Aquamarine Information
Emeralds are not a good choice generally for wedding rings because they are very brittle indeed and will often crack or chip especially if used in smaller sizes.
Emeralds are a rich green colour and a member of the beryl family. The presence of chromium as an impurity is what classifies as stone as an emerald and the amounts of other impurities will affect the exact shade.
Emeralds are one of the most valuable stones in nature but also the most brittle of the precious gemstones. 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).
A great deal of thought should be given when choosing an emerald for your wedding ring as their brittleness means that they can easily chip or crack. We don't recommend that you use emeralds but occasionally will set one securely in platinum for a customer who has really considered these issues.
