Emerald has been the green of royalty for four thousand years. Cleopatra's mines in the Egyptian desert supplied Rome; the Inca and Aztec treasuries were full of Colombian stones; and the finest emeralds still come from the same Colombian valleys of Muzo and Chivor, with Zambia and Brazil close behind. Emerald is beryl colored by chromium or vanadium, and it almost always carries a garden of tiny inclusions, called the jardin, which gemologists treat as its fingerprint rather than a flaw. Gem-grade emerald costs more than diamond; the opaque green beryl sold as tumbled emerald costs a few dollars and carries the same lore. At Plentiful Earth we carry emerald as tumbled stones and chips by the pound, raw untumbled pieces, emerald-in-matrix palm stones from India, and small pendants, so you can work with the stone of the heart without a royal budget.
What You'll Find Here
Tumbled emerald and chips. Opaque to translucent green beryl, polished and sold by the pound. The tumbled stones are pocket-sized; the chips are small enough for jars, candles, and grids.
Raw emerald. Untumbled green beryl by the pound, often showing the hexagonal crystal form and the black mica of the host rock.
Emerald in matrix palm stones. Polished palm stones from India where green emerald crystals sit inside dark schist. Each one is different, and they are the most striking display pieces in this collection.
Emerald pendants. Small emerald and diamond pendants from Brazil, a modest way to wear the May birthstone.
What Is Emerald Used For?
Emerald is the classic heart chakra stone, and its lore covers the whole territory of the heart: love that lasts, loyalty, compassion, and the patience a long relationship needs. It is also a stone of abundance and growth, because its green is the green of everything that thrives. Practitioners keep it for partnership work, for healing after betrayal, and for the kind of prosperity that grows slowly and holds. It is the birthstone for May and the traditional gift for a twentieth or thirty-fifth anniversary.
Beryl is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale but emerald is brittle because of its inclusions, so tumbled and raw pieces can chip if knocked. A rinse is fine; avoid ultrasonic cleaners and heat.
Explore Related Collections
Emerald's beryl siblings are aquamarine and morganite. For other green heart stones see chrysoprase, green aventurine, jade, and green garnet, all gathered under green crystals. Find it with the other birthstones and in our love and attraction collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is emerald?
Emerald is the green variety of beryl, colored by chromium and sometimes vanadium. Major sources are Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, and Zimbabwe. Only green beryl with strong color is called emerald; paler stones are sold as green beryl.
Is tumbled emerald real emerald?
Yes, in the sense that it is natural green beryl colored by chromium. It is not gem grade: it is opaque, included, and inexpensive, which is exactly why it is affordable for crystal work.
What does emerald mean spiritually?
Love, loyalty, compassion, and abundance. It is the heart chakra stone of long partnership and steady growth, and a traditional stone of the goddess Venus.
Is emerald a birthstone?
Yes. Emerald is the birthstone for May and the zodiac stone for Taurus and Cancer in many traditions.
Can emerald go in water?
Briefly. Beryl is stable in water, but many emeralds are oiled to fill surface cracks, and long soaks or hot water can draw the oil out. Rinse and dry.
Why are tumbled emeralds so cheap when emerald rings cost thousands?
Gem pricing is about transparency and color saturation. A clean, glowing green crystal is one in a million; the opaque green beryl that surrounds it in the same mine is abundant. Both are emerald, but only one is a gemstone.
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