Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Emerald - May's Birthstone!

Emeralds are considered one of the four precious gemstones - alongside diamonds, ruby, and sapphire. Emerald is also the birthstone for the month of May. Known for its beautiful green colors, emeralds make a popular gemstone for jewelry. The most popular color for emeralds includes a bluish green color. Prices for emeralds are highly dependent upon their color.

The clarity of emeralds is another important factor that impacts their worth. Inclusions are more accepted in emeralds than with other gemstones and almost all emeralds include some type of inclusion. With emeralds, inclusion tend to be considered a part of the stone's character and also help ensure the buyer that their stone is natural.

Columbia, Brazil, and South Africa provide some of the best emerald mines. The colors of the emeralds vary depending on the mines. In the United States, emeralds have been mined in North Carolina.

Emeralds make beautiful pieces of jewelry. Often paired with diamonds, emeralds look great in white or yellow gold and platinum. Wearing emerald jewelry is said to give confidence, provide peace, and enhacne creativity and mental capacity!