Birthstones are gemstones that represent the month of a person’s birth – possessing attributes that are unique to each gemstone, the countless myths and legends associated with them appeal to audiences around the world.
Fine jewellery and engagement ring specialists at Steven Stone have taken the time to look into emerald, which is the official birthstone for May.
Known as the king of green gems, emerald perfectly reflects the new life and regeneration of nature during spring time – making it the ideal birthstone for May. A popular choice for engagement rings, it’s also the gem of the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries.
The History
of the Emerald
Derived from the world ‘smaragdus’ – which means ‘green’ in Greek – emerald is the green variety of the beryl family of gemstones, which includes Aquamarine and Morganite.
One of the most desirable, famous and historical gemstones of all time, emeralds have been prized for over 4000 years – one of the earliest known mines to produce the valuable gem was actually located in Egypt and it’s said to have been a favourite gem of Cleopatra.
What does emerald symbolise?
Long seen as a symbol of mercy, compassion, and universal love, emerald is often referred to as the stone of the heart. It’s also seen as a symbol of rebirth – thought to bring its wearer foresight, good fortune and youth.
Emeralds have also been thought to have secret powers – whilst Artistotle thought that the gemstone would help find success during litigations, Romans gave them as gifts to their wives to assist with fertility. Interestingly, decades later, emerald is still a popular push present for new mothers.
Egyptian Queen Cleopatra was also a huge fan – she claimed ownership of all emerald mines in Egypt during her reign. Cleopatra dressed in emeralds from head to toe because it was believed the gem contained the secret to eternal youth.
Queen Victoria loved emeralds, too. Her husband, Prince Albert, designed her an incredible emerald tiara which she wore on many formal occasions.
The health benefits of emerald
Emerald has many health benefits! Not only have its healing properties been found to help in regulating eye pressure and treating digestive problems, but the stone is believed to be effective with various other health conditions – including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.
It is believed that an Emerald can lift depression, cure insomnia, and help detoxify the blood. The stone is said to have a positive effect on mental health – helping its wearer achieve a positive mental state by averting negative feelings, headaches, and stress.
Celebrities who wear emerald jewellery
Many celebrities are known for their love of emerald jewellery, including Grace Kelly and Queen Elizabeth II – some of which are lucky enough to have the spectacular gem as their birthstone.
Dakota Johnson
Coldplay’s Chris Martin reportedly proposed to Dakota Johnson with a gorgeous ring that features an 8-10 carat oval cut emerald.
Though the actress is clearly a fan of the stone as she’s also been spotted wearing a cushion cut emerald ring.
Rihanna
A$AP Rocky gifted Rihanna a charm bracelet from Annoushka – it was reported that the 10 charms were personally selected by Rocky, including an emerald love locket.
Megan Fox
Machine Gun Kelly proposed to Megan Fox with a pear cut emerald and diamond engagement ring set on two magnetic bands of thorns that represent two halves of the same soul.
Our jewellery expert estimated the stones to be approximately 2.20ct each, meaning that the rings together would be worth around £100,000 ($120,000) on today’s market.
Rita Ora
Rita Ora’s $500,000 engagement ring from Taika Waititi features a 10 carat emerald cut Columbian green emerald.
Colombian emeralds are typically the most expensive in the world – with their beautiful depth of colour, they can sometimes appear to glow.
Emeralds are always a symbolic choice for an engagement ring as people of ancient times thought of them as a promise of good luck.
Taylor Swift
When the MTV Europe Music Awards 2022 took place in Germany, Taylor Swift outshone everybody with her bejewelled skirt, which was punctuated with hundreds of emerald gems that looked to be 10-15 carats each
As emeralds are the second most costly of the main four gemstones (emeralds, diamonds, rubies and sapphires), our experts deemed it highly unlikely that the ones punctuated on Taylor’s skirt were real. If we were to assume that they were, based on the amount of them and the sheer size of each individual stone, the skirt would be worth millions.
Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett dazzled everyone at the ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ premiere in 2017 when she beautifully layered three vintage Fred Leighton emerald necklaces for the occasion.
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Leigh-Anne Pinnock received an emerald engagement ring from footballer Andre Gray when he popped the question on the couples four year anniversary in 2020.
The Little Mix stars rose gold sparkler features an emerald surrounded by a diamond halo and has an estimated value of £40,000.
Looking for an emerald of your own?
Why not take a look at our full jewellery collection? If you don’t see anything that takes your fancy, we also offer a bespoke service, where our jewellery designers will create a unique piece of jewellery that ticks all the boxes.
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