Another month, and it's time for yet another birthstone color - and the May gemstone's emerald green is perfect for the Spring season!
Emerald Fun Facts
Ranging from light to deep green, emeralds always have natural inclusions - any without are almost certainly artificial.
Emerald was the gem of both Venus and Aphrodite, embodying beauty and fertility in ancient Greece and Rome. Emeralds are also said to guard their wearers from panic.
Mughal Emperors carved verses of the Koran into the gemstones, creating a strong link between emeralds and divinity.
Cleopatra's Emerald Mine
Egypt has had a long fascination with emeralds, with mines dating back to 1300 B.C., and many emeralds have been found in pharaohs’ tombs. Cleopatra adored emeralds and claimed ownership of all emerald mines in Egypt during her reign.
Spanish conquistadors to the New World saw indigenous rulers wearing emeralds, but it took them nearly 20 years to find the source - well-hidden mines in the hills of Columbia.
Not only is emerald the May birthstone, it is also the traditional gemstone for Taurus and Gemini.
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