| |
| |
|
Humanities Information |
|
|
|
Precious Stones -The Big Five: Part 1, The Emerald
The emerald is probably the most rare of all precious stones and is considered by some to be even more valuable than the diamond. Compared with other precious stones the emerald in its occurrence in nature is unique, for it is found in the rock in which it was formed. Unlike diamonds, sapphires and rubies, it never occurs in gem gravels. The earliest known locality where emeralds were found was in Upper Egypt near the coast of the Red Sea. The best stones, however, are found in Columbia, South America. Fine specimens have also been found in the United States in North Carolina. While the usual shade of color seen in emeralds is alluded to as emerald green, there are other shades, such as grass green, sea green and green slightly tinged with yellow. The shades most highly valued are those of an intense fresh green sometimes compared with that seen in a meadow in spring. Beryl is a mineral known to gem lovers under several different names, the most valued of which is the Emerald. The mineral beryl composing the various gems is practically the same in composition, hardness, and other properties, and the gems may be differentiated only by their color. In composition beryl is a silicate of aluminum and glucinum. On the scale of hardness beryl is graded 7 ˝ to 8, and is thus much softer than the diamond, ruby, or sapphire. It is owing to this fact that the emerald scratches easily and that care must be taken that when worn it is not subject to chafing by diamonds or other harder gems. Beryl as a mineral is of quite common occurrence, and the crystals of the mineral in its cruder form often grow to enormous size. There is one such single crystal preserved in the Boston Museum of Natural History, which is three and one half feet long and three feet wide and weighs several tons. Beryl in this common form occurs in many localities, but the mineral in its rarer form of emerald is comparatively of very rare occurrence. The emerald or green beryl, as it should be scientifically known, has long been the most highly prized of the green gems. In brilliancy it exceeds all other green gems excepting only the very rare green sapphire. The most valuable specimens exhibit a vivid grass-green shade, and it is to this color that they owe their great value. Other considerations, such as freedom from imperfections, are quite secondary in determining the value of the stone. In fact a perfect emerald is almost never found, and this circumstance has passed into an Eastern simile which runs, "As scarce as a perfect emerald," this being a symbol for the acme of rarity. The emerald is light in weight and an emerald of a given size will be about a third larger than a diamond and forty-five per cent larger than a sapphire of equal weight. The distinctive color of the emerald is probably due to a trace of chromium in its composition. Fine emeralds are generally cut cushion shape with step cutting, and in the East are often cut cabochon. Fine emeralds have advanced very rapidly during the last few years, both on account of the growing demand of fashion for the gems and the scarcity of really fine specimens. Many curious legends of gigantic emeralds have been handed down to us, principally culled from the narratives of early travelers, who thought every transparent green stone they saw to be an emerald. The ancients valued the emerald highly, not alone for its beauty, but for its supposed occult properties and its marvelous power of healing all diseases of the eye-they also believed that if the eyes of a serpent met the gleam of the emerald, it immediately became blind. Moore alludes to this superstition in the lines: Blinded like serpents when they gaze The Emperor Nero, who was shortsighted, had an eye-glass formed of an emerald, through which he gazed and gloated over the cruel sports of the arena. Many interesting stories are told of the first emeralds taken by the early conquerors of Peru to Spain, and a certain Joseph D' Acosta is said to have returned to Spain in 1587 with two chests of emeralds, each of which weighed over one hundred pounds. The truth of this story may be questioned, but it is a fact that the stones were highly prized and much used by the Incas and Aztecs in the extraordinary civilization which once existed in Peru. The emerald was highly prized by the ancients and by gem lovers of the middle ages, and this accounts for many interesting legends and superstitions relating to the gem. As for today, the emerald is still very highly valued as one of the most precious stones. The emerald is May's birthstone and is a favorite stone for fine jewelry craftsmen throughout the world. For more information on jewelry and gemstones, we cordially invite you to visit http://www.morninglightjewelry.com to pick up your FREE copy of "How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Without Being Ripped Off." This concise, informative special report reveals almost everything you ever wanted to know about jewelry and gemstones, but were afraid to ask. Get your FREE report at http://www.morninglightjewelry.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
African Masks The Art of Creation With western eyes we tend to view a tribal mask as a piece of fantastic sculpture. It is a decorative object to be displayed and enjoyed as a work of art. Ancient Indian Civilizations - Where Did They All Go? In 1350 AD we were still quite a few centuries from settling at Plymouth. I have been luckily in that I have found adequate records back to 1200s in my family tree. The Trafalgar Way - Devon Remembers the Battle of Trafalgar During the third week of August 2005 the Trafalgar Way was officially inaugurated in Devon to commemorate the bi-centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar.The Lorna Doone, an original North Devon stagecoach visited inns and hostels along the full length of what is now know as the Trafalgar Way in Devon. Arthur Koestler ARTHUR KOESTLER:Humanitarian, historian and scientist are just a few of the labels associated with this most excellent man of letters. Here is a quote from his book The Act of Creation. Nelsons Last Words: Kiss Me, Hardy or Kismet, Hardy? "Kiss me, Hardy" or "Kismet, Hardy"? Both versions are commonly used, the former being clearly more universal . The easy answer is that, whatever variation, these were not his final words (that is a trick question!). Your Stars 2 LeoSome tragic news hits you hard and makes you re-evaluate your entire life. Use this opportunity to think long and hard about the direction you are taking. African Masks The following is a general over view of African Masks.There are still places in Africa where genuine old masks can be bought, generally through dealers. On Being Human Are we human because of unique traits and attributes not shared with either animal or machine? The definition of "human" is circular: we are human by virtue of the properties that make us human (i.e. Ogham and Aymara OGHAM:As any reader of my work knows by now, Ogham and an Ogham mentor played a major role in altering my life and commitment to learning about the ancients. I think Ogham was the original alphabet derived from chants, shamanic healing (Luis Beth Nion) and the lunar calendrical math shown in the work of archaeologists like Alexander Marshack. The Original Nobility: Patricians and Knights By "nobility" I refer to that class in society which once had hereditary political, financial and social privileges guaranteed by law. By "original nobility" I follow the German (and now internationally accepted) definition and refer to those families who were ennobled (or generally recognised as nobles) before the year 1400. Precious Stones v.s. Semi-Precious Stones Stones have been worn by both women and men since prehistoric times. Just as in the jewelry of modern times, beautiful stones, rare and colorful, are most often the dominant feature of a piece with a metallic setting for ornamentation. Fancy Dress Parties Fancy dress parties have been around since for centuries and were particularly popular in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. Italy is particularly well known for contributing to the popularity of fancy dress parties. Propaganda and American Journalism, Born Joined at Birth Passion was the main stuff of journalism long before the Civil War, the birthplace of modern American journalism. The Press of the American Revolution during the War and before it, was borne of it. What is Feng Shui, and How Does It Work? Feng shui (say "fung shway"), often called the art of placement, could just as accurately be called "the art of flow." This ancient Chinese practice, literally translated as "wind" and "water," aims to maximize the beneficial movement of chi--the universal life force present in all things--through an environment. Tribal Tattoo Designs - Why Are They So Popular? Tribal tattoos have been practiced for thousands of years. Modern people still get them done for many reasons such as to belong to a modern 'tribe' even if they do it on a subconcious level. Timbuktu and Brotherhood Too Juba II in America:Ahmed Osman tells us about the destruction of all knowledge around the end of the 4th Century Ad as a result of Roman edicts and the desire to make people into sheep to herd as they saw fit. "The Serapeum, originally established by the Ptolemies, later became also a centre for Gnostic communities, both Hermetic and Christian. Violence Flashes of memory stream into my consciousness. They take me back thirty years plus. African Americans: Get the Winning Edge Everybody wants an edge that will give him or her a competitive advantage that will help him or her accomplish a goal faster, easier or better. Athletes will train harder and longer. Art, Women, and Creativity Women have been given the greatest gift of creativity there is-the capacity of creating and having a child. Even if a woman has never had children, just the biological possibility, is life defining. Celebrating Obscurity: A Tribute To J. K. Rowling A single-parent rose from obscurity in 8 years to become today the greatest woman celebrity, the richest woman (even richer than Her Majesty, the Queen of England) in the U.K, all through the power of imagination expressed through the power of her fingers!! She held the world spell-bound (270 million copies of her books sold so far).
|
| home | site map |
| © 2007 |
