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