Welcome, May, and your sublime birthstone—the Emerald!
Emeralds are known as "The Jewel of Kings." They are one of the four "Cardinal Gemstones," alongside diamonds, rubies and sapphires. Flawless emeralds are exceedingly rare—highly susceptible to flaws—thus, the gemstone industry allows them to be graded with the naked eye (that is, without magnification). This allows emeralds a bit of a "reprieve" from the harsh standards of other rare gemstones—as almost no specimen would pass muster under rigid scrutiny. It an emerald looks perfect to the naked eye, it is considered flawless. The most valuable color is a deep green, but one that is very clear and bright.
Emeralds are a variety of Beryl, an otherwise clear mineral, which becomes green due to chromium "impurities" trapped within the stone's chemical structure. The Ancient Egyptians began mining emeralds in 1500 BC and Cleopatra reportedly decorated her palace (and her body) with the beautiful green gem. They have been mined in Austria and India since the 1300's. In 1535, Emeralds were discovered by Spanish explorers in Columbia (which remains the largest source of emeralds to this day). The superstitious credit emeralds with increasing fertility, providing immortality, conferring riches, power & eloquence, strengthening memory, counter-acting poisoning or infection, and empowering its wearer to predict the future.
The Norwegian Art Deco sterling silver bracelet, shown above, is a handsome example of emerald green enameling over engraved guilloché work. The sterling is further enhanced with a vermeil wash—a light electro-coating of gold (seen in the bracelet's interior). This bracelet was made by David Andersen in Oslo in the Twenties or Thirties. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome bracelet.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.