When and how was Emerald discovered?
Emerald is the most precious stone in the beryl group. The name comes from the old French word ‘esmeralde’, which was derived from the Greek word ‘smaragdos’ meaning ‘green stone’.
What is the colour of Emerald?
Emeralds come in a variety of hues ranging from yellow-green to blue-green. Only gems that are medium to dark in tone are considered emerald; light-toned gems are known instead by the name green beryl.
The most desirable emerald colours are bluish green to pure green, with vivid colour saturation and tone that’s not too dark. The most-prized emeralds are highly transparent. Their colour is evenly distributed, with no colour zoning visible to the eye. If the hue is too yellowish or too bluish, the stone is not emerald, but a different variety of beryl, and its value drops accordingly.
The intensity of the green in the finest emeralds might not be equaled by anything else in nature.
Where is Emerald Sourced?
The finest Emeralds are traditionally from Colombia, though Zambia has been a recent significant producer. Ancient Emeralds were mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C. and were also sourced from Austria. Important Emerald deposits are in Brazil, China, Afghanistan, Russia, Mozambique, South African, and the U.S. (North Carolina).