Alexandrite

Alexandrite is the birthstone for the month of June. The basic symbolism of Alexandrite meaning is balance. It creates immense balance in emotions of the wearer as well as balance of all the physical aspects to ensure that there is no sickness. The stone is an ideal gift to couples celebrating their 45th and 55th anniversary. This stone is not known particularly for any powers of bringing couples closer or encouraging fidelity but Alexandrite meaning does guarantee happiness in one's life. The stone is a good luck charm to all those who luck does not exactly favor.

Alexandrites are among the rarest, most spectacular and expensive gemstones in the world.  The earliest important source of them was the Ural Mountains of Russia.  The gem became a favorite of the Russian royal family and was named after the Russian Czar, Alexander II.  This gem is special mostly because of the enchanting way in which the color changes dramatically according to the light it is in.  Alexandrite is a form of chrysoberyl and in addition to the Ural Mountains, quality alexandrites are found in Brazil, and sometimes Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tanzania and India.

Compared to rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and diamonds, Alexandrite is a relatively new gemstone that was only discovered some 150 years ago. Despite its short history, this remarkable gem has already been ascribed with a variety of magical and mystical properties.

Perhaps the first person to attribute Alexandrite with magical powers was the Russian writer Nikolai Semyonovich Leskov (1831-1895) who wrote a short novel, "Alexandrite, Mysterious Interpretation of a True Fact", in which the gem plays a major role and is defined as a prophetic stone. At nearly the same time, Eliphas Levi, a French author and magician (1810 -1875), connected the duality of the colors in alexandrite with the duality of human blood -- venous and arterial. In his book, La Clef des Grandes Mysteres (The Key to the Great Mysteries), he refers to alexandrite as "the favorite charm of our time which clears and strengthens the blood vessels".

There is a popular Russian folklore regarding the discovery and etymology of the alexandrite stone. According to the Russian legend, the alexandrite stone was mined on the 16th birthday of the then Czar of Russia, Alexander II in the year 1834. This gemstone was given its name by a Finnish geologist, Nile Gustav Nordenskjoid, who stumbled upon this gemstone and mistook it for an Emerald.  For a second opinion, he sent it to a fellow geologist, who confirmed that taking qualities like hardness and color changing properties into consideration, this stone was harder than emeralds. The hardness of a gemstone is measured on the Mohs scale. Alexandrite stone can be rated at 8.5 whereas the measurement of the emerald comes to about 7.5 to 8. There are many controversies surrounding the etymology of the stone. Another myth has it that this stone was introduced to the Russian royalty by Count Lev Alekseevich Perovskii.

 Alexandrite comes in various shades of green but appears to be a dark stone in artificial light. It is an expensive stone but is well known for its beneficial effects. It can bestow on the wearer a lot of good luck, financial prosperity and magical powers. It is good for those wanting to do research, e.g. scientists, mathematicians, atomic scientists, explorers.

Alexandrite protects the wearer from sudden and unexpected changes and protects him in distant unknown lands. The wearer will also be protected from following useless pursuits and his utilized. It should not be worn by those, who cannot hold on to their own judgments and are easily swayed by the influence of others or those who are afraid to defy social conventions for fear of criticism. It urges the wearer to be bold, adventurous or to take bold or daring decisions.

The Alexandrite variety of chrysoberyl displays a color change (alexandrite effect) dependent upon the nature of ambient lighting. This color shift is independent of any change of hue with viewing direction through the crystal that would arise from pleochroism. Both these different properties are frequently referred to as "color change", however. Alexandrite results from small scale replacement of aluminum by chromium ions in the crystal structure, which causes intense absorption of light over a narrow range of wavelengths in the yellow region of the spectrum. Alexandrite from the Ural Mountains in Russia is green by daylight and red by incandescent light. Other varieties of alexandrite may be yellowish or pink in daylight and a columbine or raspberry red by incandescent light.

Alexandrite up to 5 carats (1,000 mg) and larger were traditionally thought to be found only in the Ural Mountains. Other deposits are located in India (Andhra Pradesh), Madagascar, and Sri Lanka. Alexandrite in sizes over 3 carats are very rare. According to a popular but controversial story, alexandrite was discovered by the Finnish mineralogist Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld, 1792–1866) and named alexandrite in honor of the future Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Nordenskiöld's initial discovery occurred as a result of an examination of a newly found mineral sample he had received from Perovskii, which he identified as emerald at first. The first emerald mine had been opened in 1831.

Some gemstones described as lab-grown (synthetic) alexandrite are actually corundum laced with trace elements (e.g., vanadium) or color-change spinel and are not actually chrysoberyl. As a result, they would be more accurately described as simulated alexandrite rather than synthetic but are often called Czochralski alexandrite after the process that grows the crystals.

Moonstone

It is said if you give your lover a moonstone necklace when the moon is full you will always have passion with each other. Moonstone is a highly valued gemstone for these reasons:

• Brings good fortune
• Assists in foretelling the future
• Enhances intuition
• Promotes inspiration
• Brings success in love as well as business matters
• Offers protection on land and at sea

The moonstone is associated with the moon and was the stone of the goddess Diana. The most powerful time to use the moonstone is in a full moon.  Romans believed the stone formed from moonlight. Ancient Hindu beliefs said that moonstone formed from tiny parts of moonbeams. Arabian women, in tune with the feminine and fertile aspects of moonstone, would sew moonstone into their robes to be blessed with many children.

It has been worn as an amulet to bring good emotions to the wearer, while protecting those of a sensitive nature. It can reunite lovers who have quarreled.  Moonstone is also considered a good luck stone.

Moonstone is a very personal stone. It is a reflection of the person who owns it. It does not add or detract, only shows how it is. This is why the moonstone is said to perceive that which "is". Moonstone is an excellent stone to use in meditation to understand oneself. Placing it in the moonlight of a moon reaching its fullness, not a full or waning moon, can revitalize it. This is a particularly good gemstone for women. It is a good stone for young women or teenagers.

Moonstone is reputed to be the “traveler’s stone” and may be carried to bring good fortune. I always carry one in my pocket while traveling or wear one as a pendant. It’s also good for stimulating “new beginnings” and for hoping, wishing – to determine one’s needs instead of wants. 

Moonstone is used by healers to stimulate the functioning of the pineal gland and balance internal hormone cycles with nature's rhythms. Moonstone is a stone of inner growth and strength. Though often considered to be a woman's stone, it can be beneficial to men in opening the emotional self.

 

One of the alternative birthstones for the month of June and associated with the astrological signs of Cancer, Libra, and Scorpio, Moonstone is also linked with all the water-signs as it is a stone of comfort and representative of the Goddess. It is associated with lunar energy and is a great stone for women, especially useful for feminine cycles, and is useful for all rhythms of the body. It enhances flexibility and flow in life, easing stress and anxiety for both men and women and it has a balancing effect, especially on emotions and female hormones. Women may find moonstone helpful during the menstrual cycle, especially to ease discomfort and promote regulation. It can be carried, worn, or placed in the pillowcase while sleeping. Men find it useful in connecting with the emotional side of their personality.  It is a stone of feeling, especially love.

Moonstone is a variety of orthoclase feldspar called Adularia, named for a locality in the Adula Mountains in Switzerland. The word Orthoclase is of Greek origin: orthos meaning “upright” and klasis meaning “fracture” describing the nature of the stone. Moonstone’s soft-looking, pearly sheen, referred to as Adularescence, is caused by light reflecting internally due to thin layer inclusions. The stones can be colorless, white or ivory, slivery-gray or bluish in color. Some specimens have a “layered” appearance while others are translucent, but all will have the distinguishing luster that gives the stone its common name. Some will even have rainbow effects. It is found in Sri Lanka, India, Madagascar, Australia, Brazil and the U.S.A.

Moonstone is the most well-known gemstone of the feldspar group. Named for its glowing color sheen that resembles the moonlight, Moonstone can belong to several different members of the feldspar group, especially Orthoclase and Oligoclase. Moonstone displays a unique play of color known as adularescence. This effect is in the form of a moving floating light or sheen. This phenomenon is caused by structural anomalies within the crystal formation.  

Hematite

Hematite Rose

Hematite Rose

Hematite has several varieties, each with their own unique names.

Hematite Rose is a circular arrangement of bladed crystals giving the appearance of the flower of a rose.

Kidney Ore is the massive botryoidal form and gives the appearance of lumpy kidney-like masses.

Tiger Iron

Tiger Iron is a sedimentary deposit of approximately 2.2 billion years old that consists of alternating layers of silver gray hematite and red jasper, chert or even tiger eye quartz.

Specularite is a micaceous or flaky stone that is sparkling silver gray and sometimes used as an ornamental stone.

Oolitic Hematite is a sedimentary formation that has a reddish brown color and an earthy luster and is composed of small rounded grains.

Oolitic Hematite

Hematite is an important ore of iron and its blood red color (in the powdered form) lends itself well to use as a pigment.  Crystals of Hematite are considered rare and are sought after by collectors as are fine Kidney Ore specimens.

Healing properties of Hematite

Hematite stimulates iron absorption in the small intestine, which in turn improves oxygen supply to the body. It can be in direct contact with the skin, but results in inflammation for some people, so test it carefully on yourself before use.

Physical Characteristics:  Color is steel or silver gray to black in some forms and red to brown in earthy forms. Sometimes tarnished with iridescent colors when in a hydrated form (called Turgite).

Luster is metallic or dull in earthy and oolitic forms.

Transparency: Crystals are opaque.

Crystal System is trigonal; bar 3 2/m

Crystal Habits include tabular crystals of varying thickness sometimes twinned, micaceous (specular), botryoidal and massive. also earthy or oolitic.

Cleavage is absent. However, there is a parting on two planes.

Fracture is uneven.

Hardness is 5 - 6

Specific Gravity is 5.3 (slightly above average for metallic minerals)

Streak is blood red to brownish red for earthy forms.

Associated Minerals include jasper (a variety of quartz) in banded iron formations (BIF or Tiger Iron), dipyramidal quartz, rutile, and pyrite among others.

Notable Occurrences especially nice specimens come from England, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and the Lake Superior region.

Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, streak and hardness.

Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is the mineral form of iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3), one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum. Hematite and ilmenite form a complete solid solution at temperatures above 950°C.

Hematite is a mineral, colored black to steel or silver-gray, brown to reddish brown, or red. It is mined as the main ore of iron. Varieties include kidney ore, martite (pseudomorphs after magnetite), iron rose and specularite (specular hematite). While the forms of hematite vary, they all have a rust-red streak. Hematite is harder than pure iron, but much more brittle. Maghemite is a hematite- and magnetite-related oxide mineral.

Huge deposits of hematite are found in banded iron formations. Grey hematite is typically found in places where there has been standing water or mineral hot springs, such as those in Yellowstone National Park in the United States. The mineral can precipitate out of water and collect in layers at the bottom of a lake, spring, or other standing water. Hematite can also occur without water, however, usually as the result of volcanic activity.

Clay-sized hematite crystals can also occur as a secondary mineral formed by weathering processes in soil, and along with other iron oxides or oxyhydroxides such as goethite, is responsible for the red color of many tropical, ancient, or otherwise highly weathered soils.

Etymology and history

Close-up of hematitic banded iron formation specimen from Upper Michigan. Scale bar is 5.0 mm.

Ochre is a clay that is colored by varying amounts of hematite, varying between 20% and 70%.[3] Red ochre contains unhydrated hematite, whereas yellow ochre contains hydrated hematite (Fe2O3 • H2O). The principal use of ochre is for tinting with a permanent color.[3]The name hematite is derived from the Greek word for blood αἷμα aima because hematite can be red, as in rouge, a powdered form of hematite. The color of hematite lends it well in use as a pigment. The English name of the stone is derived from Middle French: Hématite Pierre, which was imported from Latin: Lapis Hæmatites, which originated fromAncient Greek: αἱματίτης λίθος (haimatitēs lithos, “blood-red stone”).

The red chalk winning of this mineral was one of the earliest in history of mankind. The powdery mineral was first used 164,000 years ago by the Pinnacle-Point man obviously for social differentiation.[4] Hematite residues are also found in old graveyards from 80,000 years ago. Near Rydno in Poland and Lovas in Hungary, palaeolitic red chalk mines have been found that are from 5000 BC, belonging to the Linear Pottery culture at the Upper Rhine.

Rich deposits of hematite have been found on the island of Elba that have been mined till the time of the Etruscans.

Jewelry

Hematite's popularity in jewelry was at its highest in Europe during the Victorian era, and has since seen a strong resurgence in North America, especially in the western United States. Certain types of hematite or iron oxide rich clay, especially Armenian bole has been used in gilding. Hematite is also used in art such as intaglio engraved gems. Hematine is a synthetic material sold as magnetic hematite. 

Hematite is sometimes used in jewelry, either as black reflective stones or as a jewelry piece itself (such as a ring). Some jewelry is marketed as "magnetic hematite". I believe that is more likely another iron oxide, magnetite. Almost all hematite jewelry is made of imitation hematite beads. It is sometimes called hematine, but there is no requirement to say that hematite jewelry is actually imitation. In fact, many jewelry makers do not even know it is artificial.

Magnetism

crystal structure of hematite

Hematite is an antiferromagnetic material below the Morin transition at 250 K, and a canted antiferromagnet or weakly ferromagnetic above the Morin transition and below its Néel temperature at 948 K, above which it is paramagnetic.

The magnetic structure of a-hematite was the subject of considerable discussion and debate in the 1950s because it appeared to be ferromagnetic with a Curie temperature of around 1000 K, but with an extremely tiny moment (0.002 µB). Adding to the surprise was a transition with a decrease in temperature at around 260 K to a phase with no net magnetic moment. It was shown that the system is essentially antiferromagnetic but that the low symmetry of the cation sites allows spin–orbit coupling to cause canting of the moments when they are in the plane perpendicular to the c axis. The disappearance of the moment with a decrease in temperature at 260 K is caused by a change in the anisotropy which causes the moments to align along the c axis. In this configuration, spin canting does not reduce the energy.[6][7]

Hematite is part of a complex solid solution oxyhydroxide system having various degrees of water, hydroxyl group, and vacancy substitutions that affect the mineral's magnetic and crystal chemical properties.[8] Two other end-members are referred to as protohematite and hydrohematite.

Iron from mine tailings

Hematite is present in the waste tailings of iron mines. A recently developed process, magnetation, uses huge magnets to glean waste hematite from old mine tailings inMinnesota's vast Mesabi Range iron district.[9]

Discovery on Mars

The spectral signature of hematite was seen on the planet Mars by the infrared spectrometer on the NASA Mars Global Surveyor ("MGS") and 2001 Mars Odysseyspacecraft in orbit around Mars.[10] The mineral was seen in abundance at two sites[11] on the planet, the Terra Meridiani site, near the Martian equator at 0° longitude, and the second site Aram Chaos near the Valles Marineris.[12] Several other sites also showed hematite, e.g., Aureum Chaos.[13] Because terrestrial hematite is typically a mineral formed in aqueous environments, or by aqueous alteration, this detection was scientifically interesting enough that the second of the two Mars Exploration Rovers was targeted to a site in the Terra Meridiani region designated Meridiani Planum. In-situ investigations by the Opportunity rover showed a significant amount of hematite, much of it in the form of smallspherules that were informally named "blueberries" by the science team. Analysis indicates that these spherules are apparently concretions formed from a water solution.

Chrysoprase

Chrysoprase sits at a 6-7 on the Mohs Scale. It is a variety of chalcedony and a member of the Quartz family. The name chrysoprase comes from Greek meaning gold leek. Chrysoprase is also sometimes referred to as "Australian Jade".

Chrysoprase has some very interesting stories surrounding it. In the 1800’s for example, if you were a thief set to be hung or beheaded, you would immediately escape if you placed chrysoprase in your mouth. Of course this was difficult to do unless you happened to carry a piece with you, in which case you probably didn't need to be stealing.

Alexander the Great was also a fan of chrysoprase, and supposedly wore it in his girdle during battle to ensure victory.

Chrysoprase is one of the rarer members of the Quartz family and many people consider it to be a prized piece in their collections. Chrysoprase unique color comes from the traces of nickel found in it.

Chrysoprase, chrysophrase or chrysoprasus is a gemstone variety of chalcedony (a cryptocrystalline form of silica) that contains small quantities of nickel. Its color is normally apple-green, but varies to deep green. The darker varieties of chrysoprase are also referred to as prase. (However, the term prase is also used to describechlorite-included quartz, and to a certain extent is a color-descriptor, rather than a rigorously defined mineral variety.)

Chrysoprase is cryptocrystalline, which means that it is composed of crystals so fine that they cannot be seen as distinct particles under normal magnification. This sets it apart from rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, and the other varieties of crystalline quartz which are basically transparent and formed from easily recognized six-sided crystals. Other members of the cryptocrystalline silica family include agate, carnelian, and onyx. Unlike many non-transparent silica minerals, it is the color of chrysoprase, rather than any pattern of markings, that makes it desirable. The word chrysoprase comes from the Greek χρυσός chrysos meaning 'gold' and πράσινονprasinon, meaning 'green'.

Unlike emerald which owes its green color to the presence of chromium, the color of chrysoprase is due to trace amounts of nickel compounds in form of very small inclusions. The nickel reportedly occurs as different silicates, like kerolite or pimelite (not NiO mineral, bunsenite, as was reported before). Chrysoprase results from the deep weathering or lateritization of nickeliferous serpentinites or other ultramafic ophiolite rocks. In the Australian deposits, chrysoprase occurs as veins and nodules with brown goethite and other iron oxides in the magnesite-rich saprolite below an iron and silica cap.

A very similar mineral to chrysoprase is chrome chalcedony, in which the color is provided by chromium rather than nickel.

The best known sources of chrysoprase are Queensland, Western Australia, Germany, Poland, Russia, Arizona, California, and Brazil. The chrysoprase and Ni silicate ore deposit in Szklary, Lower Silesia, Poland, was probably the biggest European chrysoprase occurrence and possibly also the biggest in the world.

Chrysoprase helps to make conscious what was unconscious. It strengthens the workings of insight and the higher consciousness.  Ir encourages hope and joy, helps clarify problems, has been used as a cure for restlessness, protection on sea voyages.

Chrysoprase is used to speed the healing of any wound. It should not be placed on the body, but held over the affected area. Carry a Chrysoprase in a pocket to help heal. Also keep a Chrysoprase close to your bed at night to speed healing.

Chrysoprase is used as a shield or protector from negative energy. A small bowl of Chrysoprase kept by the front entrance of the home is a very wise procedure. If used in jewelry, Chrysoprase should only be set in silver and has more power carved in the shape of a heart.

Emeralds

Emeralds are fascinating gemstones. They have the most beautiful, most intense and most radiant green that can possibly be imagined: emerald green. Inclusions are tolerated. In top quality, fine emeralds are even more valuable than diamonds.

The name emerald comes from the Greek 'smaragdos' via the Old French 'esmeralde', and really just means 'green gemstone'. Innumerable fantastic stories have grown up around this magnificent gem. The Incas and Aztecs of South America, where the best emeralds are still found today, regarded the emerald as a holy gemstone. However, probably the oldest known finds were once made near the Red Sea in Egypt. Having said that, these gemstone mines, already exploited by Egyptian pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C. and later referred to as 'Cleopatra's Mines', had already been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the early 19th century.

Written many centuries ago, the Vedas, the holy scriptures of the Indians, say of the precious green gems and their healing properties: 'Emeralds promise good luck ...'; and 'The emerald enhances the well-being ...'. So it was no wonder that the treasure chests of Indian maharajas and maharanis contained wonderful emeralds.

Mogul Emerald

 One of the worlds largest is the so-called 'Mogul Emerald'. It dates from 1695, weighs 217.80 carats, and is some 10cm tall. One side of it is inscribed with prayer texts, and engraved on the other there are magnificent floral ornaments. This legendary emerald was auctioned by Christie's of London to an unidentified buyer for 2.2m US Dollars on September 28th 2001.

Emeralds have been held in high esteem since ancient times. For that reason, some of the most famous emeralds are to be seen in museums and collections. The New York Museum of Natural History, for example, has an exhibit in which a cup made of pure emerald which belonged to the Emperor Jehangir is shown next to the 'Patricia', one of the largest Colombian emerald crystals, which weighs 632 carats.

Patricia

 The collection of the Bank of Bogota includes five valuable emerald crystals with weights of between 220 and 1796 carats, and splendid emeralds also form part of the Iranian National Treasury, adorning, for example, the diadem of the former Empress Farah. The Turkish sultans also loved emeralds. In Istanbul's Topkapi Palace there are exhibits with items of jewelry, writing-implements and daggers, each lavishly adorned with emeralds and other gems.

The green of life and of love

The green of the emerald is the color of life and of the springtime, which comes round again and again. But it has also, for centuries, been the color of beauty and of constant love. In ancient Rome, green was the color of Venus, the goddess of beauty and love. And today, this color still occupies a special position in many cultures and religions. Green, for example, is the holy color of Islam. Many of the states of the Arab League have green in their flags as a symbol of the unity of their faith. Yet this color has a high status in the Catholic Church too, where green is regarded as the most natural and the most elemental of the liturgical colors.

The magnificent green of the emerald is a color which conveys harmony, love of Nature and elemental joie de vivre. The human eye can never see enough of this unique color. Pliny commented that green gladdened the eye without tiring it. Green is perceived as fresh and vivid, never as monotonous. And in view of the fact that this color always changes somewhat between the bright light of day and the artificial light of a lamp, emerald green retains its lively vigor in all its nuances.

Fingerprints of nature

The lively luminosity of its color makes the emerald a unique gemstone. However, really good quality is fairly rare, with inclusions often marring the evenness of the color – signs of the turbulent genesis which has characterized this gemstone. Fine inclusions, however, do not by any means diminish the high regard in which it is held. On the contrary: even with inclusions, an emerald in a deep, lively green still has a much higher value than an almost flawless emerald whose color is paler. Affectionately, and rather poetically, the specialists call the numerous crystal inclusions, cracks or fissures which are typical of this gemstone 'jardin'. They regard the tender little green plants in the emerald garden as features of the identity of a gem which has grown naturally.

So where do they come from and how is it that they exist at all? In order to answer these questions, we need to look far, far back into the time of the emerald's origin. Emeralds from Zimbabwe are among the oldest gemstones anywhere in the world. They were already growing 2600 million years ago, while some specimens from Pakistan, for example, are a mere 9 million years young. From a chemical-mineralogical point of view, emeralds are beryllium-aluminum-silicates with a good hardness of 7.5 to 8, and belong, like the light blue aquamarine, the tender pink morganite, the golden heliodor and the pale green beryl, to the large gemstone family of the beryl. Pure beryl is colorless. The colors do not occur until traces of some other element are added. In the case of the emerald, it is mainly traces of chromium and vanadium which are responsible for the fascinating color. Normally, these elements are concentrated in quite different parts of the Earth's crust to beryllium, so the emerald should, strictly speaking, perhaps not exist at all. But during intensive tectonic processes such as orogenesis, metamorphism, emergences and erosion of the land, these contrasting elements found each other and crystallized out to make one of our most beautiful gemstones. The tension involved in the geological conditions conducive to the above processes produced some minor flaws, and some major ones. A glance through the magnifying-glass or microscope into the interior of an emerald tells us something about the eventful genesis of this unique gem: here we see small or large fissures; here the sparkle of a mini-crystal or a small bubble; here shapes of all kinds. While the crystals were still growing, some of these manifestations had the chance to 'heal', and thus the jagged three-phase inclusions typical of Colombian emeralds were formed: cavities filled with fluid, which often also contain a small bubble of gas and some tiny crystals.

Logically enough, a genesis as turbulent as that of the emerald impedes the undisturbed formation of large, flawless crystals. For this reason, it is only seldom that a large emerald with good color and good transparency is found. That is why fine emeralds are so valuable. But for the very reason that the emerald has such a stormy past, it is surely entitled to show it - that is, as long as only a fine jardin is to be seen, and not a rank garden which spoils both color and transparency.

The world of fine emeralds

Colombia continues to be at the top of the list in terms of the countries in which fine emeralds are found. It has about 150 known deposits, though not all of these are currently being exploited. The best known names are Muzo and Chivor, where emeralds were mined by the Incas in pre-Columbian times. In economic terms, the most important mine is at Coscuez, where some 60 faces are being worked. According to estimates, approximately three quarters of Colombia's emerald production now comes from the Coscuez Mine. Colombian emeralds differ from emeralds from other deposits in that they have an especially fine, shining emerald green unimpaired by any kind of bluish tint. The color may vary slightly from find to find. This fascinatingly beautiful color is so highly esteemed in the international emerald trade that even obvious inclusions are regarded as acceptable. But Colombia has yet more to offer: now and then the Colombian emerald mines throw up rarities such as Trapiche emeralds with their six rays emanating from the centre which resemble the spokes of a millwheel.

Even if many of the best emeralds are undisputedly of Colombian origin, the 'birthplace' of a stone is never an absolute guarantee of its immaculate quality. Fine emeralds are also found in other countries, such as Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia. Zambia, Zimbabwe and Brazil in particular have a good reputation for fine emeralds in the international trade. Excellent emerald crystals in a beautiful, deep emerald green and with good transparency come from Zambia. Their color is mostly darker than that of Colombian emeralds and often has a fine, slightly bluish undertone. Emeralds which are mostly smaller, but very fine, in a vivacious, intense green come from Zimbabwe's famous Sandawana Mine, 

From Sandawana Mine

and they often have a delicate yellowish-green nuance. And the famous emerald mines of Colombia currently face competition from right next door: Brazil's gemstone mine Nova Era also produces emeralds in beautiful green tones, and if they are less attractive than those of their famous neighbor it is only by a small margin. Brazil also supplies rare emerald cat's eyes and extremely rare emeralds with a six-spoked star. Thanks to the finds in Africa and Brazil, there are more emeralds on the market now than there used to be - to the delight of emerald enthusiasts - .

A sophisticated gemstone

While its good hardness protects the emerald to a large extent from scratches, its brittleness and its many fissures can make cutting, setting and cleaning rather difficult. Even for a skilled gem cutter, cutting emeralds presents a special challenge, firstly because of the high value of the raw crystals, and secondly because of the frequent inclusions. However, this does not detract from the cutters' love of this unique gem. Indeed, they have developed a special cut just for this gem: the emerald cut. The clear design of this rectangular or square cut with its beveled corners brings out the beauty of this valuable gemstone to the full, at the same time protecting it from mechanical strain.

Emeralds are also cut in many other, mainly classical shapes, but if the raw material contains a large number of inclusions, it may often be cut into a gently rounded cabochon, or into one of the emerald beads which are so popular in India.

Today, many emeralds are enhanced with colorless oils or resins. This is a general trade practice, but it does have the consequence that these green treasures react very sensitively to inappropriate treatment. For example, they cannot be cleaned in an ultrasonic bath. The substances that may have been used by the cutter during his work, or applied subsequently, seal the fine pores in the surface of the gem. Removing them will end up giving the stone a matte appearance. For this reason, emerald rings should always be taken off before the wearer puts his or her hands in water containing cleansing agent.

A matter of trust

Unfortunately, because the emerald is not only one of the most beautiful gemstones, but also one of the most valuable, there are innumerable synthetics and imitations. So how can you protect yourself from these 'fakes'? Well, the best way is to buy from a specialist in whom you have confidence. Large emeralds in particular should only be purchased with a report from a reputable gemological institute. Such an institute will be able, thanks to the most modern examination techniques, to differentiate reliably between natural and synthetic emeralds, and will inform you as to whether the stone has undergone any treatment of the kind a purchaser has the right to know about.

And one more piece of advice on the purchase of an emerald: while diamonds generously scintillate their fire in sizes below 1 carat, you should go for larger dimensions when acquiring a colored gemstone. True, there are some lovely pieces of jewelery with small colored gems to set decorative accents, but emeralds, like other colored gemstones, do not really begin to show that beautiful glow below a certain size. How large 'your' emerald ends up will depend on your personal taste, and on your budget. Really large specimens of top quality are rare. This means that the price of a top-quality emerald may be higher than that of a diamond of the same weight. The fascination exuded by a fine emerald is simply unique.

For more information about Emeralds go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald