| May's birthstone is the emerald. Since the early | | | | world, in terms of carat weight. Everyone thinks |
| ages, people have believed that birthstones lend | | | | it's the diamond, right? Well, the diamond may be |
| special powers to their wearers, especially if a | | | | the hardest and most highly prized gem out in |
| person wears a stone that is associated with his | | | | stores... it's certainly the most hyped-up one. But |
| or her birth month. Some also believe that being | | | | when it comes to gemstone appraisal, the |
| born in a specific month gives you specific virtues, | | | | emerald holds more weight, as it were. Inclusions, |
| which are embodied by your birth stone. In the | | | | which are found in nearly all emeralds, depreciate |
| case of the emerald, the virtues happen to be | | | | its value, but in its purest form, nothing |
| purity, both of the mind and the body. | | | | approaches the emerald's worth. |
| Since this particular gem represents clarity of | | | | The emerald is a form of the mineral beryl, the |
| thought, individuals who wear the emerald are | | | | purest form of which is colorless, but which is |
| thought of as pensive, insightful people. It is | | | | more commonly found in colors like blue, white, |
| believed that wearing the emerald not only clears | | | | yellow, green and red. Since the emerald is |
| the mind and the body, but also cleanses the | | | | commonly green, it is also known as the "green |
| spirit. Some even believe that emerald jewelry | | | | beryl." |
| protects its wearer from evil spirits! | | | | Emeralds can be manufactured synthetically, |
| The color green itself - the color of most | | | | through a process called flux growth. You can tell |
| emeralds, and therefore the color associated with | | | | an artificial emerald from a natural one by looking |
| the jewel - speaks of harmony, a communion | | | | very closely: an artificial emerald emits a reddish |
| with nature, and an affinity for the act of creation | | | | sheen, which means it was manufactured with the |
| and preservation. Green is the color of new things | | | | help of long wave UV light. Synthetic emeralds are |
| sprung from the earth, whereby it is associated | | | | often full of easily-detected inclusions, which |
| with freshness, and also the feeling of being | | | | means they are significantly less in value than |
| refreshed. | | | | natural emeralds. |
| Like many other gems, May's birthstone doesn't | | | | Another mystery of the May's birthstone is its |
| come in just one color. There are other shades | | | | real significance in the Bible. It was said by |
| and colors of it, of course, but among the rarest | | | | Rebbenu Bachnya, a 13th-century rabbi and |
| ones is the color red. The "red emerald," also | | | | scholar of Judaism, that the emerald was the |
| known as the bixbite or red beryl, is one of the | | | | stone on the Ephod representing the tribe of |
| hardest stones to find on earth, and also one of | | | | Judah. However, other scholars claim this was |
| the most difficult to cut! A perfectly cut red | | | | actually the garnet, and that the emerald truly |
| emerald is very small, hardly large enough to fit | | | | represented the tribe of Levi. |
| into metal bases in order to make jewelry. Thus, | | | | May's birthstone is popular among both the old |
| jewelry made of red emerald comes at an | | | | and young nowadays despite the mysteries and |
| extremely high price. In fact, jewelry made of the | | | | enigmatic roles it has played in cultural history. Or |
| green emerald alone can be very expensive! | | | | perhaps it is the emerald's enigmatic significance in |
| Perhaps the least-known secret about the | | | | various cultures -- plus its beauty -- that makes it |
| emerald is that it is the most valuable stone in the | | | | so attractive. |