By
Ashley Bailey, Monday, August 07, 2006 12:00 AM
Emerald played as much a role in the conquest of the New World as gold. Once it was obtained in trade by the Spanish explorer Pedrarias on the north coast of Colombia in 1514, every subsequent Spanish explorer had this grass-green beryl high up on his list of booty and plunder.
Ever since, Colombia has remained the world’s most celebrated source of emerald. But, then again, it was only the second known source. From 3500 B.C. until the 16th century, Egypt had been the sole source of this gem.
Today, ironically, it produces no emerald whatsoever.But even if it did,it would be no rival to any of the world’s other providers of emerald - mainly - in addition to Colombia, Zambia and Brazil. Surviving Egyptian stones are too pale and included - although they were known to be Cleopatra’s, the legendary queen who ascended to the throne in 51 B.C., favorite gem.
In recent years, emerald has been plagued with controversy involving the frequent use of oils, resins and other fillers to mask the numerous small fissures that usually dot this gem. While such enhancement may have been preformed for centuries, the public has only become aware of it in the last decade - and it has not reacted well.
Jewelers have not helped matters any by not disclosing this fact of life, although it is required by the Federal Trade Commission.
The main problem with most emerald enhancements is that they unstable and prone to dehydration over time. As this happens, stones become increasingly unattractive. The logical answer would be to develop a permanent enhancement. But while such a treatment is now available, ignorance keeps the trade from embracing it.
So the emerald market lingers in limbo -the victim of its own fear and misunderstanding of emerald reality.
Emerald is the birthstone for May and has been available in synthetic form since the late 1950s.
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