Engagement Rings : Emerald Engagement Ring
When a couple gets engaged, often there is at least one ring exchanged. For each couple the engagement rings may symbolize something different. In the same way each culture has its own customs behind engagement rings. No matter what the rings signify, they have become a tradition for people around the world to be worn prior to marriage.
Why would anyone choose an emerald engagement ring? Generally speaking most people think diamonds when they think engagements rings, but this is not always the case. It might be quite simply that they like the way an emerald looks or it may be that their favorite color is green. However there is much more to the decision to purchase an emerald engagement ring than these simple factors. The earliest known emeralds were found close to the coast of the Red sea in Upper Egypt and Afghanistan, but much as changed because today, the best emeralds are found in Columbia, South America.
The name emerald derives from the Greek “smaragdos” meaning green stone; there is much folklore surrounding the properties of the emerald, it was believed to provide a cure for everything from leprosy to dysentery. Biblically the emerald is one of the precious stones in the “Breastplate of Judgment” worn by Aaron. And the literal translation from Ancient Hebrew means glowing coal.
Its history alone is exotic enough to make one want to choose an emerald engagement ring and it is apt in that its symbolism indicates immortality and faith. The emerald is considered to be the most powerful gemstone in terms of healing energy. Interestingly the emerald was Cleopatra’s favorite gemstone.
The emerald is one of the “Big Five” of precious stones and is considered to be more precious and rare than a diamond. In comparison with other precious stones the emerald is completely unique, from the way it is formed to its beautiful color it is because of this that the emerald is one of the most desirable gemstones for an engagement ring. Most other precious stones are found in gem gravels, the emerald is always found within the pegmatites or granite in which it was formed.
Emerald is a hard gemstone but can be brittle, with a hardness of between 7.5 and 8 on the Moh’s scale; it is the most valuable type of Beryl found. The emeralds green color is influenced by the amount of chromium found in the silicate and colors vary in range from green to green blue and yellow green. An emerald engagement ring is definitely more unique than the diamond or any other gemstone available today.
It is the birthstone for March, therefore an emerald engagement ring is appropriate for brides-to-be, born in March, if not for all the wonderful history and healing powers that the stone encompasses.
An emerald engagement ring is not only a beautiful, rare and valuable gemstone, it has a dynamic history and symbolism, and its healing powers have even been used to treat such sever illness as cancers.
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