How to clean it
Warm soapy water and nothing else. Never ultrasonic — nearly all emeralds are oil-treated to fill fractures, and ultrasound drives the oil out.
Green to bluish green
Emerald
The birthstone for May.
Properties
Composition
Beryllium aluminium silicate (Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈) coloured by chromium or vanadium
Hardness (Mohs)
7.5–8
Crystal system
Hexagonal
Colour
Green to bluish green
Mined in
Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Afghanistan
Worth knowing
Almost every emerald contains internal fractures — the trade calls them jardin, "garden". A flawless emerald is more suspicious than impressive.
History
Mined in Egypt from around 1500 BCE; Cleopatra famously claimed the mines.
Practical
Caring for Emerald
How to tell it is real
A flawless emerald should raise suspicion rather than excitement: genuine stones nearly always show internal fractures the trade calls jardin. Perfectly clean green stones are usually glass or synthetic.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Matches quartz, so ordinary dust will not scratch it. Fine for rings, though decades of wear will show at the edges.
Traditional associations
Emerald is traditionally linked to loyalty, growth and honest speech. In chakra systems it is placed at the Heart, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Earth.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Emerald made of?
Beryllium aluminium silicate (Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈) coloured by chromium or vanadium, crystallising in the hexagonal system.
Which month is Emerald the birthstone for?
May.
Where does Emerald come from?
Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Afghanistan.
How do I clean Emerald?
Warm soapy water and nothing else. Never ultrasonic — nearly all emeralds are oil-treated to fill fractures, and ultrasound drives the oil out.
How can I tell if Emerald is real?
A flawless emerald should raise suspicion rather than excitement: genuine stones nearly always show internal fractures the trade calls jardin. Perfectly clean green stones are usually glass or synthetic.
Can I wear it every day?
At 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale, yes — it resists everyday scratching.