The Emerald, May's birthstone, holds a timeless allure with its lush green hue and rich history. Revered since ancient times, emeralds were prized by civilisations like the Egyptians and the Incas, symbolising fertility, and rebirth. Symbolically, emeralds represent love, prosperity, and renewal, embodying the vitality of spring and were believed to possess mystical properties, enhancing memory, intuition, and emotional well-being. In this latest journal article, we will explore the beauty of emerald gemstones to uncover what makes them so sought-after before exploring our very own curated collection of emerald jewellery pieces.
Emeralds are a part of the Beryl gemstone family and are therefore a softer stone with a standard hardness of 7.5-8 on the Mohs scale. The quality of an emerald is graded according to colour, clarity, cut and carat weight. The most desirable emeralds have a bluish-green to pure green hue with an even and vivid saturation across the stone, and are highly transparent and eye-clean. Occasionally, the visual characteristics of emeralds can be linked to their geographic origin. Colombian emeralds are reputed to exhibit a warmer and more intensely pure green colour, while Zambian emeralds are believed to possess a cooler, more bluish-green hue. Despite these assertions, the reality is that the appearance of emeralds often transcends specific sources, leading to overlapping visual traits.
Due to their natural inclusions and brittleness, emerald gemstones can be difficult to cut and so, are typically fashioned into an emerald-cut stone. With its rectangular facets and stepped silhouette, emerald cuts showcase the stone's magnificent hue, tone and saturation. Despite this, you will see other popular cuts on the market that have usually been selected to maximise the effect of hue, tone and saturation.
Due to their relatively softer nature, emeralds are more prone to damage from impact and pressure. When wearing emerald jewellery, extra care should be taken to avoid knocking or bumping the stones against hard surfaces and pieces should be removed before engaging in activities that may pose a risk of impact, such as sports or manual labour.
To maintain their beauty, emeralds require gentle care, avoiding harsh chemicals and sudden temperature changes. In essence, the emerald's enduring beauty, coupled with its historical significance and symbolic meaning, solidifies its place as a cherished gemstone and at Hogans our ready-to-wear collection boasts a number of meticulously crafted emerald gemstone pieces, from dress rings to petite pendants.
1. 18K RG Columbian Emerald Necklace: Crafted in 18k rose gold, this petite necklace features a vibrant 0.35ct Columbian emerald attached to a stunning trace chain.
2. 18K YWG Five-Stone Emerald Ring: Crafted in 18k yellow and white gold, this five-stone dress ring features a 3.63ct emerald cut emerald gemstone flanked by baguette and tapered baguette cut natural white diamonds.
3. 18K WRYG Emerald Dress Ring: Crafted in 18k white, rose and yellow gold, this dress ring features a pear cut emerald gemstone surrounded by a halo of Argyle pink diamonds and white diamonds. To complete the design, round brilliant cut white diamonds have also been set onto the shoulders of the band.
4. 18K WG Round Emerald Halo Style Pendant: Crafted in 18k white gold, this pendant features a round emerald centre stone, surrounded by a halo of brilliant cut white diamonds.
5. 18K WRG Emerald Cut Zambian Emerald & Diamond Ring: Crafted in 18k white and rose gold, this cluster-style ring features a 1.01ct emerald cut Zambian Emerald surrounded by a halo of Argyle pink diamonds and white diamonds. To complete the design, round brilliant cut white diamonds have also been set onto the shoulders of the band.
From earrings to dress rings, explore the timeless alure of the May birthstone and our collection of meticulously crafted emerald pieces by visiting our online showroom.
