Emerald

People tested from of old special attachment to a green rock. It is noticed, that the entrainment for it began more often after bloody wars. Here then, when the people got tired of furious fights and battles, on gang to a shouting ruby - to a character of blood, violence and passion - quiet cheerfulness of the green rock promising long-awaited rest and a regularity came.

Among green semi-precious stones the brightest, noble and rare - an emerald, or as it was called still by ancient Greeks, a chrysolite. Its best crystals were appreciated more expensively diamonds. The emerald is referred to semiprecious stones of the maiden order where enter also diamond, sapphire, a ruby, chrysoberyl, alexandrite, noble the spinel and an euclase.

Mineralogists call as an emerald a variety of the beryl coloured by oxide of chrome in travjanisto-green colour. Brownish opaque beryl has an unattractive appearance. But its transparent crystals are wonderful. It is aquamarine changing colour, and golden-yellow heliodor... But the most beautiful in this family of semi-precious stones - an emerald. An emerald - this a jewel of a high class. Large not fissured bright green emeralds stand ten thousand dollars for carat (more expensively equal diamonds). Emeralds seldom happen faultless. Its precious varieties are often characterised by presence of a difficult network of thin veinlets dissecting a rock and fractures. Sometimes in an emerald fine actuations of well formed crystals of calcite (Colombia), micas, an actinote, a tourmalin (Urals Mountains, etc.) are marked. High-grade emeralds meet in the lodes which are lying down in carbonate rocks of Colombia (fields Chivor, Muzo, etc.) . It is considered, that Incas received emeralds from these ore mines. Also the Ural emeralds (Russia) from of old were famous. Primary deposits of emeralds were known in Ancient Egypt (save Cleopatras). Faintly coloured emeralds are delivered by Brazil.

Genesisis

It is formed in granite pegmatites, mica greisens and hydrothermal lodes. In the majority of fields of the world (Urals Mountains, Egypt, etc.) the emerald is dated to phlogopite mica which one were formed as a result of affecting of hyperthermal aqueous solutions on ultrabase rocks (greysening). Emeralds of Colombia meet in low-temperature carbonate veinlets, secants black bituminous limestones. Occasionally fine emeralds are formed in exocontacts of pegmatites. In the majority of fields of the world (Urals Mountains, Egypt, etc.) the emerald is dated to phlogopite mica which one were formed as a result of affecting of hyperthermal aqueous solutions on ultrabase rocks (greysening). Emeralds of Colombia meet in low-temperature carbonate veinlets, secants black bituminous limestones. Occasionally fine emeralds are formed in exocontacts of pegmatites.

Properties

Colour - is dense-green. It is necessary to notice, that strict enough demands are made to emerald colouring: it should have certain intensity and the bounded set of tints. Specialists assert, that it is possible to consider as an emerald only the beryl coloured by chrome. At the same time as an emerald call (without any discounts!) both Ural travjano-green and South African green with yellowish tint beryl, which one colouring it is caused not only chrome, but also iron. In the same way Colombian beryl of the dark green colour, sometimes having the easy bluish tint caused by an impurity of vanadium, are considered as high-grade emeralds.

Shine - glass

Transparence - transparent, appearing through

Break - ragged to conchoidal

The cleavage - is absent, cleat on a pinacoid is sometimes marked

Hardness - 7,5-8, fragile

Density - 2,6-2,9gm/sm³

History. Legends. Beliefs.

Rocks have the history. Emerald history - one of the most ancient. The very first data on emeralds refer to times of Ancient Egypt.

Queen of Sheba treasures

In III millenium B.C. the emerald was known to Egyptians and other ancient civilisations. The majority of fields of emeralds known in those days were in area of the Upper Egypt, nearby from Red sea. One of the most known fields was revealed in a grief Zabara and, according to a belief, belonged to the queen Savsky. Was considered, that the emeralds which are lying down in this mountain, are guarded by evil ghosts. The legend says, that seasonally these rocks that were augmented, relieved, and their colour varied together with Moon phases.

Throughout many centuries this field has been thrown, and its location is forgotten. The location of ancient mine has been reopened after to Egypt the French traveller and the explorer M.Kajo who has retrieved her in 1818 has been invited, and also has sketched samples of the tools found it in mine working. He was convinced, that during long time the mine was considered thrown, however there was a period when it have secretly opened also a field continued to design.

In the Egyptiac Book Dead it has been recorded, that Egyptians have received an emerald in gift from great god Tota. Green colour of a rock resembles of spring, and it was considered as a character of an eternal youth.

Therefore the Book Dead assigned to embalmers to place an emerald on a mummy neck that the soul during long wandering on a next world has kept a youth and force and has been advocated from hazard.

This rock was honoured by all world religions, including Christian and consequently the emerald has always been shrouded by a certain mystical aura. For example, it wore as an amulet to construct at its owner raised mood. Andrey, a bishop of Caesarea, has devoted an emerald to apostle John for its capacity to cushion and pacify soul of sinners.

According to the Bible, the bib of the great Judaic high priest has been decorated by twelve various jewels, on each of which the name of one of knees Israelite has been engraved. On an emerald the name of the Reptile has been engraved. Also was considered, that New Jerusalem will be based upon twelve bases plentifully decorated with jewels, and the fourth of them will be emerald.

Moslems also used jewels to be massed on religious reflexions, and considered, that the emerald personifies the fourth sky. In India the gift of an emerald to the God gave to the donator knowledge of secrets of soul and an eternal life.

Conquistadors

The Spanish conquerors devastating in XVI century the South America, found there magnificent emeralds. The apron plain Manta indigenous population stored the huge emerald inspiring awe to all who has been honoured in Peru abuse to look at it. Under the legend, it was the size about ostrich's egg and wore a name of the goddess of an Esmeralda. People worshipped to it during religious celebrations and brought the "богине* in gift small emeralds -"daughters"of the goddess.

During a gain of Peru the Spanish army has crushed the Sun temple, having stolen therefrom set of emeralds, but any source does not point that they have discovered an Esmeralda temple. To keep the goddess from conquistadors, priests so have hidden object of the worship, as to this day an Esmeralda and its temple are not discovered.

The native land of legendary treasures of an Esmeralda is also the native land of every possible legends about an emerald. Peruvians believed, that emeralds ripen, like fruit.

Emerald - a jewel, capable to reveal secret of the future and to clarify mind of the owner. Releases from melancholy and a morbid depression, drives away bad dreams, rescues from insidiousness of love, a fever, a leprosy, backups heart, eliminates to row, rescues from attacks and evil ghosts. The rock is a powerful talisman, curative for sight, means from stings of poisonous animals. It is a rock of wisdom, composure, hope. The one who wears constantly an emerald, becomes a long-liver, always happens in good mood. The rock which has been put in order in gold, advocates from malicious love charms, from incorrectness and lie.

In olden time the emerald was considered as a powerful talisman, curative for sight, means from stings of poisonous animals (which one one kind as if was deadly to venomous snakes). On ancient Russian beliefs the emerald is a rock of wisdom, composure and hope.

Modern occultists see certain connection between this rock and unconscious operatings of the person. Ancient call it "an Isis rock". It is considered a talisman of mothers and seafarers, it long examined, considered, that in it as in a mirror, all is mirrored secret, the future in advance is discovered. What to backup memory and to aggravate sight, it wore on a neck. Put in order in gold, he protects from infectious illnesses, charms I love also sleeplessnesses. The young man of maidens caused to wear an emerald, that it would kerbs them from debauchery and has advocated chastity. It is considered, that dreams of the person wearing an emerald, specially often come true.

Those who was born in September, he protects from false friends, gives fidelity. However for this purpose, that this rock could prove quite, it is necessary, that in a horoscope the Moon would be in favorable position. Special guarding properties of an emerald consist that he was active struggles with falsity, not chastity and incorrectness of the owner, being not in forces to resist to them - is cleaved.

As to its medical properties it disperses a melancholy and gives longevity.

Elemental composition. Crystal lattice.

The chemical formula of an emerald - Al2 Be3 [Si6O18].

Elemental composition - the maintenance in %:

• BeO - 14,1
• Al2O3 - 19
• SiO2 - 66,9

Impurities of chrome of 1-2 %, sodium, potassium, lithium, caesium, rubidium, iron, vanadium are marked.

The basic motive of wireframe pattern of beryl is introduced by hexadic patterns of collar SiO4 - tetrahedrons - Si6O18, linked with each other BeO4 - tetrahedrons to hexagonal columns with large channels in such columns. These columns are linked with each other BeO4 - tetrahedrons and AlO6 - octahedrons.

Artificial analogues

The emerald - a beryl variety - is one of the most expensive jewels. The big rarity and high cost of an emerald stimulated operations on manufacturing of its artificial alternate materials. Pure emerald-green colour of an emerald does not meet at one other transparent natural rock.

Beryl represents beryllium and aluminium silicate. Colour of an emerald is caused by presence of ions of the chrome partially replacing ions of aluminium in a hexagonal grating of beryl. Feature of this chromophore, consists what even colouring a rock in green colour, it skips a part of beams darkly - red colour. For this reason the majority of emeralds look red or reddish when they are brightly lighted and are esteemed through the screen of Chelsea missing light only in dark - red and it is yellow - green spectrum parts; last in an emerald is partially occluded. The majority of clonings of an emerald of glass intensively occlude red colour and consequently at observation through the screen look green. As the heated green tourmalin exsitu similar to an emerald behaves. Hence, the kind of doubtful "emerald" under the screen can be a beneficial sign for rock definition.

Presence of chrome at an emerald causes its very characteristic absorption spectrum on which one it is possible to distinguish an emerald from all other jewels. Spectrum analysis is useful and when, when there is a doubt how to call a rock: an emerald or simply green beryl as are known green beryl which one colour is caused basically by iron.

As to other distinctive properties of an emerald - its index of refractions and relative density they are considerably various at different rocks from different fields from - for small distinctions in an elemental composition. Trails of iron and specially presence of more high-gravity alcali metals, such as, caesium, augment these indexs. Besides, for each field certain actuations are usually characteristic.

Quite often there are clonings of an emerald from glass which one can deceive not skilled eye. Usually them do of the lead glass having index of refraction from 1,60 to 1,66 and relative density from 3,40 to 4,00. Presence of "liquid actuations" attaches such clonings more "verisimilar" kind, however under a microscope it is visible, that actuations represent only accumulations or chains of blisters. Occasionally there are clonings from beryl of the glass coloured by chrome. They are unusually solid for glass, however their relative density and index of refraction much more low, than at crystalline beryl.

Synthetic emeralds

Synthesis of crystals of an emerald, suitable in the sizes for a facet, in the thirties our century the doctor G.Espig with colleagues for the first time has carried out. They worked in exploratory labs of jumbo German concern "I.G.Farbenindustri".

All existing methods of reception of synthetic emeralds are constantly improved, that provides manufacturing of synthetic rocks with meliorated to performances. Emeralds grow up is artificial in the USA, Switzerland, Russia and Japan.

Synthetic emeralds have rather characteristic saturated bluish-green colour which one partly ejects their genesisis though some Colombian emeralds have almost same tint. Through the screen of Chelsea they look intensively-red - much more red, than the majority of natural emeralds.

In melting synthetic emeralds actuations in the form of "veils" or the "laces" usually curved, considerably differing from the formations observed in natural emeralds dominate. Such "veils" similar to prints of fingers, are usually spacefilled by residual melting, but can contain also and gas.

Synthetic emeralds of a hydrothermal genesisis usually contain liquid or gaseous actuations in the form of acicular thorns or hats from a nail on which one wide ends phenacite chips are often visible. Single crystals of a phenacite are marked in both types of emeralds.

Doublets

Inventive figures assemble now rocks from two separate emeralds, let alone the classic doublets compounded from two beryl, stuck together by the emerald-green glue attaching to a rock indispensable colour. To make a rock more similar to the present emerald, the faceted pale emerald saw on a girdle, and then again couple in the same position, but already to a thin stratum of green glue between the upper and bottom parts of a rock. It allows to observe the actuations as though proceeding all the way down of a rock without obvious failure that makes impression of homogeneity in a microscope. In the locked rock with the barred girdle such doublets to reveal very difficultly.

Processing methods

Emerald - this the jewel of a high class, its dark green formation samples of beautiful colour are appreciated more expensively diamond. It is known and is appreciated from an antiquity. It is used for inserts and the most expensive ornaments, usually facet a stepping facet (which one also it is called emerald), but rocks with actuations, clouded, with fractures are processed to in the form of cabochons. Strictly speaking, they cannot be called as emeralds as they do not possess a transparence. Emerald inserts decorate many jewels stored in museums or the state treasuries.

Synthetic emeralds use in quantum electronics.

Final

The old Persian legend tells, that noble rocks - creations of a Satan which one, having noticed that Eve admires the speckled flowers growing in paradise gardens, has given them magnificent paints to raise in human hearts avidity, temptation. Their geologic genesisis is more prosy - noble minerals were formed as a result of the chemical processes which were originating in forming of a crust of Earth. But, any their genesisis, beauty and a rarity of jewels since olden days attracted to itself people. An emerald - one of the most beautiful semi-precious stones, known to people since ancient times. Its history is surrounded by legends. The emerald most expensive of all known jewels, also is accessible far not to all. But many can admire creations of masters of the jeweller business, exposed in museums. Each ornament is an art subject! "The emerald table" is exhibited at Diamond fund - a diamond brooch with a square Colombian emerald of dark green colour in mass of 136,25 carats well-known. Fine formation samples of emeralds (some of them rather large sizes) decorate a sceptre, power, a cap of the Big dress, the salary of an icon of the Vladimir Divine Mother, stored in the Armory Museum of the Moscow Kremlin, and salaries of icons in the Patriarchal vestry to a monastery Trinity-sergievoj. The collection of emeralds stored in a palace of Turkish sultans in Istanbul is considered the biggest. In the British museum of natural history there is known "a Devonshire emerald" in mass of 1383,95 carats.

In an antiquity mined in ore mines near modern Aswan, known as "emerald save queens Cleopatra" though their mining was conducted for 1 500 years b.c. Pliny in I century a.d. Wrote about "Scythian chrysolites", probably, having a genesisis from Urals Mountains. In XVI century Spaniards have hauled fine emeralds of modern Colombia to Europe, and till XIX century the Colombian fields were practically unique suppliers of this rock on the world market. In the middle of XIX century emerald fields in Mean Urals Mountains, in the USA and Australia have been opened. In 1927 giant fields in Transvaal (Southern Africa), in 1943 in India and in 1956 in Southern Rhodesia (nowadays Zimbabwe) have started to be designed. Faintly coloured emeralds are delivered by Brazil. Now specially the Colombian rocks are highly appreciated.