Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the Mohs scale. Most emeralds are highly included, so their toughness (resistance to breakage) is classified as generally poor.
St. Hildegard of Bingen, the noted lithologist, declared, “All the green of nature is concentrated within the Emerald.”Representing youth in the age of man, the power of this lush crystal stirs the soul like the heart of spring, symbolizing hope and the future, renewal and growth. It is a Seeker of Love and a Revealer of Truth, inspiring an ongoing search for meaning, justice, compassion and harmony.
Called the “Stone of Successful Love,” Emerald opens and nurtures the heart and the Heart Chakra. Its soothing energy provides healing to all levels of the being, bringing freshness and vitality to the spirit. A stone of inspiration and infinite patience, it embodies unity, compassion and unconditional love. Emerald promotes friendship, balance between partners, and is particularly known for providing domestic bliss, contentment and loyalty. It was dedicated in the ancient world to the goddess Venus for its ability to insure security in love.
Emerald is also a stone of great vision and intuition, associated with the eyes and sight, long believed to foretell future events and reveal one’s truths. It is a stone of wisdom, enhancing memory and increasing mental clarity. It combines intelligence with discernment, and brings to the conscious mind what is unconsciously known. Emerald also increases focus and intent, activating psychic abilities and opening clairvoyance. Traditionally it was used as a protection against enchantment and spells.
Emerald has been a source of fascination and reverence in many cultures for over six thousand years, sold in the markets of Babylon as early as 4,000 B.C. It was a stone worshipped by the Incas, believed by the Chaldeans to contain a goddess, and was highly honored in all major religions for its spiritual power and beauty. Emerald was considered a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt, a gift of Thoth, the god of wisdom, and was a favorite jewel of Queen Cleopatra. The Emerald mines in Upper Egypt, rediscovered a hundred years ago, are some of the oldest in the world and were called Cleopatra’s mines for her love of the stone. Emeralds were also talismans of Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, and the moguls of India. They’ve adorned the crowns and royal jewels of many countries for centuries, and fabulous collections and stunning gems continue to be treasured and displayed by the rich and famous today.
The pure exuberance of Emerald’s green color has inspired the Pantone Company, the industry standard for print, fashion, beauty and décor to declare “Emerald” the 2013 Color of the Year, describing it as “Lively. Radiant. Lush…a color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well-being, balance and harmony.”
Natural, transparent Emerald is one of four “precious” gemstones (including Diamond, Ruby and Sapphire), and is the green variety of Beryl, a beryllium aluminum silicate mineral colored by trace amounts of chromium and/or vanadium. Emerald occurs in hues ranging from yellow-green to blue-green, with the finest being a pure verdant green hue, medium to dark in tone. Light colored gems are usually known by the species name, Green Beryl. Most Emeralds are highly included with surface breaking fissures, so their toughness, or resistance to breakage, is usually classified as generally poor.
According to Indian lore, the name Emerald was first translated from Sanskrit as Marakata, meaning “the green of growing things.” The term we use today is believed to derive from an ancient Persian word that translated to the Greek as Smaragdus, meaning “green stone,” the term used in antiquity and referred to a number of other green stones.
Emerald Physical Healing Energy
Emerald imparts a wonderful rejuvenating quality, thought to combat aging and when placed appropriately, to re-vitalize tired organs. It is a strong healer of the physical heart, and may be useful in treating the lungs, liver, gall bladder, pancreas and kidneys, as well as the spine and muscle system. It aids recovery after infectious illness, and its powerful green ray can assist healing of malignant conditions.
Emerald is considered to be the best gem for treating the eyes and for restoring eyesight. An eye bath of Emerald water is soothing to the eyes and may alleviate eye infections. Drinking an Emerald elixir is also reputed to soothe gas and cardiac weaknesses, and is an excellent stimulant in treating gout and strengthening memory.
This stone is believed to ward off epilepsy, and may be used to avert fever, headaches, allergies and sinusitis. It also relieves eczema, rashes and skin irritations.Emerald may be used to increase fertility and for support during childbirth
Emerald Spiritual Energy
A stone of aspiration and inspiration, Emerald opens the heart, clearing and strengthening one’s connection to Divine Love, and sustaining one in their spiritual journey. It encourages one to live and act from the heart, offering unconditional love and compassion in daily life and relationships, and to be open to receive love from others.
A strong and open heart also allows universal blessings to flow into one’s life. Emerald stimulates not only the hope of wealth in material possessions and financial standing, but allows one to experience true abundance beyond mere wealth. Abundance is the ability to receive the gifts of Spirit within all of life’s experiences and embrace its manifestations with gratitude. It encourages trust that the Universe will provide for all of one’s needs and that there can be no lack in reality.
Emerald Tablet
The Emerald Tablet, also known as the Smaragdine Table, or Tabula Smaragdina, is a compact and cryptic piece of Hermetica reputed to contain the secret of the prima materia and its transmutation. It was highly regarded by European alchemists as the foundation of their art and its Hermetic tradition. The original source of the Emerald Tablet is unknown. Although Hermes Trismegistus is the author named in the text, its first known appearance is in a book written in Arabic between the sixth and eighth centuries. The text was first translated into Latin in the twelfth century. Numerous translations, interpretations and commentaries followed.
The layers of meaning in the Emerald Tablet have been associated with the creation of the philosopher's stone, laboratory experimentation, phase transition, the alchemical magnum opus, the ancient, classical, element system, and the correspondence between macrocosm and microcosm.