Green with envy

At Fred J. Malcolm we love green. Onlookers see the green bag, carrying the little green box wrapped in green paper, which is hugged lovingly with green ribbon and turn green with envy wondering what’s inside. So it should come as no surprise that we also adore the gem of the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries, and birthstone of May – Emerald

Whether as a part of the Iranian State Treasure, Cleopatra’s lavish jewellery collection, or the centrepiece of the Russian crown jewels, emerald’s relationship with royalty and status is long lasting and undeniable. Their apparent healing powers, most notably their ability to ease the pain of childbirth and sooth the eyes, mean they have also held a place in mythology- it is reported that emeralds were used by early stone-cutters to rest their eyes and that Nero viewed gladiator fights through an emerald because the colour was calming. The evidence regarding childbirth sounds a little more like FAKE NEWS.

Here are a few more verifiable truths about emeralds that you may not have known:

- Bigger than diamonds- emeralds have a specific gravity of 2.72 (diamond- 3.52) which means that a one-carat emerald will appear larger in size than a one-carat diamond.

- Luscious garden- emeralds typically contain inclusions that are visible to the unaided eye called the “jardin” (French for garden) which can actually increase the desirability and value of the stone (Coloured Stones). Having said this, ‘eye-clean’ emeralds are extremely rare, extremely sought after and therefore extremely valuable.

- Fifty shades of green- The most desirable emerald colours are bluish green to pure green, with vivid colour saturation and tone that’s not too dark. Their colour comes from the mix of elements combined during their formation and therefore is sometimes linked to their mine location, with Colombian emeralds said to have a warmer pure green colour due to traces of chromium and Zambian emeralds a cooler, more bluish green colour due to traces of iron.

- We are family- Being a member of the beryl family, which include aquamarine and morganite, emeralds are a softer and more delicate stone (7.5- 8 on the Mohs Hardness scale) than diamond (10). For this reason they are usually worn more in dress jewellery (Dress Rings) than in everyday pieces, in order to reduce the chances of damage.