Emerald gets its beautiful green color from the presence of chromium and vanadium. It is highly prized as a gemstone and by weight is the most valuable gemstone in the world. As it is also a beryl, the presence of chromium separates it from green beryl, which doesn’t contain chromium. It is very rare that emeralds are flawless that’s why they are oiled to hide flaws, fill cracks and enhance color. The flaws of emerald are not looked as negative aspect for emerald like as it may be looked for other gemstones. Rather, these flaws are considered as a part of emerald’s natural characteristics and are used to assure that it is natural stone.

Locations:

The finest of the emeralds come from Colombia. Other sources are Brazil, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Egypt, Pakistan, India, Austria, Norway, Australia and USA.

Chemical Composition: Aluminum Beryllium Silicate
Crystal Structure: Hexagonal
Hardness: 7.5-8
Specific Gravity: 2.67-2.78
Refractive Index: 1.576-1.582
Colors: Emerald green, light green, yellow-green and dark green.
Luster: Vitreous

Astrological Relevance:

Emerald is considered to be one of the birthstones for the month of May, which covers two zodiac signs: Taurus (April 20 To May 21) and Gemini (May 21 To June 21).