10 Interesting Facts About Emeralds

The lush emerald is May's birthstone, so here are ten interesting facts about the world's most popular green gemstone!

1. They were one of Queen Cleopatra's favorite gems. She loved them so much that she declared herself owner of the emerald mines in Egypt (rather than the state) and would often present emeralds carved in her likeness as gifts to important dignitaries.
2. Emeralds are a member of the Beryl family. Beryls can come in red - red beryl or bixbite, pink - morganite, blue - aquamarine, green - emerald, and yellow - heliodore.
3. One of the largest emeralds ever found is the Bahia Emerald. It's a cluster of emerald crystals from Bahia, Brazil, that weighs around 752 pounds, and is estimated to be worth around $400 million dollars.
4. In medieval times, people believed that putting an emerald under your tongue would give you the ability to see into the future.
5. Emeralds are the traditional gift for the 20th and 35th wedding anniversary.
6. Roman writer Pliny the Elder wrote that stonecutters of his day would often rest their eyes by gazing at an emerald after hours of delicate work. Modern research has shown that the color green can actually help reduce eyestrain.
7. In 2011, Elizabeth Taylor's emerald pendant sold for $6,578,500, and broke the record for emerald sales with a final breakdown of $280,000 per carat!
8. The largest, highest quality emeralds come from Columbia and Brazil, in South America.
9. Emeralds are often oiled to hide small cracks and fissues in the stone, a practice that's been standard for hundreds of years.
10. Carat-for-carat, the highest quality emeralds can be worth more than diamonds.
11. Bonus Fact! "Yellow Emeralds" are not emeralds at all. Rather, they are Golden Beryl or Heliodore. Beware these misleading trade names when buying jewelry. The market is rife with them! We don't use them, though. We want you to know what you're getting.