Emeralds - May birthstone

It’s May.  The sun is shining, swallows are back in Orkney, people have stopped scowling at the weather and plants and flowers are beginning to emerge with life and colour. The dead is coming back to life and turning green wherever you look.  What better time to introduce the birthstone for May, which is the beautiful emerald.  Striking and vivid in colour, the emerald is said to symbolise rebirth and grant the owner youth and love.

Emerald gold Storybook ring

Columbia is the largest producer of emeralds but they were mined originally in Egypt but they are produced in countries all over the world.  Their name is derived from the Greek word smaragdus which simply means green.

When grading gemstones the most important criteria is colour.  However with grading emeralds clarity is also vital. To be considered the finest in the emerald league it must be of a pure green and also a high degree of transparency.

If  you’re a follower of celeb styles then it’s worth knowing Elizabeth Taylor was fond of emeralds and Victoria Beckham, Uma Thurman and Angelina Jolie have all been seen sporting the green sparkler on the red carpet. Emeralds get you noticed!