Angelina knows the power of the emerald.
The emerald. This magnificent gem has been treasured and enjoyed for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians circa 3500 B.C. were thought to be the first ones to use emeralds as gemstones as Egypt was the world’s main source. Interestingly, Elizabeth Taylor, who played Cleopatra on film, was as enamored of emeralds as the Egyptian she portrayed. She wore fabulous emerald jewelry throughout her life and used the color and popularity of emeralds to launch her perfume.
Big-screen goddess, Angelina Jolie, stole the show at the 2009 Oscars when she sauntered down the red carpet in a super simple black Elie Saab gown and oversized Lorraine Schwartz emerald earrings. The teardrop emerald stunners are worth a reported $2.5 million. The publicity Jolie received from her show of red carpet perfection was priceless.
Pliny the Elder (23 A.D. to 79 A.D.) wrote, “We delight in feasting our eyes on the pleasant green grasses and leaves, but the enjoyment of beholding an emerald is incomparably greater, for its green is most soothing.” The Roman Emperor Nero is said to have watched gladiator fights through emerald glasses for their soothing effect.
Emeralds are part of the Beryl family of gemstones, another being the aquamarine. Emerald value is largely based on its color with the deeper more intense green being the most valuable. Emeralds are very rarely free from eye-visible inclusions but it is these inclusions that give each emerald its unique look. The French refer to these identifying characteristics as “jardin”, meaning garden, so named because they evoke an image under magnification of a leafy garden.
Today emeralds are rarely found in Egypt. Columbia and Brazil are primary locations for emerald mining. Other important sources are the countries of Zambia, Madagascar, Russia, China, and Pakistan.
Visit Argo & Lehne and be captivated by emerald, a fabulous gift of nature.
