A deep green member of the beryl family, the
emerald is the rarest of the so called precious
gems. Though sources for emeralds are found in
both the old and new worlds, a stone of good
quality is still an elusive object. Emeralds without
a flaw are almost unattainable, as the gem
exhibits many natural inclusions, but these do
not necessarily mar the stone’s intense green
beauty. The famous queen Cleopatra of Egypt
mined emeralds near Zabara on the red sea coast
in the first century B.C., wearing the jewels
herself or giving them as gifts to favored friends.
Julius Caesar particularly valued the gem, to
which he ascribed strong curative powers.
Emeralds were found in the buried roman cities
of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which probably
came originally from Egypt. In Meso America,
emeralds were treasured by the native cultures,
most particularly the Incas who worshiped them
as sacred. When the Spanish conquistadors
plundered the Inca Empire for gold and jewels,
many remarkable large emeralds were taken to
Europe, where they entered the treasuries of
courts. Today, the major source for emeralds is
South America and especially Colombia, where
mines first worked by the Pre-Columbian
cultures are still in use. The rarity of the emerald
has always made it a valuable and potent
talisman. It is said to cure diseases of the eye,
free the body from poisons, arrest physical decay
of all sorts, stop dysentery, facilitate childbirth
and end attacks of epilepsy. The bright green of
this gem makes it as desirable today as it has
always been throughout the ages.
- (FJ.6584)
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