Birthstones are especially extraordinary jewels because there is always a birthstone for everyone! No matter who the person is, when they are gifted with a piece of jewellery that holds their personal birthstone, it’s a very sentimental occasion.
Because of this reason, once a month, we’ll be posting the Birthstone Of The Month to explain its history as well as offer some unique and creative ways to show off your personal gemstone.
Although a year is typically started with January, we’ll begin with the current month, May. Most people have heard the saying of Spring: ‘April showers bring May flowers,’ but do you know what else May brings? Emeralds!
Origins
Emeralds almost always include flaws due to small inclusions of other minerals when growing and yet, they are one of the loveliest birthstones around and sell for higher prices than all other gemstones except for diamonds.
Coming from the beryl family of minerals and a sibling to the aquamarine gemstone, its green hue is given to the emerald when pure, clear beryl contains either chromium or vanadium. One quality that makes emeralds stand out from the other birthstones is the fact that they’re extremely strong with a rating of 7.5 on the Mohs scale (to put it into perspective, diamonds are a 10).
While a diamond’s clarity is what makes it more expensive, an emerald’s richness of its green colour is what demands 
very high prices. The paler an emerald is, the less it’s worth and if pale enough, the emerald no longer considered an emerald; instead, it’s classed as simply, green beryl.
The catch to this is that there’s no law that states green beryl cannot be sold as an emerald which means that you have to shop wisely and always pick a darker colour green when shopping to get your money’s worth!
Mystical Qualities
Emeralds are often dedicated to the Goddess, Venus, for immortality
Many people are fascinated by reading their astrological signs for the month, week or even daily to pass time, as an
interest or they truly believe in it. Birthstones were often used the same way thousands of years ago and are still used that way for today, so much so, that there is a whole different calendar of birthstones set aside and called ‘Zodiac Birthstones.’
When using this system of birthstones, emeralds are known to have very significant powers since it goes back to Biblical times, with many believing that the first known emerald formed the Holy Grail.
Also associated with Greek mythology, emeralds have long been believed to hold psychic powers, purity and immortality. Also called the Stone of Successful Love, the romantic side of emeralds are thought to enhance domestic bliss and fill couples with loyalty and sensitivity towards each other.
Gift Ideas
Not only is an emerald significant for the month of birth, it’s also used as a traditional gift for 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries! This birthstone looks gorgeous in any way it’s worn but because it has such a bold colour to it, emeralds look the best when worn alone or adorned with clear, white diamonds.
Some may feel that emeralds can only be worn when wearing a matching green outfit but remember that the idea is to bring attention to the emerald, not to camouflage it. The colour of any emerald looks great on top of any colour since it doesn’t have any clashing qualities so go ahead and mix-n-match your wardrobe up!
Many people do prefer to have their emeralds customised since it represents one person in particular and they’ll surely feel a special bond with their birthstone. For example, smaller people will choose a short chain if they wear their emerald in necklace form while others enjoy picking out different styles of cut – such as pear-shaped, round, emerald-cut, trillion, marquise, princess- if they prefer to wear it as a ring. 
Because an emerald is so strong, it will require an equally strong setting such as platinum or white gold. Yellow gold is beautiful but when combining this with an emerald, it can change the colour’s appearance dulling it out. Choosing a precious metal like platinum or using both white and yellow gold simultaneously allows the reflection of its own green shade allowing it to shoot sparkly beams of birthstone delight!
Whether you’re the gifter or the giftee, emeralds are fun to admire and even more gorgeous to wear. Others will be green with envy (like the pun?) over your emerald since you can never go wrong when wearing it or choosing this gemstone as a birthday (or anniversary) gift!
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