Emerald

Emerald is a precious gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. Most emeralds are highly included, so their toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as generally poor. Emerald is a cyclosilicate.

History

The word "emerald" is derived (via Old French: esmeraude and Middle English: emeraude), from Vulgar Latin: esmaralda/esmaraldus, a variant of Latin smaragdus, which originated in Greek: σμάραγδος (smaragdos; "green gem").

Emeralds, like all colored gemstones, are graded using four basic parameters–the four Cs of Connoisseurship: Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat weight. Before the 20th century, jewelers used the term water, as in "a gem of the finest water", to express the combination of two qualities: color and clarity.

Sources

Emeralds are found all over the world, including Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Zambia. The value of the emerald depends on many factors and can vary greatly. For example, a high-quality emerald will also be highly transparent, meaning it does not have any cloudiness and is clear to see through.

Emeralds in antiquity

Emeralds were used as jewelry in antiquity and were mined by the Egyptians. There are also many myths surrounding emeralds in different cultures.

Emeralds in the modern era

Today, emeralds are used in a variety of ways. They are often used in jewelry, but are also used in certain types of industrial applications.

See also

• Gemstone
• Beryl
• Mohs scale
• Colored gemstones

References

Emerald Resources
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