Part 1. - Beryl - A crystal far more famous than its name!
I’m going to have to divide this into two parts as there is just too much for to put in one blog post. The first will give an overview and then provide some history on the most well known of the Beryl’s…. Emerald.
What is Beryl?
Beryl is a prismatic crystal (hexagonal) that is both a mineral group and a gemstone. As a group it contains two of the most well know gemstones; Emerald and Aquamarine. Morganite, Heliodor, Goshenite, Maxixe and Bixbite are also part of the Beryl group of gemstones.
Beryl’s chemical name is Be3Al2(SiO3)6.
With a MOH’s rating of 7.5 to 8 Beryl is quite resistant to scratches and everyday wear, but on the softer side of the so-called ‘precious’ gemstones.
Beryl crystals are formed in hexagonal columns and some can be quite large. Different varieties are found in many locations around the world.
Why are they all different colours?
Beryl comes in different colours - (blue, green, pink and yellow) because of additional chemicals that can be found in the different varieties.
Just like herbs and seasoning add flavour in a recipe add flavour, the extra elemental additions add colour to make up the different Beryls.
The pure form of beryl is called Goshenite and it is colourless. It generally contains no other elements other than Be3Al2(SiO3)6 - Beryllium, Aluminium, Silicon and Oxygen. Each of the different varieties, Aquamarine, Emerald, Morganite, Heliodor, Maxixe and Bixbite contain the chemical ‘impurities’ that colour the stone.
The table below details these impurities. As I don’t have any Maxixe or Bixbite (Red Beryl) I have had to ‘borrow’ the picture below to show you the colours: Image credit: below right (Beryl varieties) to: https://geologyscience.com/minerals/beryl/
Emeralds
The word ‘Emerald’ originally derived from the Ancient Greek word for green stone ‘Smaragdus’ . That word evolved through time and many languages to what it is today.
The cultural impact of the beautiful green hue emerald has made it one of the most desired gemstones through the ages. They’ve been mentioned in Christianity, Judaism and Islam and feature in many cultures including Hinduism and a variety of ancient cultures which I’ve mentioned below. The vibrant green colour of the emeralds has perhaps influenced eerily similar beliefs across cultures despite the great distances of time and location. An overview of just some of these follow:
In Ancient Greece emeralds were associated with mostly with Aphrodite (Goddess of Love) but also Artemis (Goddess of Nature and the Hunt). Smaragdus were thought to possess many powers including fertility, rebirth and protection but also were said to aid mental clarity and intelligence and were thoughtmedicinal properties that could help cure various ailments and diseases.
In Ancient Egypt emerald mines date back to at least 1650BC. In Ancient Egypt emeralds were known as ‘Mafek’ a collective term used to describe many green stones including tourmaline, green beryl and peridot as well as emeralds. They were a revered stone and often placed in the tombs of Pharaohs to ensure a prosperous afterlife and to grant the deceased eternal youth. Emeralds were closely associated with the Egyptian goddess Isis and they also represented fertility and rebirth.
Emeralds perhaps gained most notoriety by their close association with the last Ptolemiac Pharoah, Cleopatra VII who had a love of all gemstones, but particularly Smaragdus (including emeralds) that she wore often as a sign of status. Cleopatra loved them so much that she claimed the Egyptian mines as her own and not only wore them often but also gifted them to visiting dignitaries, including Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.
In Ancient Rome, emeralds were said to be the gemstone of the messenger god Mercury and thought to be a symbol of renewal and that they would also protect those who donned them from evil spirits. Like other precious gems of the time, emeralds were rare (largely supplied by Cleopatra’s mine in Egypt) so Caesar decreed only aristocracy were allowed to own or wear them. People who weren’t allowed to wear the real gem sometimes mimicked the stone with a green glass substitute in the hope that they would appear of better means.
These emeralds from antiquity were not likely the quality of today and now days the principal source of emeralds is not Egypt but other countries including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Russia, Australia, Ethiopia, Austria but most notably Colombia; which is where most emeralds are sourced today and where it is said, the colour and quality is the best. Even today emeralds are frequently flawed - however even flawed emeralds of good colour and size (emeralds are judged on colour rather than brilliance though it is a defining factor) can be very valuable.
In Incan culture emeralds were known as ‘Yacumama’ (mother of all waters). They were believed to be a gift from the gods and also associated with fertility, renewal and life force. They were also believed to protect crops from coming to harm. They were used in offerings to the gods and also worn and used in religious icons.
In Aztec culture emeralds were know as ‘Quetzalitzli’ named after the vibrant green plumes of a bird called the Quetzal - a bird that had close ties to their revered god ‘Quetzalcoatl’ . It was believed emeralds possessed a power to foretell the future and draw out the truth.
When the Spanish conquistadors “discovered” the Incan and Aztec emeralds in the early 16th century they not only plundered the local emeralds, but made it their mission to find the source and on doing so enslaved the locals to mine great quantities of the green gem that they then transported back to Spain through the Caribbean.
Some galleons were sunk along the way and some cargo was lost to pirates and others to the ocean floor. Last week I was reading about one such galley - the San José in the NZ Herald, that has been located and nations are again arguing over who owns this “treasure” which includes millions of dollars worth of emeralds!
There are thousands of stories about emeralds, I do hope I have piqued your interest in this gorgeous green stone!
What does Wristocracy have in the way of Beryl?
Check the table below to see some of my bead stocks in each stone. It is available and probably not as expensive as you might think! The pictures in the slide show are some of what is available.
