May Birthstone: The Regal Emerald

Enthusiasts

May Birthstone: The Regal Emerald

Isadoras

When you hear the word “emerald,” Cleopatra or Elizabeth Taylor may come to mind – both women were famous for their love of these regal green jewels. Emeralds have a place in our hearts too – we live in the Emerald City, after all. Lately our customers have been drawn to this amazing gemstone as they shop Isadoras’ vintage heirloom collection for engagement rings and right-hand rings.

The emerald’s deep green color reflects the first signs of spring’s new growth and has long been considered to have calming, peaceful properties.

Historically, the emerald stone was reputed to do practically everything from endowing its wearer with the ability to tell the future to serving as an antidote for enchantments.

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Emeralds are the green variety of the mineral beryl (the blue variety is aquamarine). Due to the nature of their formation all emeralds have inclusions.

Even though emeralds are hard and cannot be easily scratched, they can be chipped or broken. It is common to see an emerald encircled by diamonds or white sapphires, which add even more sparkle, but also protect the emerald’s edges.

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Emeralds add an intense depth of color to any setting and make stellar non-traditional engagement rings.

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Emeralds should be cleaned with a gentle detergent solution and a very soft brush. Never use steam or any solution that contains petroleum distillates.

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Emeralds are the most challenging gems to cut.

The Cleopatra Emerald below is a perfect example – it took three months to cut. And it is the largest emerald in the world, weighing 40, 175 carats. (This gem is now on the market.)

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The Chalk Emerald ring is 37.82 carats, surrounded by 60 pear-shaped diamonds (15 carats). The emerald was originally set in a necklace owned by the Maharani Saheba in India, whose son eventually inherited it. In the mid-twentieth century, the stone was cut down and set into a ring designed by Harry Winston. It is now part of the Smithsonian National Gem and Mineral Collection (and you can buy a replica in the gift shop!)

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Richard Burton gave Elizabeth Taylor a stunning emerald Bulgari necklace. Taylor wrote: “Richard was so romantic that he’d use any excuse to give me a piece of jewelry.”

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We believe emeralds are romantic too. This amazing Art Deco emerald and diamond ring is one of our most looked at and asked about rings in the store. The emerald is 3.18 carats and the diamonds weigh a total of 1.86 carats. What a stunner!

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