How Are Emeralds Created?
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Emeralds are crystals that grow one molecule at the time. This green gemstone is one variety of beryl and is formed naturally in a hexagonal shape. There is also a blue variety of beryl called aquamarine. Miners today are removing crystals that began forming more than 100 million years ago.
Formation takes place deep within the Earth's crust ,where heated liquids escape from hot magma. These hydrothermal veins containing the heated liquid make a choice place for the formation of emerald crystals. The chief chemical composition of beryl must also be present for conditions to be optimal.
Many natural gemstones form in this same manner. The emerald is the most popular of precious mined gemstones, which include the diamond, ruby and sapphire.
Some emeralds come from pegmatite deposits. These deposits are similar to veins of hydrothermal make-up except molten rock (magma) forms veins instead of the hot water. Some elements remain in the solution produced when magma begins to cool. If the required chemicals are present, and If the conditions are perfect, emerald crystals may form in the pegmatites.
History of the Emerald
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The emerald is an ancient gemstone mined by Egyptian slaves and reported in the oldest book in the world. The "Papyrus Prisse" is known to be about 4,500 years old. It contains a passage written 1,000 years earlier: "But good words are more difficult to find than the emerald, for it is by slaves that it is discovered among the rocks."
Egyptian mines and tunnels now produce only small stones of poor quality, which is the most probable reason that the mines originally were abandoned. Pliny, a 19th-century Roman scholar, was the first to proclaim the uniqueness of this green gem. He said there was no gem existing that is more intense than the emerald.
These gems have a history as the primary choice for 20th and 35th wedding anniversary celebrations. It is also the birthstone for May and represents the astrological sign of Cancer.
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Emerald Sources
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Currently, active emerald mines are located in Brazil, Colombia and Zambia. Secondary source mines are in Afghanistan, Australia, Pakistan, Russia and the United States. Darker emeralds come from Brazilian mines, while those with a blueish tint are from Zambia. However, the finest and most valuable emeralds are mined in Colombia.
Since the mid-1960s, synthetic emeralds have been grown in laboratories. This process begins with the dissolution of critical nutritional elements in water, which also contains an acid solution. Next comes mixing chemicals and heating them to high temperatures under pressurization, followed by placement of the growing emeralds in a cooling chamber, where the crystals actually form.
Global synthetic emerald production was more than 500,000 carats by 1980. Today, the creation of emeralds in the lab is the principal means of producing this gem. However, this process diminishes the valuation of the emerald -- but not by much.
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