mineraliety: Happy May, friends! Emerald is the birthstone for…
Happy May, friends! Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May.
EMERALD:?
The most prominent of the Beryl group of stones, Emerald has been used since at least 1500 BCE by the Egyptians. Its beautiful green color is bestowed upon it by chromium and vanadium. Although it is around an 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness its ability to break, toughness, is low due to inclusions in its matrix. The word Emerald itself comes from the Greek, ?smaragdos?, which simply means green rock. This became the English name Esmeralda and later Emerald! Quality Emerald is distinguished using the four C?s as is the case with diamonds: Cut, Carat, Color, and Clarity.Browse Emerald items on the site and read up more on this stone:?www.mineraliety.com/minerals/emerald