May and Emerald

Emerald is one of those stones that doesn’t need much explanation, especially if you already love green.

I do, so this one has always stood out to me.

What I like about Emerald is that it doesn’t try to be perfect. It makes you accept it as it is. A bit of a diva, honestly, considering it sits in the “big three” precious stones.

The color is deep and not always even. Some stones lean darker, others a little softer, and that variation is part of what makes emerald interesting to work with.

There’s also a reason Emeralds rarely look completely clean. Most of them contain inclusions, often called jardin, which means “garden” in French. Once you know that, it changes how you see them.

If you’re wondering why a truly “clean” emerald is so rare, it comes down to a few things:

1. Their formation is messy: Emeralds form under intense pressure and heat, with elements like chromium and vanadium. Along the way, other minerals and liquids get trapped inside the stone, creating those internal “garden-like” inclusions.
2. They’re more fragile than they look: Emeralds are relatively brittle, and their internal structure often includes tiny fractures. That makes them harder to mine, cut, and keep intact without affecting the stone.
3. Most are treated (and that’s normal): The majority of emeralds are treated with oil or resin to improve clarity. Completely untreated stones with high clarity are extremely rare.
4. Color matters more than clarity: With emerald, the priority is always green. A strong, rich color will almost always matter more than whether the stone is perfectly clean.

Quick Tip:

• Skip ultrasonic and steam cleaning: Those methods can remove the oils used to treat emeralds and potentially damage the stone.

At the end of the day, Emerald works because of its character. The color does the heavy lifting, and the rest is part of Earth's wonderfully written stories.