The emerald is a green gemstone which is considered the most precious of the beryl stones. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5 – 8 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.Beryl stones are transparent in their bases. The emerald gain its green hue from traces of chromium and vanadium. As the emerald is a fairly rare gemstone, the price of a top-quality stone may exceed that of a diamond. The price depends mainly on the purity of the stone’s color, but also on clarity and the lack of flaws.
For many years, the best emeralds have been produced in South America. Most emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil and Zambia. Colombia is the world’s main emerald producer, with 150 deposits. Mining is not conducted at all of the known deposits in that country. Small quantities of emeralds are produced in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Madagascar, Afghanistan and Russia.
