Emerald is the birthstone for May. It's been used throughout history as a symbol of wealth and power. Cleopatra had many emeralds decorating her palace as well as in her jewellery collection. She was even said to have given them as gifts to high-ranked visitors.
Emeralds are also said to have been used for eye strain, with many jewellers keeping an emerald nearby to look into, to rest their eyes.
The largest deposit of emeralds is found in Columbia. They can also be found in Brazil, Madagascar, Zambia, Egypt and Canada. They are still very rare; almost 20x rarer than diamonds.
Aquamarine is in the beryl group of crystals alongside the following:
- green beryl - emerald
- blue beryl - aquamarine
- pink beryl - morganite
- yellow beryl - heliodor
- colourless beryl - goshenite
Unfortunately, I don't have any emeralds in my shop at the moment as it is very expensive to source. That being said, never say never! I'd love to make some jewellery with it very soon! If you sign up to my mailing list at the bottom of the page you'll be the first to find out about new releases.
Properties of emerald:
- abundance
- memory
- patience
- honesty
- brings calm to a temper
I'd recommend aventurine or jade as a cheaper alternative to emeralds with similar properties. I have some Crystal chip earrings and bracelets available in sterling silver or silver plated.
Come back June 1st for the 2 crystals of the month; moonstone and pearl!
Lauren x
