May’s Birthstone, the Entrancing Emerald, Ushers in Spring

The intense brilliant green of May’s birthstone, the emerald, is the perfect symbol of spring, a time of new growth and rebirth. The wonderful green color of emerald is without compare in the gem kingdom. Emerald’s precious green color comes from small amounts of chromium and is enhanced by traces of iron. The deeper the color, the more valuable the stone. 

Example of an emerald-cut emerald

The emerald is a member of the beryl family. The green crystals grow slowly within metamorphic rocks and are restricted in size by the rock, making large emeralds rare and costly. Although emeralds are relatively hard and durable, they must be protected from blows because the inclusions found within make them susceptible to breaking. 

Emeralds usually contain inclusions and other flaws, but they are the only gemstone for which these inclusions are not considered a flaw that reduces their value. The French call the tiny fractures or inclusions often found within emeralds “jardin,” or garden, because of their resemblance to foliage. Indeed, flaws are considered part of the character of an emerald, an assurance to the purchaser of a natural stone.


Emeralds were first mined in Ancient Egypt in the extremely hot, snake- and scorpion-infested eastern desert region of the country, 2,000 years before the birth of Cleopatra. During her reign, that famous queen claimed the emerald mines as her own, as this was her favorite stone. She often wore lavish emerald jewelry, and was said to bestow visiting dignitaries with large emeralds carved with her likeness when they left Egypt.   

Emeralds in their natural state: specimen from
the Malyshevo Mine, Sverdlovskaya Oblast', Russia.

Ancient Egyptians would also engrave Emeralds with the symbol for foliage, to represent eternal youth, and bury these jewels with their dead. In ancient Rome, the emerald was associated with fertility and rebirth, and dedicated to Venus, the goddess of love and beauty.


In the sixteenth century, the Spanish Conquistadors in the New World were amazed to find the natives wearing emeralds larger and more magnificent than any they had ever seen. Although the natives attempted to hide their emerald mines, the Spaniards soon discovered and conquered most of them. But it was not until twenty years later that they found the abundant mining operation held by the Muzo Indians, in the area known today as Colombia, and another thirty years to overtake this aggressive tribe. The Muzo mine remains the source of the most prized emerald specimens to this day. 


Colombian emeralds have a deep green color without any blue tint. Typically the deepest green gems are the most coveted. And on occasion a rare Trapiche emerald, with six rays radiating from the center, is found. The rays are actually inclusions that have formed a hexagonal shape. Emeralds are also found in Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Russia. 


Today, the most common way to cut emeralds is an “Emerald Cut,” a long rectangular shape with large flat surfaces. Emeralds are also cut into cabochons and used as beads. Some people believe that wearing an emerald brings wisdom, growth, and patience. This explains why a gift of emerald for an anniversary is considered symbolic of love and fidelity.

What’s Up, Doc? Carats, Karats, and Carrots

When you’re shopping for jewelry you’ll often hear the words “carat” and “karat” tossed around, and it may seem like they’re interchangeable. But if you pay attention you’ll see that one type of carat – spelled with a C – refers to the weight of diamonds and other gemstones, while the other type – spelled with a K – refers to the purity of gold.

Diamonds and other gemstones are weighed in metric carats: one carat is equal to 0.2 grams, about the same weight as a paperclip. Just as a dollar is divided into 100 pennies, a carat is divided into 100 points. For example, a 50-point diamond weighs 0.50 carats. But two diamonds of equal carat weight can have very different values depending on the other members of the Four C’s: Clarity, Color, and Cut. The majority of diamonds used in fine jewelry weigh one carat or less.

The karat, on the other hand, is a measure of the purity of gold alloys. Karat value of gold (or platinum) is determined using the following formula: the mass of pure gold or platinum in the material divided by the total mass, then multiplied by 24. Therefore 24-karat gold is fine (99.9%), 18-karat gold is 75% gold, 12-karat gold is 50% gold, and so forth. This is why the higher the karat value, the more yellow the gold looks. When you buy a piece gold jewelry, the karat value is usually stamped somewhere on it.

The word “karat” comes from the Greek kerátion, “fruit of the carob,” as carob seeds were originally used as weights on precision scales because they were thought (wrongly) to have a uniform weight. In the past, different countries each had their own karat, roughly equivalent to a carob seed. In the mid-16th century, the karat was adopted as a measure of gold purity.

As for carrots… well, those are probably in your refrigerator right now, and including them in your diet will help ensure you have sharp enough eyes to enjoy the brilliance of your carats and karats!