Emerald Facts for Kids

1. Emerald is one of the four members of the precious gemstone family. The other three from this circle are rubies, sapphire, and diamonds.
2. Duke of Devonshire Emerald is one of the largest emeralds in the world. This emerald weighs 227 grams which is about 1.383.93 carats. This will be the same as holding two oranges in your hands. 
3. The Duke of Devonshire Emerald is cubical in shape. It’s sides are five centimeters long on each side.
4. Emeralds are the birthstone of May. It is the traditional gift of the 20th, 35th, and 55th wedding anniversary in the U.S.
5. Egypt was the first place that mined emeralds in 1500 BC, which is around 3,500 years ago.
6. On the Mohs scale of hardness, emeralds stand between 7.5 to 8. On the scale, 0 stands for the softest and 10 for the hardest.
7. Cleopatra, the famous Egyptian queen, had a love for emeralds. Ancient Egyptians also believed that emeralds have healing powers.
8. According to popular belief in ancient Egypt, emeralds could treat eye diseases and short-sightedness. 
9. Among the four gemstones- ruby, diamond, and sapphire, and emeralds, emeralds are the softest. They can break easily when pressure is applied, which is why keeping emeralds is more expensive than buying one. 
10. An emerald’s value is determined by four factors which are- its weight, cut, stone clarity, and color. Moreover, the cut given to an emerald determines the richness of the color.
11. Emeralds are made from mineral beryl. 
12. Unlike diamonds which are priced more based on their flawlessness, emeralds are priced based on their original shape and roughness. 
13. Every year around six tones of emeralds are produced.
14. Emeralds get their dark bluish-green shade from vanadium or chromium. 
15. Colombia produces the largest number of emeralds in the world, contributing almost 50% of the world’s emerald production. 
16. The Spanish discovered emeralds in South America in the 16th century.
17. The Spanish started trading emeralds across Asia and Europe for the exchange of other precious metals. This opened the emerald business for the rest of the world.
18. Synthetic emeralds were created in 1935 by American chemist Carroll Chatham. This synthetic emerald stone is now up for display at the Smithsonian Institute. 
19. Ancient folktales say that if you put an emerald below your tongue, you can see the future.
20. It was used for enhancing intuition and guarding memory loss.
21. Emeralds are still used for relaxing and relieving eye strain. In ancient times emeralds were used to relax the eyes after an extended period of concentration.
22. Emeralds have high value in the market. Top-quality emeralds even cost more than diamonds per carat.
23. People mostly want to get emeralds with perfection, which is a very rare find. 
24. The name emerald has its origin in the French word “Esmeralda.” The word goes back to the ancient Greek word “smaragdus,” which means green. 
25. Emeralds should not be cleaned in ultrasonic cleaners. You should rather clean it in warm water with your hands.
26. Emeralds were called stones of earth by the Aztecs of South America. Emeralds, because of their green shade, are also associated with fertility. Ancient Romans, too, believed that emeralds could cure infertility and birth complications. 
27. The Bahia emerald is the biggest emerald in the world. It weighs about 341kg. It is actually a collection of shredded emeralds compiled together in a stone. The Bahia emerald is estimated to be over $400 million. 
28. One carat of emerald is bigger than 1 carat diamond because emeralds have a lower density. 
29. Colombia has three primary emerald mining areas, which are- Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez.
30. You can’t easily tell the difference between fake emeralds and real ones.
31. Emerald’s quality is assessed with naked eyes without wearing any filming layers.
32. Harry Winston, an American jewelry company, bought an emerald for $5.5 million at an auction in 2017.
33. The lush green shade of the emerald symbolizes harmony, the joy of life, and love for nature.
34. You can find emeralds in all types of rocks.
35. The Bahia emerald was dug up in a small mine in Brazil. 
36. Today emeralds are found in over thirty countries.
37. Christians in ancient times believed that Emeralds belonged to the devil.
38. High-quality emeralds are quite transparent and have a medium green shade.
39. Trapiche is a very rare type of emerald. It has six dark pointed spokes which radiate from the center. 
40. Jaipur is the biggest emerald cutting center in the world. Columbia increased the production of emeralds up to 80% from 2001 to 2010. 
41. The most crucial factor for pricing an emerald is the color.
42. The second-largest producer of emeralds in the world is Zambia. It contributes 21% of the total emerald production in the world.
43. In Pompei, Italy, a beautiful emerald jewelry piece was found under the ash from Mt. Vesuvius. 

Conclusion

These are some interesting facts about emeralds that will surely add to your knowledge about the precious gemstone. Emeralds are a symbol of royalty, and from ancient times, kings and royal families have been keeping them as a sign of honor. 

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