Emeralds

“Emerald is the birthstone for May and is known for being the 20th and 35th wedding anniversary stone. Many believe wearing emerald brings you wisdom and growth. This is commonly given as a gift for an anniversary or as a symbol of love and fidelity.

At one point in time emeralds were prescribed for eye diseases because the beautiful color of green was thought to be quite soothing to the eyes. In fact early stone cutters kept emeralds at their working tables to look at as a way of giving their eyes a break.

The ancient Egyptians mined emeralds in the eastern region. In more recent times North Carolina is where the new source of quality emeralds can be found. You can find more emeralds in other areas of America, Colombia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Nigeria, and Russia.

Egyptians engraved emeralds with the symbols of spring foliage to represent eternal youth and buried the stones with the dead. The ancient Romans thought emeralds were associated with fertility and rebirth.

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Burmese Rubies Ban

Phase 1 includes detailed requirements to import and export non-Burmese rubies and jadeite into and out of the United States, the Jewelers Vigilance Alliance said in a statement. No jadeite and rubies of Myanmar origin can be imported into the United States. This importation ban encompasses all Burmese origin jadeite and rubies, notwithstanding “substantial transformation” in Thailand or elsewhere.

A 30-day grace period has been established whereby importers and exporters that may not meet all mandatory requirements can still import and export non-Burmese goods until Oct. 26, JVC said.

Customs has issued new Harmonized Tariff System codes for use for all non-Burmese rubies and jadeite and jewelry containing these gemstones imported into the U.S. Shipments of rubies and jadeite from non-Burmese sources must use these codes when entering the U.S. In addition, importers are required to:

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What Is A Gem?

Some gems – like pearls, amber, coral, and ivory – are organic. This means they come from plants or animals. But most gems are minerals: natural, inorganic materials with specific chemical compositions. Most have a characteristic structure, too. You probably already know the names of some minerals commonly found in jewelry stores: topaz, sapphire, emerald, and ruby, for example. Synthetic gems have become increasingly popular like this titanium bracelet, which are exact replicas of the real gem with the strength of titanium.

Three traits of all gems

A substance isn’t automatically considered a gem just because it’s used in jewelry or just because it falls in the mineral category. Items like bones, seeds, and hair have all been used in jewelry, but that doesn’t place them in the same category as rubies, pearls, and amber. You will some time find gems in tungsten carbide rings as well.

To be a gem, a substance must share three important traits with all other gems: beauty, rarity, and durability. Each trait, however, represents a range, so all gems can possess different levels of all three traits.

Beauty

Throughout the centuries, humans have cherished the color of gleam of finished gems. Mineral crystals brought up from the dark depths of the earth, organic gems created by life processes – all gems worthy of the name share the virtue of beauty.

But because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, it isn’t always easy to categorize what’s beautiful and what isn’t. One accepted definition of beauty holds that it’s a combination of qualities that delight the senses or appeal to the mind. In other words, a thing of beauty might not cause everybody to react the same way, but it will cause everybody to react – it will have visual appeal.

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