May Birthstone Guide

It was once said that “nothing “greens” as green as an emerald”. Emeralds are composed of liquid, gas, and solid all within the same stone! In fact, this very well means that there could be a piece of solidified matter, a water droplet, and even a bubble of air from over 100 million years ago all within one stone! Emeralds were once favored by Cleopatra herself. 

Emerald

The word “emerald” is derived from the word “smardagos”, which translates into “green gem” in ancient Greek.

The emerald has been revered for thousands of years and was the favored choice of royal adornment by the Inca and the Egyptian pharaohs- especially Cleopatra. Cleopatra became obsessed with the vibrant green stones and even took the emerald mine from the Greek people all for her own. She was known to wear an emerald necklace and decorate her palace with emeralds. Other famously remarkable emeralds in history have been found in the Crown of the Andes and the exhumed treasure from the 17th-century Spanish galleon, Nuestra Señora de Atocha. 

Origin Story:

For the past 500 years or so, Colombia has been the source of the finest emeralds in the world. Colombian emeralds are judged as the best of the best and are an example of perfection against which all other emeralds are scaled. You can find emeralds of all colors here, though specific regions of Colombia are known to unearth darker-toned green, yellowish-green, light green, and bluish-green. The locations are Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez. The Belmont mine in Brazil is another purveyor of emeralds.

Mythological History:

Long ago, the May birthstone was thought to portray therapeutic properties such as visual comfort and relaxation. Folklore states that the stone could aid in seeing into the future if it were placed under the tongue. It was also thought that emeralds could give the wearer an eloquent speaker. There is science-backed evidence that agrees with this statement saying that the color green relieves eye strain and stress. The emerald symbolizes new beginnings and good fortune.

The Lore of celestial stones intrigues the mind and allows us to wander afar to another land of possibility and mystery. 

Gemstones hold a high seat throughout history for being admired, not only for their beauty and seemingly indestructible nature- But also for their mysticism, the rank of station symbolism, and their proposed metaphysical properties.