May Birthstone: Six Famous Emeralds

Ahh, spring. The weather is warming up, there is a slight breeze in the air, and all of nature’s vivid colors are in full bloom. So doesn’t it just make sense for the May birthstone to be the gorgeous green emerald? Emeralds have been prized for their vibrant color as far back as anyone can remember. This glittering green gemstone is one of the four precious gemstones alongside diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. History shows emeralds have been a symbol of royalty and power since the times of the Ancient Egyptians. You can’t think about emeralds without thinking of Cleopatra! She loved emeralds so much she claimed ownership all of emerald mines in Egypt, for goodness sake!

In honor of the month of May, we’re taking a closer look into some of the more famous emeralds throughout history. If you’re looking for the perfect May birthstone gift, these six famous emeralds will help give you some better insight into why this gemstone is the perfect gift for any King or Queen in your life.

Diadem of the Duchess of Angouleme

Image by Sailko; Wikimedia

The history of this remarkable tiara is very complicated, but its beauty is straightforward. We’re all familiar with the French Crown Jewels, right? Well, this exquisite emerald tiara belongs to that collection. The original owner of this captivating tiara was the Duchess of Angouleme, Marie-Therese. In 1819, Louis-Antoine, the Duke of Angouleme, commissioned the tiara for his wife. It was created by the famous French jewelers, the Bapst brothers, and is a true testament to the jewelry craftsmanship of the time. The tiara features a symmetrical design of swirling foliage mounted with 40 emeralds set in gold and 1031 diamonds set in silver. The Duchess’ diadem has seen a long history of ownership, but it is now one of the centerpieces of the Louvre’s French Crown Jewels display. Just imagine how royal you’d feel with this incredible masterpiece resting atop your head!

The Chalk Emerald

Image by Cliff; Wikimedia

The Chalk Emerald is one of the world’s finest Colombian emeralds. But what makes it so special? Emeralds are known to have naturally occurring inclusions, but the Chalk Emerald is near perfect. Its superb clarity and vivid color are what make this emerald one of the most famous in the world. Legend has it that this emerald was once the center stone of an emerald and diamond necklace belonging to a Hindu princess. It originally weighed 38.4 carats; however, it was re-cut and set in a platinum and gold ring designed by Harry Winston. The immaculate emerald now weighs 37.8 carats and is surrounded by 60 pear-shaped diamonds.

Curious as to how this May birthstone got its name? We’re not entirely sure how they came into possession of it, but the previous owners were Mr. and Mrs. O. Roy Chalk. In 1972, the Chalks donated the emerald ring to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum. Their namesake still resides in the Gem Gallery to this day.

The Guinness Emerald Crystal

Image by World Famous Gems

The May birthstone is notorious for growing extremely large, and that’s exactly why this one makes our list. The Guinness Emerald Crystal weighs in at an unbelievable 1759 carats! Yep, you read that right. This is one of the largest gem-quality emerald crystals in the entire world. It was discovered in the Cosquez mines in Colombia and remains part of the emerald collection of the Bank of the Republic of Colombia. As much as we’d like to think about how much gorgeous emerald jewelry could come from this gem, it will remain uncut. This famous emerald just proves how amazing nature truly is!

The Moghul Emerald

Image by The Practical Gemologist

Indian culture has always shown an appreciation for gemstones, and emeralds were one of their favorites. Ancient Indian rulers admired this gorgeous green gem because they believed emeralds were good luck. But the May birthstone wasn’t always necessarily used for jewelry. One of the most exquisite Indian artifacts is the Moghul Emerald, which is the largest inscribed emerald in the world. Dating from 1695, the Moghul Emerald is a 217.8 carat square gemstone with carvings on both sides. The front side features a Shi’a Muslim prayer inscription while the reverse side has a gorgeous, detailed floral motif. Green is a sacred color in Islam, making an emerald the perfect talisman to inscribe a religious text. Wondering how much such a rare, religious artifact is worth? The Moghul Emerald sold at auction by Christie’s of London in 2001 for an astonishing $2.2 million.

The Seringapatam Jewels

Image by Bellatory

If you have a fascination with emerald jewelry, you’re about to be blown away. One of the most amazing emerald jewelry collections in the world is the Seringapatam Jewels. This elegant set includes an emerald necklace, emerald brooch, emerald bracelet, and pair of emerald drop earrings set in gold and platinum. In 1799, the emeralds were given to British Major-General George Harris as a reward for his victory at the Battle of Seringapatam in India. Remaining in the family for many generations, the emeralds were eventually set into the spectacular jewelry you see today. Talk about a family heirloom!

Elizabeth Taylor’s Emerald Collection

Image by Ron Galella; InStyle

Elizabeth Taylor was known for many things- her irrefutable beauty, her phenomenal acting, and her scandalous love life. But did you know she was also very well-known for her love of jewelry? Taylor’s jewelry collection was one of the most impressive in the world. One of her most recognized collections was her emerald set. A gift from former husband Richard Burton, the actress’ emerald collection included a necklace, brooch, ring, bracelet, and pair of drop earrings, all of which are absolutely breathtaking. Together, the pieces total nearly $100 million in value. Perhaps it was her role on Cleopatra (1963) that sparked her love affair with emeralds, as it was very well known that the Egyptian Queen was extremely fond of emeralds.

May Birthstone Gifts at Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers

Inspired to pick up some emerald jewelry for your May-born loved one? Not only are emeralds recognized for their magnificent color, they are also believed to bring passion, bliss, and unconditional love. So, no matter which May birthstone gift you choose it will be a beautiful gemstone to wear, but also a meaningful gift to be treasured for many years to come. Visit Leo Hamel Fine Jewelers on San Diego Avenue to browse our vast collection of emerald jewelry. Your friends will be green with envy!

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