Emeralds are one of the world’s most sought-after gems. Emeralds have long been seen as a hugely powerful gem. It has a certain energy and aura that enchants the mind. Emerald is believed by some to promote clear thinking. Some believe it may help one to sort out difficult problems and allow one to see things clearly. Emerald is also the birthstone for May. It’s a stone of regeneration, renewal, and recovery but also comes riddled with the ripest themes of harmony, compassion, love, and illumination.

Emerald is the only beryl that forms in large deposits. The finest Emerald the world has ever seen comes from the beautiful country of Columbia. Emeralds from Columbia contain some of the purest Chromium/Vanadium pigment inclusions that give this gem a deep green glow. You can also find Emerald commonly in large deposits in Afghanistan, Colombia, United States, and Zambia.  Additional notable deposits are in Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Italy, Madagascar, and Russia. In a few locations, Emeralds are the primary purpose of the mine.  The gems tend to be found in small veins or on the walls of cavities.  These deposits are often found deep underground. The Emerald mines in Upper Egypt, rediscovered a hundred years ago, are some of the oldest in the world and were called Cleopatra’s mines for her love of the stone.

HEALING PROPERTIES

Known as the “Stone of Successful Love,” Emerald opens and nurtures the heart and the Heart Chakra. A stone of inspiration and infinite patience, it embodies unity, compassion and unconditional love. Emerald is associated with the heart and promotes emotional release helping to clear negative energy and support commitment.  It is associated with friendship and harmony in relationships.  It helps keep partnerships in balance. Emerald is particularly known for providing domestic bliss, contentment and loyalty. It was dedicated in the ancient world to the goddess Venus for its ability to inspire security in love.

Emerald utilizes Wood energy, the energy of growth, expansion, new beginnings, nourishment and health. It enhances vitality, brings abundance, and keeps us growing physically. Emeralds aids in nurturing relationships and supporting new ventures and projects. It assists in inciting activity and focus in your actions. Emeralds can bring subconscious thoughts to the surface, promoting greater self-awareness and mental equilibrium. It helps bring awareness of the unknown to conscious recognition, imparting reason and wisdom. It is a stone of wisdom, enhancing memory and increasing mental clarity. Focusing intention and raising consciousness, Emerald brings in positive actions, eliminating negativity and enhancing the ability to enjoy life to the fullest.

Emerald’s tranquil energy is believed to alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, while also balancing the mind and emotions. Emerald, as a crystal of the heart, alleviates heaviness in the emotional field and nourishes the aura with an energy of hope, encouragement, gentleness and abundance. It heals heartbreak and fortifies your spirit providing the strength you need to overcome the misfortunes of life.  It aids in clearing away negative patterns of victimization and loss of personal power by strengthening the physical and emotional heart centers. It brings a sense of joy, recovery, and rejuvenation to the downtrodden. It’s a crystal that calls to the heart and clears out any weight or dark energy that could be clogging up your emotional system. For those times when you feel overwhelmed or trapped in a victim’s narrative or as though you have lost your personal power, Emeralds will lend a hand and lift you right back up. It’s a crystal that calls to the heart and clears out any weight or dark energy that could be clogging up your emotional system.

Emeralds green color connects it to the earth’s life force, supporting growth, development, and the natural cycle of renewal. For those who want to embrace the concept and spiritual meaning of eternity, Emerald brings that endless reminder, that even though all things must pass, the spiritual truth sits in a timeless being. It is a stone of regeneration and recovery, bringing in freshness and vitality, love and compassion for the self as well as for others. It ensures physical, emotional and mental equilibrium, bringing harmony to all areas of one’s life.

Emerald enhances psychic abilities, opens clairvoyance, and stimulates the use of greater mental capacity. Traditionally it was used as a protection against enchantment and spells. When held over the third-eye chakra, it may increase psychic awareness and clairvoyance. Emerald is a stone of great vision and intuition, associated with the eyes and sight, long believed to foretell future events and reveal one’s truths. Emerald increases focus and intent, activating psychic abilities and opening clairvoyance. Emerald improves the ability to concentrate and raises consciousness. As a revealer of truth, Emerald also held the power to protect one from enchantments, conjurations and spells. It was considered a gemstone of universal sight, strengthening memory, increasing intelligence, and giving the wearer the ability to foretell the future. Mystics use Emeralds to gather wisdom from spiritual planes.

HISTORY

Emerald has been a source of fascination and reverence in many cultures for over six thousand years, sold in the markets of Babylon as early as 4,000 B.C. Emeralds are often associated with the idea of renewal and rebirth. This connection is deeply rooted in history and mythology. According to Indian lore, the name Emerald was first translated from Sanskrit as Marakata, meaning “the green of growing things.” The name “Emerald” is derived from the ancient Greek word “smaragdus,” meaning green gem. Over time the Old French or Vulgar Latin versions, Esmeraulde, Esmaralda or Esmaraldus became the current name, Emerald.  These gems have been treasured for millennia and are often associated with rebirth, fertility, and eternal youth. The original name is still used in the Sikait-Zubara region of southern Egypt, where Mons Smaragus (Emerald Mountain) marks what was once home to one of the most fabulous gemstone mines in history – “Queen Cleopatra’s Emerald Mines”. The history of Emeralds features a strong presence in the magical and metaphysical world.

For over six thousand years the world has long fallen in love with the gleaming green beauty of the Emerald stone. This gem holds its worth, with some stones even surpassing diamonds when comparing carat to carat. From Cleopatra to Aristotle and Alexander the Great, there is so much mythology and lore stashed within the Emerald.

The Chaldeans were sure the goddess Ishtar was encased within the Emerald stone and the Incas believed it to be a stone that promised eternal life. Studded within the crown jewels of Russia, linked to the Greek goddess Venus, and even believed to be the material the holy grail was made from, there are a thousand and one stories that shine out of the Emerald.

Greeks and Romans stuck small Emeralds in the corners of the eyes of those nearsighted or farsighted.  The zodiac of the ancient Greeks and Romans dedicated Emerald to the month of June, associated with the sign of Cancer. They also believed Emerald to be controlled by the planet Venus, with its reproductive energies of life and nature. Ancient Egyptians believed represented fertility and rebirth. They also buried Pharaohs with Emeralds to ensure their immortality as Emeralds were considered a symbol of eternal life. The first-century Egyptian magician, Hermes Trismegistos, was said to carve on a pure Emerald tablet words that held the key to magic: “As above, so below.” For this reason, Emeralds have always been considered a magical stone, connecting cosmic and Earthly realms, and for bringing thoughts and desires into reality. Emerald was considered a symbol of eternal life in ancient Egypt, a gift of Thoth, the god of wisdom, and was a favorite jewel of Queen Cleopatra.

Ancient natives from New Granada (Northern South America) burned offerings of Emeralds to their sun and moon gods, as they believed that they must enjoy their sight if mere mortals do as well. One of the largest pieces ever recorded was discovered in 1967 in Gachalá, a small town in Columbia. This “Gachalá Emerald” weighed over 858 carats and is located at the Smithsonian in the United States. As far back as 1242, it was believed that a snake cannot look upon an Emerald without losing its eyesight.

Even Aristotle was said to have been utterly charmed by Emerald, writing that – it should be hung around the neck to prevent the falling sickness. It was a stone worshipped by the Incas, believed by the Chaldeans to contain a goddess, and was highly honored in all major religions for its spiritual power and beauty. During the Middle Ages it was a symbol of fidelity, reputed to reveal the truth or falsity of a lover’s oath and helped keep a woman chaste, though the same was not believed to be true for a man.

CHAKRAS

Emerald stimulates the Heart Chakra, having a healing effect on the emotions as well as the physical Heart. Emerald is believed to open the Heart to love and foster compassion, forgiveness, and emotional well-being. Emerald helps clear that tightly wound space around your Heart to make sure that you aren’t throwing up any roadblocks to love and self-care in your own way.

The Heart Chakra is located near the center of the breastbone. It regulates our interaction with the external world and controls what we embrace and what we resist, giving us the balancing ability to be ourselves within the environment.

When your Heart Chakra is out of balance you may feel timid in your approach to people. It may be a struggle being empathetic or compassionate and you may judge ourselves and others too harshly. You may find yourself having problems with forgiveness and trust which can keep you closed off and locked in loneliness. If you are feeling anxious, stressed or tired most of the time, it is possible that your Heart Chakra is blocked and you lack emotional equilibrium.

The Green crystal energy of Emeralds is used to resolve blockages and to re-balance the Heart Chakra, helping us understand our own needs and emotions clearly. When our Heart Chakra is wide open, we can trust in our own choices, we can love deep and wide, and practice healthy self-care and compassion, cutting out the inner editor, and making sure we remain kind and considerate to others and to ourselves. Emeralds are often used in meditation to connect with nature’s energies to aid in opening your Heart Chakra for self-discovery and inner peace.

Emerald also stimulates the “high Heart,” or transpersonal Love center just above and to the left of the Heart Chakra. It assists one in practicing compassion and respectful understanding of others.

CLEANSING AND CHARGING

As a precious gem and energetic partner, you should take some time to care for your Emerald stone.  Cleansing and charging your Emeralds regularly will ensure they remain vibrant, powerful and beautiful.

The best way to cleanse your Emerald is to run it under warm water to help any built-up negative energy wash away. Clean Emeralds with mild, soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid using harsh chemicals or ultrasonic cleaners.

You also want to protect your Emerald from sharp blows and scratches. While it is a hard stone and hits highs on the Mohs scale, you should still keep it free from heavy knocks and blows in case you fracture it. Emerald loves love and this should reflect in the care and adoration you offer it.

You can place your Emerald in soft sunlight briefly for an hour and let the light fill it back up with joyous energy. Emeralds can also benefit from the energy of the full moon. Placing them outside during a full moon is thought to both cleanse and recharge their energy.

Other safe methods for infusing Emerald with energy include smudging, using singing bowls, and placing it in the presence of geodes or other energy raising crystals like Amethyst, Selenite or Clear Quartz.

Always be aware that Emeralds can be sensitive to extreme temperature changes. Store them away from direct sunlight and heat. Protect your Emeralds from Scratches by storing your Emerald jewelry separately from other jewelry items to prevent scratches. Emeralds are relatively soft compared to some other gemstones.