Not required for EPS2 students
was dedicated by the ancients to the goddess Aphrodite.
It is the symbol of immortality and faith.
- It is
one of the most highly prized of all gems, as well
as rare and valuable. Emerald, the most valuable of
gems, is a transparent variety of the beryllium
aluminosilicate mineral beryl that owes its bright
green color to small amounts of chromic oxide. Large,
flawless stones are very rare. Lacking the fire and
brilliance of diamond, emerald is usually step cut,
with elongated narrow facets and an oblong table, to
enhance its color.
- Emeralds have been obtained
from the schists of Cleopatra's mines, rediscovered
in 1818, in the Sikait-Zubara region of Egypt. Vast
quantities were taken from South America during the
Spanish conquest, but the original mines have since
- The finest stones come from Colombia,
where they are mined from the calcite veining bituminous
limestone at Muzo, Cosauez, and Somondoco, Bogota; these
deposits were discovered in the late 1500s. Emeralds were
discovered in 1830 in mica schists near Sverdlovsk, in
Russia's Ural Mountains.
- They have been produced
artificially by using a process developed by Carroll F.
Chatham in the 1930s. The emerald (Greek: smaragdos) of
the ancients probably referred to a number of distinct
species of green stones.
abound concerning the emerald, which is the birthstone for May: it
supposedly soothes the eyes, preserves chastity ?, cures
dysentery, prevents epilepsy, drives away evil spirits,
and facilitates childbirth.