May’s birthstone and the symbol of Spring.

This precious gem, for thousands of years has been appreciated for its rare magnificence combined with its lush green tones. This particular stone has also been known in the ancient world to be a symbol of rebirth, a symbol of hope and the arrival of spring.

In ancient Rome, it was believed that these precious gems would have a soothing effect on the soul. Since this time, modern science has proven some truth to this myth. Some tests have actually shown the human eye to be more sensitive to the color green than any other color. This stone was also believed to not only bring great wealth to its wearer, but to also improve their memory.

The emerald is also the particular stone of choice for couples celebrating their twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries.

The finest of emeralds typically come from Columbia. Other sources of emeralds would include Afghanistan, Australia, India, Pakistan, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Typically the emerald will come in a variety of shades of green, both light and dark. Sometimes, there may be subtle background colors including blue, yellow, gray and brown. On a whole, the purer the green the emerald is, the greater the value of the stone.

Although most emeralds will be found to have some inclusions, flawless emeralds are exceptionally rare, and can therefore, in some instances, demand a higher price than diamonds.