|
|
|
|
|
Choose a month to see
which birthstone is for which birthday. Some
months have more than one birthstone. |
Follow the
guidelines in this Gemstone Cleaning Chart to properly
care for and clean your gemstone beads and jewelry
|
|
|
|
CLEANING
GEMSTONES
|
|
ABOUT
EMERALDS |
|
Member of
the Beryl family .. along with Aquamarine and Morganite
Pure Beryl
is colorless .. and quite rare ... but usually has no
brilliance. Emerald is colored by Chromium .. with
other minerals. |
 |
Emerald is a
7 1/2 to 8 on the Moh's Scale of hardness .. so very
wearable.
|
Now, the
mines in Columbia are generally recognized as the source
of the world's finest quality in emeralds. It is mined
around the world with variations in color and clarity.
In the USA, North Carolina, Maine and New Hampshire are
sources of Emerald but do not produce in quantities.
Emeralds are
oiled to fill natural fissures and cracks that emeralds
are prone to have. This has the effect of reducing the
visibility of inclusions and improving the clarity of
the stones. Also can improve the color and is usually
permanent.
|
 |
Emerald has
been mined for centuries .. the earliest in Egypt near
the Red Sea belonging to Cleopatra and mined around 2000
BC .. |
|
Cleaning
your Emeralds should be done with warm gentle soapy
water and a soft toothbrush can be used. It is not
recommended that Emeralds be cleaned in an ultrasonic
machine. Chlorine, hot water, and strong detergents can
dilute or remove the oiling and bring the need for them
to be reoiled. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All
birthstone images and text taken from
American Gem Society |
