Emerald Gemstone Meaning
The meaning and history of Emerald
Emerald is the modern birthstone month of May
Emerald is the gemstone of the 20th and 35th Anniversary in marriage
Emerald meaning
Emerald is a stone of inspiration and infinite patience. It is a life affirming stone with great integrity. “Known as the stone of successful love” it brings domestic bliss and loyalty. It enhances unity, unconditional love and partnership and promotes friendship. Emerald keeps a partnership in balance, If it changes colour, it is said to signal unfaithfulness! Emerald opens the heart chakra and has a calming effect on the emotions.
This stone ensures physical, emotional and mental equilibrium. It eliminates negativity and brings in positive actions. Focusing intention and raising consciousness, it brings about positive action. It enhances psychic abilities, opens clairvoyance and stimulates gathering wisdom from mental planes. Traditionally, Emerald was said to protect from enchantment and the ploys of magicians and to foretell the future.
Psychologically
Emerald gives strength of character to overcome the misfortunes of life. It is a stone of regeneration and recovery and can heal negative emotions. It enhances the ability to enjoy life to the fullest. It is helpful in cases of claustrophobia.
Mentally
Emerald imparts mental clarity, strengthens memory, inspires a deep inner knowing and broadens vision. It is a wisdom stone, promoting discernment and truth, and aiding eloquent expression. It helps bring to the surface what is unconsciously known. Emerald is extremely beneficial to mutual understanding within a group of people, stimulating cooperation.
Healing
Emerald aids recovery after infectious illness. It treats sinuses, lungs, heart, spine and muscles, and soothes the eyes. It improves vision and has a detoxifying effect on the liver. Emerald alleviates rheumatism and diabetes. It has been used as an antidote to poisons. Emerald was believed to ward off epilepsy.
History & Legend
The first known emerald mines were in Egypt, dating from at least 330 BC into the 1700s. Cleopatra was known to have a passion for emerald, and used it in her royal adornments.
First mined in Egypt at the Cleopatra mine, Emeralds have long been valued and desired as a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
Emeralds from what is now Colombia were part of the plunder when sixteenth-century Spanish explorers invaded the New World. The Incas had already been using emeralds in their jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years. The Spanish, who treasured gold and silver far more than gems, traded emeralds for precious metals. Their trades opened the eyes of European and Asian royalty to emerald’s majesty.
During the 1970s and 1980s, treasure hunters discovered the centuries-old remains of the sunken Spanish galleons Nuestra Señora de Atocha and Santa Margarita. Not only did they find massive amounts of gold and silver coins, bars, and chains, but they also uncovered a number of rough emeralds and several pieces of emerald-set jewellery.
Pliny, the first century traveler and explorer wrote about Emerald that "no other stone has a colour more pleasing to the human eye.
Legends endowed the wearer with the ability to foresee the future when emerald was placed under the tongue, as well as to reveal truth and be protected against evil spells. Wearing an emerald was believed to reveal the truth or falseness of a lover’s oath as well as make one an eloquent speaker.
Legend also states that emerald was one of the four precious stones given by God to King Solomon. These four stones were said to have endowed the king with power over all creation
Facts
- Emerald has a hardness of 7 on the mohs scale
- Emerald a member of the beryl family with the element chromium giving it its distinctive green colour.
- Emerald is one of the most valuable stones found in nature
- The first known emerald mines were in Egypt. It is believed that these mines were worked as early as 3500 BC
- 97 billion years is the oldest known Emerald discovered in South Africa
Take a peek at May Birthstone jewellery including Blue Chalcedony
All of Pretty Wild Jewellery can be customized with an Emerald instead of what is shown so please contact us and we can discuss your ideas.
