The word emerald comes from the Latin smaragdus which means green.

Emeralds come in various shades of green, from deep darkish green to soft green, fine grass green and light green.

Reflecting the color of spring, emerald is the birthstone for May. It is also a traditional gift for those celebrating 20th or 35th anniversaries.

Emeralds are relatively strong gemstones, registering 7.5 - 8 on the Mohs scale of hardness. While they are fairly resilient to knocks, they can be chipped or scratched.

Emeralds have been found in many countries, including Columbia, Russia and Brazil, which is the world's largest supplier of emeralds. Most of the emeralds for sale at 25karats.com originate in Madagascar, Columbia and Zambia.

The most valuable emeralds are a pure, vivid green with a concentrated, pure hue which does not include traces of other shades such as brown or yellow.

Most emeralds have inclusions (imperfections). It is extremely rare to find a natural emerald without flaws. That is why a top-quality natural emerald will often be worth more than a top-quality diamond of the same weight.

One of the largest emeralds discovered is the Mogul Emerald, weighing in at 217.80 carats. It is about 10 cm high.

Emeralds are often associated with magic and mystery. The color of nature, they are said to promote a calm and peaceful spirit.

Almost all natural emeralds undergo treatment to improve their color and eliminate visible imperfections. The industry-accepted practice is to use a green-tinted oil to fill in any cracks and reinforce the emerald against unintentional chipping or splintering.