The birthstone for May

The ancients prized Emerald Jewelry as the gemstone symbolizing love and rebirth. Emerald jewelry if worn is said to quicken the intelligence as well as the heart.

Emerald Jewelry is worn as the birthstone for May, and the anniversary gemstone for the twentieth year of marriage.

Brazil now produces more emeralds than any other country. Other potentially important producers of emerald are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Russia.

When choosing an emerald, the most important value factor to consider is color. The more vivid the green, the more valuable the emerald. Darker green emeralds may also make up in rich color what they lose in brightness. Zimbabwe's famous Sandawana mine is known for producing top quality emeralds in small sizes. Beautiful emerald jewelry made in various parts of the world is cherished by all jewelry lovers.

Emeralds are cut in Jaipur, India and Tel-Aviv, Israel as well as in the mining countries. Emerald jewelry is exported form India to many parts of the world, this jewelry is made with other precious stones like diamond and set in 18 kt gold and 22 karat gold. Emerald is one of the most difficult gemstones to cut because of the high value of the rough stone and the many inclusions found in crystals. It is very hard to find clean emeralds, when compared with rubies or sapphires, as emeralds tend to have more inclusions by nature. Small changes in orientation can make a large difference in the final appearance of the gem.

Emeralds are durable gemstones with a hardness of 7.5 to 8.