In this article
Written by Sameer
Reviewed on
Traditional belief vs gemmology: anything on this page about luck, protection, planets, healing or religious tradition describes traditional and cultural beliefs — not proven effects, religious rulings or medical advice. A stone's identity, hardness, treatment and origin are gemmology, which a lab can test; the references at the end of the page cover that side.
The stone for May is emerald, which we call zamurd in Urdu and which goes by panna in much of the subcontinent. Of the three big coloured stones it is the most fragile, and it is the one where buyers get misled most often, nearly always by a stone that looks a little too perfect. If you want the background to the month list, our birthstone guide covers it.
Rule one: inclusions are normal
Emerald is green beryl, and the same conditions that give it colour also crack and fill the crystal while it grows. So a natural emerald almost always has something going on inside, often visible without any magnification. The trade calls this the jardin, French for "garden".
That means you have to flip the usual thinking. If an emerald is cheap and looks completely clean, it is far more likely to be glass, a doublet (two pieces glued together) or a lab-grown emerald than a bargain. What you really want are inclusions that sit deep and quiet, rather than ones that reach the surface or turn the stone cloudy.
What makes one emerald worth more than another
- Colour, far ahead of everything else. The best is a pure, saturated green with a slight hint of blue, vivid without going dark. Paler or yellowish greens drop to a lower grade even at the same weight.
- Transparency. Since inclusions are a given, the question becomes whether the stone still looks bright and see-through or has turned murky and flat.
- Size. Clean emerald rough is truly scarce, so price climbs with weight much faster than it does for aquamarine, emerald's sister beryl.
- Condition. Emerald is brittle. Look along the girdle and at the corners for chips, especially on a stone that has been in and out of settings.
On our emerald category page, every listing carries the price of that particular stone.
Oil and fillers
Nearly every emerald for sale has had the cracks that reach its surface filled, with oil (cedarwood, traditionally) or with resin, so they are less visible. Light, traditional oiling is accepted right across the trade. Heavy resin filling is something else and genuinely affects the value. Neither should be kept from you. We state treatment when we know it, and for a significant stone you should ask for that in writing. If you want an independent lab report on an important piece, tell us before you order.
Our own emerald: Swat
Pakistan really is emerald country. The mines above Mingora in the Swat valley have been producing fine bluish-green emerald since the 1950s, and Swat material has a good name internationally, above all for strong colour in smaller sizes. When you buy, ask where the stone is from. A Swat zamurd carries a home story that an anonymous import never will.
Handle it gently
Emerald scores 7.5 to 8 on Mohs, but hardness and toughness are different things, and all those internal fractures make it much easier to chip than sapphire. Pick a protective bezel setting, and save an emerald ring for occasions rather than wearing it for housework or anything heavy. Never put it in an ultrasonic or steam cleaner. That forces the oil out and every fracture suddenly shows. A soft, damp cloth is all it ever needs.
Emerald as a gift
An emerald says "this is a special day": an anniversary, a wedding, a milestone May birthday. A modest Swat stone with good colour is often a more personal gift than a bigger, paler import, and a pendant or earrings keep it safer than a ring worn daily.
Panna in the Vedic system
In the Vedic navaratna, emerald (panna) belongs to Mercury, Budh, and is chosen from the chart rather than the birth month. For how the two systems line up, read gemstones by rashi.
Buying emerald from us
We are choosy about emerald and only list a stone when we are happy with it. Each one is photographed as it is, weighed and priced on its own. Browse the emerald collection, read our longer piece on identifying natural emeralds, and order with Cash on Delivery. Karachi orders usually arrive in 1 to 2 working days, other cities a little later, and you check the stone in front of the rider before you pay, with 7-day returns after that.
References
