Why Emerald Has Been Turning Heads for Centuries
May’s Birthstone Has Layers
May's birthstone is emerald, and it does not need an introduction, but we’re going to give it one anyways. Rich, saturated green. Worn by royalty, buried with pharaohs, coveted for thousands of years across nearly every major civilization on earth. If you were born in May, your birthstone has a serious resume.
But there's more to emerald than its iconic color. It's a stone with real personality, in the best and most literal sense. Here's what you should actually know about it.
What makes an emerald an emerald?
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl — the same family as aquamarine, actually — colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. The color range runs from yellowish-green to deep, saturated bluish-green, and the most prized stones fall in that vivid, rich middle ground. Colombian emeralds are widely considered the benchmark for that classic, deeply saturated hue.
On the Mohs scale, emerald sits between 7.5 and 8. That puts it in solid territory for jewelry wear, though it's worth knowing that emeralds are naturally more included than many other gemstones. The industry even has a term for it: jardin, French for garden, referring to the web of natural inclusions inside the stone. Rather than being treated as a flaw, jardin is considered part of the emerald's identity, a fingerprint that proves it's the real thing.
Because of this, most emeralds on the market are treated with oil or resin to fill surface-reaching fractures and improve clarity. This is a widely accepted, industry-standard practice and not something to be alarmed by. It just means that if you own a natural emerald, you want to keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners and harsh chemicals.
Color is everything.
Unlike diamond, where cut and clarity are equally weighted in value, emerald is almost entirely about color. Depth, saturation, and tone are what separate a breathtaking stone from a forgettable one. The most coveted emeralds have that deep, velvety green that seems to glow from within.
For body jewelry, emerald's color is exactly why it works so well. Green reads boldly against skin, plays beautifully against gold, and has a warmth that a lot of gemstones simply don't.
Want to bring some green into your collection?
If you're celebrating a May birthday or finding yourself drawn to something that makes a statement without trying too hard, we'd love to help you find something that fits. Book your appointment here and let's see what speaks to you.
