Facts about Emerald

Growth occurs at the rate of 1 millimeter (mm) per month, and a typical seven-month growth run produces emerald crystals with a thickness of 7 mm (Nassau, 1980).

Emerald (from the Greek word smaragdos, through the French esmeralde, meaning "green gemstone") is a green variety of the mineral beryl and is among the most valuable gemstones in the world.

Today, Colombia leads the world in terms of the number and size of emerald deposits found.

Hydroxyapatite is an important biological mineral found in the teeth and bones of many animals.

The mineral beryl consists of beryllium aluminum silicate (Be3Al2(SiO3)6), and the emerald variety is colored green by the presence of traces of chromium or vanadium, and sometimes iron.

Synthetic emeralds that appear similar to the natural crystals are also being produced.

Synthetics have been produced by "flux-growth" and "hydrothermal" processes, including a method for producing an emerald overgrowth on colorless beryl.

The amount of oil entering an emerald microfissure is roughly equivalent to the size of a period in print.

A synthetic emerald may be referred to as "created."

A trapiche emerald contains rays of dark carbon impurities that produce a six-pointed starlike pattern.

Later, from 1965 to 1970, the Linde Division of Union Carbide produced completely synthetic emeralds by hydrothermal synthesis.

Most emeralds are oiled as part of the post-lapidary process.

On the other hand, flux-grown synthetic emeralds contain no water.

The emerald has a hexagonal crystal structure and a hardness of about 7.5 on the 10-point Mohs scale of hardness.

Most emeralds have many inclusions, and it is rare to find an emerald with only minor inclusions.

Harder than quartz but softer than diamond, the emerald usually contains many inclusions trapped during its formation.

The rarity and value of emerald has provided the incentive for developing synthetic emeralds.

Emeralds in antiquity were mined by the people of Egypt, Austria, and northern Pakistan.

Gilson's emeralds are usually grown on natural, colorless beryl seeds, which are coated on both sides.

Flux-grown synthetic emeralds fluoresce a dull red when examined with long-wave ultraviolet light because of an indicator added during the process of synthesis.

A rare type of stone known as a "trapiche emerald" is occasionally found in the mines of Colombia.