Emerald

The emerald is an individual from the beryl family. It is extremely rare and is quite valuable in the commercial market. Since inclusion free emeralds are very rare, the presence of inclusions does not impact the price of an emerald, if by any stretch of the imagination; just extremely serious and profound inclusions will lessen an emerald's price. The most costly emeralds exhibit a brilliant grass-like green. Since it is very hard it is rated between 7.5-8 in the mohs scale. They are known worldwide for their stunning green shade and have been embraced by humans for more than 4,000 years now. Emeralds are mentioned in the myths, legends and ceremonies of the Incas, the Egyptians, the Indian Moguls and the Ancient Greeks. They are accepted by numerous societies to have positive heavenly powers. Their green shading can range between a light yellowish green to a deep and dark, and is seldom found in bluish tint. At present, most emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Madagascar. The emerald is the May birthstone in the US