Hobbies And Interests
Formation
Emeralds are technically a variation of the gemstone known as beryl. True beryl is colorless but emeralds are formed by beryl that has been colored green by the presence of other chemicals, such as vanadium or chromium. Trace amounts of other colors, primarily blue and yellow, sometimes occur in emeralds, though this is considered less desirable and therefore less valuable than a pure green emerald. Like all gemstones, emeralds take millions of years to form under the intense pressure of the Earth's interior.
Geography
Although rare, emeralds can be found throughout the world. Colombia is the world's leader in emerald production and Colombian emeralds are prized for their purity. Zambia and Zimbabwe trail Colombia slightly in emerald production but nonetheless produce high-quality emeralds noted for their slight bluish tint. Brazil and Pakistan are also prolific producers of fine emeralds. Emeralds are uncommon in the United States but some deposits can be found in North Carolina.
History
Emeralds have been valued throughout antiquity for their rarity and radiant green hue. The Incas and Mayans, who inhabited the areas in South America where fine emerald deposits flourish, saw them as sacred objects. The ancient Egyptians valued emeralds highly and mined the emerald resources beneath Egypt to exhaustion. Extensive emerald deposits led the people of India to prize emeralds as talismans of good luck and they are even mentioned in the Hindu holy scriptures known as the Vedas.
Uses
Emeralds are primarily used in jewelry. Although hard, emeralds are quite brittle, making them unsuitable for the kind of industrial applications diamonds are suited for. The emerald cut, where the gemstone is cut into a convex rectangular shape, was invented to suit the emerald, though today it is used on a variety of gemstones. Since flawless emeralds are so rare, special oils are often applied to the emeralds surface to enhance its color and shine and hide imperfections.