The emerald is a precious stone that is characterized by its green color.
The Greek word smáragdos arrived in Latin as smaragdus , which in turn led to the Old French emerald . The concept came to our language as an emerald .
This is the name given to a precious stone that is characterized by its greenish hue. In fact, the color that resembles that exhibited by this gem is also called emerald.
What is an emerald
We indicated above that an emerald is a gem or precious stone: that is, a hard, fine, rare and translucent or transparent mineral , which is cut for the creation of jewelry and other luxury products.
In the specific case of emerald, it is a variety of beryl . Beryl, meanwhile, is called beryllium aluminum silicate . These two chemical elements, therefore, appear in the composition of the emerald.
Emeralds also have small amounts of vanadium and chromium that give them their typical greenness. On the Mohs scale , which relates different minerals and orders them according to their hardness, the emerald has a value of 7.5 to 8 .
Brazil, Colombia, USA, Russia, Spain, Austria, Zambia, India y Afghanistan son algunos countries con yacimientos de esmeraldas. Es importancia mencionar que la calidad de las piedras varía según la región.
All types of jewelry are made with emeralds.
symbolic values
As with all gems, the emerald has multiple symbolisms. Since ancient times, abilities or qualities have been attributed to it that can supposedly affect human beings in different ways.
Throughout history the emerald was pointed out as a symbol of immortality , fertility and renewal . It was also used as a talisman (it was attributed the ability to provide protection against demonic forces, for example), to treat infections and poisoning, and as an offering to the gods.
The emerald and the power
Due to its high economic value, the emerald is also an emblem of power . After all, only those with a lot of money have access to it.
Emeralds are often present in jewelry used by royalty . Rings, earrings, necklaces and other items can carry one of these beautiful green stones.
a feminine name
Esmeralda is a common female name in many countries. We can name the Colombian Esmeralda Arboleda (1921-1997), who was the first woman from her nation to serve as ambassador and to occupy a seat in the Senate .
The Argentine Esmeralda Miter (1982), on the other hand, is an actress, singer and media figure who descends from Bartolomé Mitre , who was president of the Argentine Republic . The Mexican Esmeralda Pimentel (1989), meanwhile, is a famous model and actress.
It should be noted that, in the novel “Our Lady of Paris” by Victor Hugo , Esmeralda is one of the central characters. It is about the young gypsy who takes pity on the hunchback Quasimodo .
Esmeralda as an administrative division
Numerous places are called Esmeralda . In Cuba , Esmeralda is a municipality that is part of the province of Camagüey .
In Bolivia it is a town in the Litoral de Atacama Province , while in Argentina it is a town in the province of Santa Fe . Chile and Brazil also have sites called Esmeralda .