May Birthstone - Emerald

Who does not love the May Birthstone Emerald.

Emeralds have captivated royalty from Egyptian pharaohs to Inca emperors. Cleopatra was particularly fond of emeralds and often adorned herself with them. The Crown of the Andes, a legendary piece from colonial South America, is an example of the Spanish's admiration for the May birthstone. The Atahualpa emerald, now the largest stone in the crown, is said to have been taken from the last Inca emperor, Atahualpa, by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. The treasures recovered from the sunken Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha, which sank in the 17th century, represent only a small portion of the wealth brought to Spain from the New World.

The word "emerald" comes from "smaragdos," ancient Greek for a green gem. Roman author Pliny the Elder, who perished in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, wrote in his encyclopedia "Natural History" that "nothing greens greener." He also believed that the May birthstone had therapeutic properties that helped gem cutters relieve eye strain: "(they) have no better method of restoring their eyes than by looking at the emerald, its soft, green colour comforting and removing their weariness and lassitude." Today, science supports this idea, as the colour green has been shown to relieve stress and eye strain.

The May birthstone was also thought to possess magical powers. It was said that placing the stone under the tongue could enable one to see into the future. Some believed it could make a person an eloquent speaker and expose deceitful lovers.