Emerald

Item Description

The top three colored gems through history are Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald. While Rubies and Sapphires are typically tied to places like Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Tanzania these days, there are truly only a few places in the world that produce superb gem quality Emeralds. Emeralds have long been treasured for their beauty and rarity due to the fact that there truly are only a few places in the world that yield gem quality material. Cleopatra was possibly the most famous admirer of Emeralds, and her own mine was rediscovered a century ago – one of the earliest confirmations of Emeralds in antiquity. Aristotle wrote that owning an Emerald would help the wearer with victory in trials, settling litigation, success in business matters and even with poor eyesight. Later, emeralds were highly prized by the Incas and Aztecs when discovered in Colombia. Although Brazil produces more Emeralds annually than any other country, Colombia dominates the trade by setting the standards for size and color. It is Colombian Emeralds against which all others are judged. Rarer and sometimes more expensive than a similar-sized Diamond. Here we have a rich emerald green color "Oval" cabochon cut gem with fairly good clarity and fine color. If you're looking for a decent sized, richly colored stone for a fraction of retail, this is perfect for you. A great gem for anybody who likes Emeralds. Keep in mind that Emeralds are classified as Type-3 gemstones, which means that inclusions are almost always present, so do not look at the inclusions in this stone as off-putting, nearly every Emerald has inclusions. Please note that Emeralds are notoriously difficult to photograph, and this gem looks better in person.