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Emerald:
Cyclosilicates (Beryllium aluminum silicate, frequently with some sodium, lithium and cesium) Be3Al2Si6O18 AKA: Beryl |
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System: Hexagonal; crystals common, usually six-sided prisms that are striated lengthwise. Appearance: Transparent green to slightly bluish green with medium to dark tones. The prism faces are often finely striated. Vitreous luster. Often contains a great many inclusions, making it opaque. White streak. Physical properties: Hardness: (7.5 - 8.0); Specific gravity: (2.66 - 2.92); Cleavage: Indistinct, one direction; fracture, uneven to conchoidal; transparent to translucent. Similar species: Beryl is harder than apatite, quartz and the feldspars; does not have the cleavage of feldspars; and it is striated the length of the crystal, whereas quartz is striated crosswise. Occurrence: Beryl develops in pegmatites and certain metamorphic rocks. It occurs with quartz, microcline and muscovite in pegmatites, and with almandine, quartz and muscovite in schist of regional metamorphic rocks. The best emerald comes from Columbia. Miscellaneous: Fine emeralds have a velvety body appearance; their value lies in their even distribution of color. Inclusions in emerald is common. Emerald looses its green color when heated and regains it after cooling. The word emerald was first used in English in the sixteenth century, derived from French esmeraude, which was in turn derived from Latin smaragdus, "emerald". Emerald is the birthstone for May. Conventional Wisdom: They were sacred to the Great Goddess, symbolizing her green-clad earth in spring festivals. Emerald remained the stone of Venus, or Aphrodite, to be worn on her holy day, Friday. Her Greek consort Hermes, who became the god of magic because he was privy to her secrets, was said to have composed the famous Emerald Tablet, with the ultimate Words of Creation written on emerald. The Egyptians, who called him Thoth, said that his tablet was made of uat, "matrix emerald". In the Middles Ages, Hermes became the mythical father of alchemy, Hermes Trismegistus. His magical tablet became the mythical prototype of the Koran, in Arabian tradition the Preserved Tablet, or Mother of the Book. Medieval tradition insisted that the Holy Grail was carved from a single huge emerald, which had fallen from Satan's crown during his descent from heaven to the underworld. At the time of the Spanish conquest of Peru in 1531, an Emerald Goddess, Umina, dominated the Perufian City of Manta. Her image was an enormous emerald crystal. Her priests had collected a great store of her "daughters," smaller emeralds offered by the faithful. As far back as 1937 it was claimed that emerald was "one of the sacred stones of the Atlanteans," and that women develop occult powers by wearing emeralds after the age of menopause. It can be used to open, activate and stimulate the heart chakra, while helping to quiet the emotions. It is a stone to bring harmony to all areas of ones life. It can be used to enhance the memory and to stimulate the use of greater mental capacity. The emerald helps to combine intelligence with discernment, allowing for the choice of the "correct" action to be the only choice available. It's message is Divine order. Nurturing, stabilizing, patience, balances will and wisdom. Heart healer. Improves intellect and memory. Helps tired eyes and insomnia. Improves eloquence. Gives power to see into the future and grants success in business. Acts as emotional stabilizer. It is said to help release emotionally based trauma and to govern the awareness of emotions by others. It opens up the heart to love, peace and healing. Belongs to the Astrological Signs of Taurus, Gemini and Aries. |