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The word emerald is derived from the Greek word 'smaragdus' which means 'green gem'.
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The emerald is the birthstone for the month of May.
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The emerald is often considered to be the gemstone for the Taurus, Gemini, and Cancer astrological signs.
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In the United States, a couple's 55th wedding anniversary is celebrated with an emerald gift.
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Emeralds often have many inclusions (imperfections) which makes them a weaker stone and more difficult to make into jewelry.
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Emeralds without inclusions (imperfections) are rare and more difficult to find. These rare emeralds are also worth a lot more than diamonds.
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Because emeralds have a lower density, a 1 carat emerald is larger than a carat diamond.
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In order to help preserve an emerald and stop it from chipping or cracking they are often filled with a type of oil or with resin epoxy.
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Emeralds are made of beryl. This is also what makes the aquamarine gemstone, but emeralds get their color from small amounts of vanadium and chromium.
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There are emeralds believed to be 2.97 billion years old.
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Cleopatra loved emeralds and they were considered to be one of her favorite stones.
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Ancient folklore suggested that putting an emerald under your tongue would make it possible to see the future.
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There is an emerald weighing 1,383.93 carats. It is called the Duke of Devonshire Emerald. It is an uncut emerald.
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In 1935 synthetic emeralds were created for the first time. Rubies and sapphires had been synthetically created since 1907.
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It can be difficult to tell the difference between a real emerald and a synthetic emerald, which makes it a commonly faked gemstone. They even put cracks in the fake ones to make them look real.
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In 1997 emeralds were discovered in the Yukon Territory.
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Elizabeth Taylor once owned an emerald necklace that sold in 2011 for $6.5 million. It was more than 23 carats.
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In the United States emeralds have been found in South Carolina, North Carolina, Nevada, Connecticut, and Montana.
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An emerald's value is determined by four main factors including carat weight, color, cut, and its clarity.
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An emerald's hardness is determined by the Mohs scale to be between 7.5 and 8. A diamond is 10 while turquoise is between 5 and 6.
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Emeralds are thought to enhance love and commitment while also promoting healing.
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Some of the most famous emeralds include the Chalk Emerald, Duke of Devonshire Emerald, Gachala Emerald, Mogul Mughal Emerald, Patricia Emerald, Bahia Emerald, and the Emerald of Saint Louis.
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