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May Birthstone: The Brilliant Green Emerald
May’s birthstone is the brilliant, green emerald. Legends gave the emerald the power to make its wearer more intelligent and quick-witted and its the gemstone for 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries. It was once believed to cure diseases like cholera and malaria, and its color reflects new spring growth, which makes it a perfect choice of a birthstone for the month of May.
The first known emerald mines were in Egypt, dating from at least 330 BC. Cleopatra was known to have a passion for emerald, and her mines were one of the oldest sources of emeralds. Emeralds are now found in Colombia, Zambia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Pakistan, Russia and Zimbabwe. Emeralds from Colombia tend to be pure green in color, while African emeralds tend to be a darker bluish-green color.
Emeralds are rare and valuable, and fine colored stones will cost more than a comparable ruby or sapphire in sizes of less than five carats. Emeralds without inclusions are rare, so some inclusions are expected in emerald gemstones and do not detract from their value like in diamond grading. Emeralds are more popularly cut in a rectangular, step cut known as the Emerald cut, however smaller stones are commonly found in round, oval, pear shape and marquise cuts.
While the GIA is renowned for its diamond grading expertise, GIA also receives a substantial array of colored gemstones for identification such as May’s birthstone, the emerald. Over the decades, we’ve created a database of information on more than 100,000 various types of colored gemstones. Using this database and sophisticated analytical tools, GIA graders and researchers can pinpoint a gem’s identity and, depending on the gemstone, its geographic origin. When buying a colored gemstone such as an emerald, it’s important to have a colored gemstone grading report from the GIA to ensure your emerald is authentic and of the appropriate quality.
Find out more about Colored Gemstone Identification on GIA4Cs.GIA.edu, read more about emeralds on GIA.edu, and learn how to buy a gemstone and read all about grading of emeralds in our easy and convenient, online Gemstone Buying Guide(in seven easy steps!). Also, don’t forget to clean your emerald, use warm soapy water and avoid harsh detergents and vigorous scrubbing!