MAY: EMERALD was believed to strengthen one’s psychic abilities, as well as to strengthen the memory and turn one into an eloquent speaker (Never borrow money from someone wearing an emerald; they never forget). Emperor Nero watched the gladiators through sunglasses made of emeralds. Wearing of an emerald would help identify the truth of a lover’s words and give the power to predict the future. According to ancient legend, emerald has magical powers to cure all; it has the power to cure dysentery, leprosy, diseases of the eye and intestinal ailments.  It was also used as an antidote to poison. Cleopatra was obsessed with emeralds; Egyptian mines date back to about 1650 BC.

The Incan's Crown of the Andes is said to contain 453 emeralds weighing 1,523 carat.

Emerald is one of the most highly-prized of all the gems. The name comes from the Greek "smaragdos" which means green stone. The most prized is pure grass green.

Emeralds are often characterized by a garden of included crystals trapped within, known as the "jardin", because under magnification you will see all sorts of lovely patterns resembling foliage in a garden.

 A flawless, clear emerald is very rare and is usually found in only small sizes. Small to medium sized stones are often faceted in the "step" or emerald cut. The gem is also lovely when cut into a cabochon or dome shape. Sometimes emeralds are even carved.

As part of the normal fashioning process, most emeralds are immersed in colorless oil or resin so small voids are not as noticeable.

Care should be taken to protect it from scratches, sharp blows, household chemicals, and extreme temperature changes. Do not use a home ultrasonic machine.

Emeralds are found mainly in Colombia, Brazil, Zambia and Zimbabwe.