Gemstone encyclopedia
Emerald — meaning, history and vintage jewelry
Emerald is the green variety of beryl, colored by chromium or vanadium. It rates 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale but is the classic example of hardness not equalling durability: nearly every emerald contains fissures, and almost all are filled with oil or resin to improve clarity. Emeralds must never be cleaned ultrasonically or with steam, which strips the filler and can open a fracture.
What emerald is
The inclusion landscape inside an emerald is called the jardin, the garden, and it is expected rather than penalized. A completely clean emerald of any size should raise questions.
The emerald cut exists because of this stone: the cut corners protect the vulnerable edges of brittle material. Colombian emeralds set the standard for color; Zambian material is often slightly bluer and cleaner.
Color and hardness
- Species
- Beryl
- Color
- Bluish green to slightly yellowish green
- Mohs hardness
- 7.5 to 8
- What that means in wear
- Hard, but usually heavily included and therefore brittle. Emerald breaks far more easily than its hardness suggests.
How to care for emerald
This is one of our delicate stones. Pearls, opal, emerald, turquoise, coral, moonstone and tanzanite must never go near an ultrasonic or steam cleaner, and they should be kept away from perfume, cosmetics and household chemicals.
- Never use ultrasonic or steam cleaning. Both remove the oil or resin in the fractures.
- Clean with a soft cloth and lukewarm water only, with no detergent soaking.
- Avoid heat, solvents and household chemicals; treat an emerald ring as an occasion piece rather than a gardening one.
Our full house rules, including what the one year warranty does and does not cover, are in the care & warranty guide.
History and symbolism
Egyptian mines supplied the ancient world; the Spanish conquest of Colombia in the sixteenth century flooded Europe and Mughal India with fine emeralds, and carved Mughal emeralds later fed directly into the Art Deco taste for Indian inspired jewelry.
Renewal, growth and constancy of love. It is the traditional twentieth and thirty fifth anniversary stone and the modern May birthstone.
Emerald in vintage and antique jewelry
Victorian emerald and diamond clusters; Edwardian platinum with cabochon emeralds; Art Deco tutti frutti with carved emerald leaves; Retro cocktail rings with emerald cut center stones.
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Emerald pieces in our collection
Every curated vintage, antique and estate piece is one of a kind and checked by our jewelry specialists in the Netherlands. If nothing is right today, we will look for it.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are emeralds oiled?
- Cedar oil or resin fills the surface reaching fissures and makes them less visible. It has been done for centuries, it is accepted when disclosed, and it is exactly why aggressive cleaning is forbidden.
- Can I wear an emerald ring every day?
- It is possible in a protective setting, but emerald is brittle and daily wear increases the chance of a knock that opens a fracture. Many buyers keep emerald for occasions.
- Do emeralds need to be re-oiled?
- Sometimes, after years of wear or careless cleaning. A gemologist or specialist bench can assess and re-treat the stone properly.
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