for the fainthearted and I make no apologies for its major bling appeal. I love it.
This emerald is the centrepiece of a microset, diamond cluster ring and features 6 shoulder set pear cut diamonds and pave set diamonds. The total diamond weight is 2.19ct. The colour of this emerald is as good as it gets. This is a beautiful ring featuring a Columbian emerald with a distinctive blue/green colour and wonderful transparent diaphaneity. Colombian emeralds are the highest quality available and this fine specimen is a perfect example of this. Microscopically this emerald exhibits beautiful 3 phase inclusions which are typical of Colombian emeralds, and are a lot of fun to look at. Essentially the 3 phase inclusion is liquid and crystal contained within a gas inclusion. In this emerald the crystal is square, the liquid is a little round bubble and the gas is a long shape containing them both. Emeralds are reasonably durable with a hardness of 7.5 – 8 on the Moh scale. However, they are a brittle gemstone and are best treated with care.
We hope you will fall in love with this dazzling piece, just as we have. So why not call in-store today and discover this beauty for yourself?
Or, if you would like to explore our range of stunning emeralds, you can view them here.
