With the arrival of May, the corresponding emerald birthstone gradually appears with dazzling radiance in your sight. Emeralds have long been considered a symbol of nobility and social status by the aristocracy, and a wide variety of emerald jewelry is a proud symbol of their wealth. However, they have become more popular among ordinary people due to the development of modern mining technology. Charming and sparking as they are, let's explore the final secret of May's birthstone—Emerald.
What is Emerald?
- Emerald is a gemstone of pure green belonging to the mineral beryl family.
- Emerald owns a complex word origin. Strictly speaking, it’s derived from Vulgar Latin: Esmeralda, which was a via Ancient Greek:σμάραγδος, meaning green gem from a Semitic Language.
- In ancient times, emeralds first appeared from Mount Smaragdus of Egypt about 1500BCE. And about the 14th century, Austria and India started to mine the emeralds. But now, Colombia is the world’s largest producer of emeralds.
- Emeralds can range in color from light green to dark green, which means they can offer more possibilities in jewelry design. And it’s also been the preference for the high society for centuries.
Lore and legend about Emerald
- The most famous emerald owner is definitely Cleopatra. In some legends, due to the sacred symbols of fertility and eternity of emeralds. She decided to decorate herself and her grandiose palace with emeralds and gave them as gifts to foreign countries. But most commonly, she liked emeralds to display her wealth and power.
- In ancient Rome, the elder Pliny had described emeralds in his Natural History. He believed that there was no better way to restore people’s eyes than by looking at the emerald, and its soft, green color could comfort the weariness.
- Like other famous gemstones, emeralds were endowed with many legendary meanings and functions by the ancients. Like the ability to foresee the future, reveal the truth, and the protection against evil spells.
- These special gems from the bible can grant unique power to their owner. As one of the four sacred gems given to Solomon by God in the bible. The emerald represents wisdom and intelligence, which is synonymous with the characteristic of Solomon.
Symbolism and significance
- Essentially, green is the calmest of all the colors on the color wheel. Emerald owns a complex connotation of healing and fertility. Therefore, it is the perfect gift for pregnant women during childbirth.
- As the “Stone of Successful Love,” emeralds also encourage patience, loyalty, inspiration, peace, and unity.
