Gemstone smaragd. Precious emerald and its magical properties

Emerald is one of the most famous gems in human society. He was repeatedly sung and mentioned in various cultures, a large number of myths and fairy tales are associated with him.

In geological terms, natural emerald is a variety of beryl that has green hues that are occasionally combined with blue. It is the color scheme of the stone that contributes to its high value, which often leaves diamonds behind. Since ancient times, this gemstone was considered a symbol of wisdom and hope. And in ancient Greece it was called a stone of radiance.

Description of the stone

The name "emerald" itself refers to a specific type of beryl - aquamarine, which has a green tint. From here comes the second name of the stone - "green ice". The greenness in the structure is due to the presence of a small amount of chromium.

The characteristics and properties of an emerald are largely determined by this proportion of chromium. Scientists have long established that certain types of emeralds contain vanadium, which acts as chromium. Since this discovery, vanadium has been found in many deposits. The parameters of the stone depend on the place of occurrence.

The density of emeralds in Colombia and Siberia is about 2,712 on average. The stones occurring in the Brazilian open spaces have a reduced density (2.670). And in South Africa, this figure, on the contrary, is overestimated - up to 2,770. The high density is explained by the presence in the structure of metals such as cesium and rubidium. These alkaline compounds have a positive effect on the parameter in question.

It is easy to distinguish an emerald from a mass of various similar stones - its peculiarity lies in its purity and transparency. According to its strength indicators, it is among the leaders. Moreover, geologists believe that the hardness of the stone continues to increase. And the transparency of the structure attracts the attention of connoisseurs of natural beauty and serves as the main criterion that raises the value of the stone.

Together with diamond, emerald (also ruby) is one of the most expensive stones. Especially highly valued stones are clean, faceted and not having visible defects in structure and shape. The optimal weight for connoisseurs is 6 carats. The cost of such copies sometimes goes beyond imaginable limits!

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 all the minerals that have a green color were called that.

Emphasizing the aristocracy of the stone, its "impregnability" and transparency, people called the gem green ice.

Why did the emerald 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, the conquistador Fernando Cortes wanted to give his bride five of the rarest emeralds. Minerals were distinguished not only by their unsurpassed quality, but also by their special shape in the form of a rose, a bell, a goblet, a horn and a 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, hunted stones with him. The story with emeralds only added fuel to the fire of the then raging struggle between the two clans for the Spanish throne. However, none of the treasure hunters won.

In 1541, the unique stones mysteriously disappeared.

igneous mineral

Emerald is of igneous origin and is a variety of beryl. However, it is easy to distinguish it from other stones of similar color due to the high degree of clarity and transparency, as well as the 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 a 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 not properly stored, the stones lose their original luster and become dull.

To ennoble natural emeralds, to give them a special shine, colorless or tinted with green pigment oil will help. 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 that are ideal in purity and shade in nature. So, during mining, minerals weighing hundreds of carats are found, but having no jewelry value. At the same time, rare pure bluish-green emeralds can cost more than diamonds.

Emeralds called "old" have the highest value. These stones have an intense dark green color, which is not found in samples mined in new deposits.

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 an emerald from other green gems using a refractometer. This special device measures the refraction of light occurring in a particular stone. The emerald index is approximately 1.58 units.

Modern technologies

Most often, gem-quality emeralds are relatively small in size, but in modern production, artificially grown, or synthetic minerals are often used. The main methods of cultivation are flux and hydrothermal. To do this, the crystals are placed in an environment whose temperature is about 600 degrees Celsius, and 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 gemstones that has been named after a certain method of cutting minerals, which is widely used in jewelry production.

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

south stone

An important role in the evaluation of expensive stones is often played by their deposit. So, for example, Kashmir rubies are considered the best, Burmese rubies are considered the highest quality, but Colombian ones are recognized as reference emeralds. It is in Colombia that the famous mines of Muso are located, in which amazing bright green minerals are mined.

The well-known 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 East and South Africa, Egypt, India and Pakistan. In Russia, the Urals are famous for emerald deposits.

Experts can recognize the "citizenship" of each stone by the special inclusions characteristic of the minerals of a particular country.

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

star image

Never lost its value, the precious mineral is still very relevant today. In the right frame, even classic ones sound new and modern.

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

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

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 all the minerals that have a green color were called that.

Emphasizing the aristocracy of the stone, its "impregnability" and transparency, people called the gem green ice.

Why did the emerald 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, the conquistador Fernando Cortes wanted to give his bride five of the rarest emeralds. Minerals were distinguished not only by their unsurpassed quality, but also by their special shape in the form of a rose, a bell, a goblet, a horn and a 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, hunted stones with him. The story with emeralds only added fuel to the fire of the then raging struggle between the two clans for the Spanish throne. However, none of the treasure hunters won.

In 1541, the unique stones mysteriously disappeared.

igneous mineral

Emerald is of igneous origin and is a variety of beryl. However, it is easy to distinguish it from other stones of similar color due to the high degree of clarity and transparency, as well as the 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 a 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 not properly stored, the stones lose their original luster and become dull.

To ennoble natural emeralds, to give them a special shine, colorless or tinted with green pigment oil will help. 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 that are ideal in purity and shade in nature. So, during mining, minerals weighing hundreds of carats are found, but having no jewelry value. At the same time, rare pure bluish-green emeralds can cost more than diamonds.

Emeralds called "old" have the highest value. These stones have an intense dark green color, which is not found in samples mined in new deposits.

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 an emerald from other green gems using a refractometer. This special device measures the refraction of light occurring in a particular stone. The emerald index is approximately 1.58 units.

Modern technologies

Most often, gem-quality emeralds are relatively small in size, but in modern production, artificially grown, or synthetic minerals are often used. The main methods of cultivation are flux and hydrothermal. To do this, the crystals are placed in an environment whose temperature is about 600 degrees Celsius, and 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 gemstones that has been named after a certain method of cutting minerals, which is widely used in jewelry production.

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

south stone

An important role in the evaluation of expensive stones is often played by their deposit. So, for example, Kashmir sapphires are considered the best, Burmese are considered the highest quality rubies, but Colombian emeralds are recognized as reference emeralds. It is in Colombia that the famous mines of Muso are located, in which amazing bright green minerals are mined.

The well-known 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 East and South Africa, Egypt, India and Pakistan. In Russia, the Urals are famous for emerald deposits.

Experts can recognize the "citizenship" of each stone by the special inclusions characteristic of the minerals of a particular country.

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

star image

Never lost its value, the 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. Complemented with diamonds, emerald jewelry looks sophisticated and elegant. Such products will be a great accent to your evening look.

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

Emerald is a variety of green 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 from about 3100 BC. e.

In Latin and ancient Greek, the emerald was called "smaragdos" (Latin smaragdus, Greek oiiraubos,), which literally means "green stone".

Pliny the Elder wrote in the XXXVII volume of Natural History: “There are twelve types of emeralds, but the noblest of them are Scythian, named after the tribe from where they are found. No other emeralds have a richer color, and besides, they have the least flaws. As much as emeralds are more expensive than any precious stones, so Scythian ones are more expensive than other emeralds. The closest to the Scythian in terms of popularity are the Bactrian ones. However, they say that they are smaller than the Scythian sizes ... "

Initially, in Russian, an unprecedented green gem appears under the name "izmaragd" in the manuscript "On the situation of Jerusalem" of the 11th century. Only one document of the 16th century has been preserved, in which the following is written: “... in a friend country, stones are hanging ... on the right sardium, topaz, izmaragd.”

However, there is no evidence that anyone in Russia 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 Russia appears only in the middle of the 15th century. For the first time this stone is mentioned under the name "izumrut": "The icon of gold on the emerald." The document refers to cut gems brought from abroad.

There is evidence that for the first time an 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” of 1860, which says: “In the aforementioned year [meaning 1669], Dmitry Tumashev arranged above Murzinskaya Sloboda on the river. Neiva a blast furnace and advertised to the Verkhotursk governor Fyodor Khrushchev that he had found an emery stone on Neiva, which is suitable for any diamond business and, moreover, announced; two emeralds, three stones with purple sparks and three topazes, and that he found those stones over the river. Neiva to the vicinity of the Murzinsky prison.

At the end of the XVIII 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 we follow the official version, then 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 uprooted by a storm, and accidentally found green gems in a hole under them.

Since the 19th century nothing changed. Until now, emeralds in Russia are mined at the only Malyshevsky 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 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, as a result, the work of "Malyshevsky" completely stopped. Activities resumed only after the personal intervention of the President of Russia 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.

The first known emerald deposit was in Egypt. The extraction of green stone lasted from the 300s. BC. up to the 17th century. Before the Spanish conquest of America in the 16th century. Egypt remained the only country that supplied emeralds to Europe.

The quality of Egyptian emeralds, the only ones known until the 16th century, was extremely low. But even a slightly 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 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. In small quantities, this gemstone is found 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 healing properties of emerald

The Jewelery Industry Council of America and the British National Jewelers Association have designated the 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 is a belief that this stone will give its owner the loyalty of a loved one. There is also an opinion that green allows its owner to see the future, sharpens intuition.

Another medieval misconception from the same source says the following:

“In order to heal a person stung by a snake or a scorpion, you should mix emerald with rose water, speak and apply to the wound. The wearer of this stone is also freed from melancholy and hypochondria.

If with a cure for melancholy and hypochondria - you can somehow agree. Indeed, if someone gives a piece of jewelry with an emerald, then the mood will improve in any case. But with a cure for a snake or scorpion bite with rose water and emerald, you should not experiment. Practice says that the faster you apply 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 epileptic attacks, 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 Robes" described the emerald as a gem that resists any magic and any sorcery. He claimed that no magic and sorcery is possible if there is this stone somewhere nearby.

The green gem has been considered at all times a healing stone that promotes relaxation and tranquility. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that emerald could protect against malaria, cholera, dysentery, help newborns survive, 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), they rub emerald well on purple and, having mixed it with safran, apply it to the eyes." Leaving this statement on the conscience of the author, however, it should be noted that the positive effect of emerald on vision was noted by many ancient scientists.

Pliny the Elder mentions in the Natural History XXXVII. 16 that the emperor Nero watched gladiator fights through a huge emerald. This emerald haunts historians for many centuries. There is a version that this stone is preserved to this day in the storerooms of the Vatican Museum. Other scientists insist that it was not an emerald, but a huge chrysolite or even plain green glass.

Emerald color and price

The influence of shades and the smallest nuances of color on the price of an emerald is very significant. Color is so important that every other characteristic is often neglected, even clarity. High-quality emeralds are considered bluish-green and green stones. Any deviation in hue from this range translates 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 no longer used anywhere 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 test sample with a reference stone. The most expensive are the colors 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 - emeralds with facets:

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

The second group includes emeralds that have a "cabochon" cut:

K1 - partially lost transparency in the peripheral zone of the stone, forming thickenings 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 an emerald are not indicated on the jewelry tag, this means that the stone does not live up to gem quality in its characteristics 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, then this means that cheaper green beryl is fixed in the jewelry.
2. Further, the word "emerald" should be followed by a notation in the form of a C / C fraction, where "C" is one of the five color groups, and "Ch" is one of the five clarity groups.

For example, a jewelry tag says: "Emerald 2/G3". This says that:

• firstly, the jewelry contains a cut gem-quality emerald (since 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 Emeralds of the Perfect Cut dated 02.1997 in dollars without VAT” was used as a price guideline in Russia until recently. The information given there is hopelessly outdated and has nothing to do with real prices. For example, the highest price for quality 1/G1 emeralds weighing 4.00-4.99 carats is $2835 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 such a weight costs about $8,500 per carat. The whole world (except Russia) uses the GIA system to evaluate gems. It defines the quality of the stones clearly, right down to which specific price categories certain shades of color belong to. Below are the 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 strongly noticeable (English Severely Included);
• strongly 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 faint blue-green (vslbG) with saturation/hue 7/3;
• green (G) with saturation/hue 4/3, 7/3;

Either very light or very dark, weakly 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.

It can be seen that the spread in price is very large and therefore a big difference in the quality of the stones is to be expected. The main feature of the commercial category is that it includes stones that are almost always ennobled by 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 moderately noticeable (eng. Moderately Included);
• Slightly Included inclusions.

Color groups:

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

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

The price of premium emeralds is 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.

Emeralds of the highest quality

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

purity group

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

Color groups:

• very strong blue-green (vstbG) with saturation/hue 5/5;
• blue-green (bG) with saturation/hue 5/5;
• very faint 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 mid-tone stones with strong or bright saturation of color, without inclusions visible to the naked eye. The complete absence of refining makes the stone more expensive by 10-50%, depending on the weight of the stone. The larger the emerald, the more expensive you will have to pay for the lack of ennoblement. Emeralds of the highest quality weighing from 0.5 carats are always sold with a certificate from the 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.

Untreated 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 $4,000 to $7,000 per carat.

Untreated 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;

Untreated 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 faint blue-green" (vslbG), but the saturation and tone are different. Suppose the first gem is vslbG 7/3, its description reads: "Dark very slightly greyish very slightly bluish Green", and the second is vslbG 5/5, its description reads: "Medium strong very slightly bluish Green" when expanded. . If the first one costs the buyer no more than $300, then for the second one he will have to pay about $4000-6000, depending on how he manages to negotiate with the seller.

Sometimes a color is named after a stone deposit. 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 color group vslbG, 5-6 tone and 5-6 saturation. When talking about the Zambian color, they mean the color bluish-green (bG), darker 6-7 tones. It should be noted that, compared to Colombian emeralds, Zambian emeralds contain significantly fewer inclusions.

Zimbabwean emeralds are distinguished by a 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 estimating the value of an emerald, one should be guided by a verbal description with great care. The name of the locality of origin does not say anything 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 ones, and Ural emeralds are very similar to Zambian ones.

Scientists have been trying to learn everything about the emerald for many years. Many try to recreate a natural gem - some succeed. Interest in it is caused by the unusual properties of the mineral, which will be discussed in the article. You will learn how it appeared in nature, where it got its name from, why it is so loved by jewelers and how it differs from its counterparts. A bit of history, facts and ambiguous data will meet you along the way and help you understand why the stone has not lost its relevance for so many centuries.

A look into the past

The emerald was first found in Egypt. The deposit of the ancient mineral was located in the Arabian Desert - the watershed between the Nile and the Red Sea. According to some reports, developments were carried out there in 1300 BC. e.

In South America, this stone was first discovered in 1525-1526. Today Colombia is the leading producer of emeralds. But in the old days, the mineral was little known to Europeans and was not considered as valuable as it is today. However, they were a bargaining chip for the Indian tribes of that time.

In the 16th century, the Colombian green fever began. The stones were mined in difficult conditions, since in parallel they had to wage war with the Indians. In Russia, the mineral was discovered 200 years later, and the deposit began to be actively developed a century later.

Hidden meanings of ancient languages

To determine why the emerald received such a name, it is necessary to turn to ancient languages. For the first time, he acquired his well-known name from the Turkish word "zumrud". Its literal interpretation is a green gem.

The Greeks used to call the emerald "smaragdos", which in Old Slavonic sounds like emeralds - green stones. In Sanskrit, the word was pronounced as "zammorod", and in the Persian dialect - "zumundi". All these names are associated with the unusual color of the mineral.

Scientific and generally accepted definition

The meaning of the word emerald is interpreted as green. Scientific description of the stone: a mineral belonging to the beryl group. Among the people, it is known as a status decoration, a jewel of the first order. By value, comparable to diamonds, rubies, alexandrites, sapphires.

The main thing is how the emerald looks, because this is the main criterion for its evaluation. Minerals of the highest value: uniform tone and clarity. True, such instances do not come across often.

Emerald is the same beryl. The only difference between them is saturation. The former have a wide green range, the latter are almost colorless. A crystal is a kind of hexagonal system mineral.

Physical indicators as quality criteria

The physical properties of the emerald stone, dispersion, hardness and density, help to assess the quality of the mined minerals. Its structure and fragility depend on them. It is resistant to acids and various reagents, but easily splits due to natural cracks.

The refractive indices of light are low, only 1.57-1.58. Dichroism (absorption) in emeralds is weak. The dispersion is low, in the B-G interval (0.014). But the density is an ambiguous indicator. It varies greatly, depending on the place of extraction of emeralds.

The table clearly shows that the popularity of Colombian minerals is not entirely justified. The densest stones are mined in southern Africa.

The hardness of minerals is determined on the Mohs scale. In emerald, it is 7.5-8. This is only two units less than that of a diamond, the hardest stone.

Chemical nature and its influence on external signs

The chemical formula of the mineral is Be 3 Al 2 (Si 6 O 18). Proportionately, its structure is divided into 14.1% beryllium oxide, 19% aluminum oxide and 66.9% silicon dioxide.

The crystal lattice can tell a lot about a mineral. For example, if you change aluminum oxide to Fe2, the stone will become bluish, and Fe3 will give it a yellowish tint.

The crystallographic formula of emeralds is hexagonal. For those who did not like chemistry at school, let us explain: this is one of the strongest crystal lattices. It has the shape of a regular prism on a hexagonal base.

The chemical composition of emeralds affects the external characteristics. The light color of the stone is determined by the presence of 0.15% chromium. But, if its ratio increases to 0.6%, dark green minerals are found in the deposits.

Smaragd is able to withstand solar exposure. Its color will change only if the stone is heated to 700-800 degrees Celsius.

The magical meaning and healing abilities of the amulet

Many are convinced that the emerald stone is endowed with useful, healing properties. The mineral is an antimicrobial agent when placed in a container of plain water. Lithotherapists talk about these qualities. According to them, the crystal helps:

• restore pressure;
• eliminate headache;
• remove breakage in the joints;
• cope with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
• recover from diseases of the urinary system.

In the sense of esotericism, emeralds are excellent talismans and amulets. He protects young people from evil inclinations. It brings inspiration to creative individuals, and helps a business person to achieve success.

Varieties of mined minerals

The location of the extraction affects what color the emeralds will receive. Colombian pebbles have rich herbal hues, but low transparency. Minerals Trapiche are interesting interspersed. They resemble flowers or snowflakes.

Zambian minerals are dark in color. Their tone goes a little blue. Stones from Zimbabwe are distinguished by their small size and the presence of yellowish inlays. These types of high quality, despite the small weight.

Brazilian emeralds are not clouded like stones from Colombia. They have a yellow-light green tint. Minerals mined in South Africa are cloudy, but not dark. Russian crystals are opaque, with a rich color. Interestingly, a plain-looking specimen is more valuable than a bright gem.

Truths and myths about multi-colored minerals

Variants of shades of the mineral may be different. But one thing remains unchanged: the main tone of the emerald is always green. It can have a dark malachite or light green-transparent shade. Almost everything that jewelers present as color variations is fake or synthetic.

Red emerald can indeed be found in nature. This is a specific type of beryl - bixbite. But the mineral is so rare that all existing samples are in private collections and are not used in the jewelry industry.

There is an opinion that black emeralds are found in nature. This is a myth, but it is quite possible to grow an artificial crystal of a very dark color.

Samples of synthetic origin

Dairy or laboratory-grown ornamental specimens are the lowest grade of synthetic stones. They do not have a shine, their strength characteristics do not match the original, and their price is not higher than the cost of a simple rhinestone.

Sometimes, jewelers replace the emerald with green-tinted beryl. It is a semi-precious stone with similar features. But its external qualities are not as attractive as the original.

Royal regalia in a green frame

Green emerald is a royal decoration, using which the crowned persons emphasized their status. One of these samples was seen in 1937 at the coronation of Edward VIII. The stone occupied a central place in the imperial crown.

The royal jewelry of the British Crown deserves special attention. The emerald brooch, presented in 1863 for the wedding of Princess Alexandra, is a real masterpiece of jewelry. The decoration used 36 emeralds of the highest quality.

Royal emeralds are large stones of rich color weighing more than two carats. Sometimes their surface is veined and cracked, but this only adds to their uniqueness. Such a texture is explained by the natural conditions of formation and distinguishes it from synthetic samples.

Price policy

Let's talk about what system jewelers adhere to when setting the value of emeralds. The assessment takes place in US dollars per carat (mass units) and is set on uncut stones. For the work of a jeweler, you have to pay extra.

The price range for crystals depends on their quality. Here is an example of their cost:

• low-quality breed - 350-375 dollars;
• stones of average quality - 650-2700 dollars;
• high-quality samples - 2300-5500 dollars;
• rare specimens - 5000-8500 dollars.

A characteristic sign of quality is the saturation of tone. The brighter the mineral, the higher its value. The price also increases with the weight of the minerals. For a sample of excellent quality of 8-15 carats, you will have to pay 7500-12000 dollars. Details about prices in the article "How much do emeralds cost"