Emerald Information
Thought should be given when choosing an emerald for your eternity ring as they are very brittle indeed which means that they can easily chip or crack especially when used in smaller sizes. We don't recommend that you use emeralds but occasionally will set one securely in platinum for a customer who has really considered their brittleness. There are other green coloured stones that are less brittle and perhaps a better choice.
Emeralds are a lush green colour and a member of the beryl family. The presence of chromium in beryl is what classifies and emeralds and the amounts of other impurities such as iron will affect the exact shade. Emeralds are one of the most valuable stones in nature but are very brittle indeed. A flawless emerald is a very rare occurance as its brittle nature means that most stones are included.
Emeralds were first mined in Egypt at Cleopatra's mine several thousand years ago, treasured then and now for their colour. Nowadays, emeralds are found all over the world including Australia and Columbia.
Emeralds have a hardness of around 7 out of 10 (10 being the hardest stone, diamond).
