If the number of people who believe in the benefits of birthstones or gemstones is really considered, it would be very difficult to not take these beautiful stones with mystic properties seriously. As most people in the modern world are well aware, the concept of gemstones and birthstones is deeply connected to astrology. Furthermore, as astrology has twelve signs with each devoted to one month, there are also gemstones assigned to each of these months. The current month of May is known for the astrological sign of Taurus and one of the most exquisite gemstones known to man i.e. an emerald.
In a nut shell, emeralds are equated to the three social and personal principles of friendship, loyalty and faithfulness. While some cultures believe the emerald to represent these three things, others suggest that it represents success, hope and rebirth. However, traditionally, virtues such as memory, faith and clairvoyance are attributed to the emerald. As is obvious from the traditional values of the emerald, the birthstone is known to have special influence on the mental side of things and is known to enhance the mental capabilities of the wearer. In addition to all this, the emerald has been prized throughout the ages for having the ability to reveal true love to the wearer.
The emerald also holds a lot of historical significance for the human culture. As a matter of fact, the emerald has been recorded as important to many ancient cultures of mankind. For example, historians suggest that the emerald was used in the ancient cultures of Egypt and India and their usage dates back to 3000 BC. Indian Mughal emperors used to inscribe religious scripture on emeralds which clearly displays its importance to that culture. Moreover, the emerald even held a lot of significance for the Roman Empire as Cleopatra was known to wear it constantly.
Technically speaking, an emerald is nothing but the green variant of a mineral known as beryl. The green color is imparted to this mineral because of impurities in the form of chromium and iron molecules. The perfect emerald, according to established benchmarks and yardsticks is one that has a six sided crystal structure. The emerald is supposed to have healing properties for a person born in the month of May. The emerald is said to have the ability to positively influence health problems related to the spine, the problem of headaches, the function of fertility and the eyes.
Furthermore, from the practical viewpoint, emeralds are one of the tougher gemstones when it comes to wearing them on a day to day basis. The reason for this is the vulnerability of emeralds. Emeralds are extremely easy to scratch which makes them a problem for someone looking to wear them as a ring or a bracelet on an everyday basis. It is because of this vulnerability of emeralds that they are primarily recommended in the form of pendants for people who could benefit from wearing them. This means that emerald pendants and necklaces are ideal gifts for a person whose birthday falls in the month of May.
The country of Columbia is known to hold around 60 percent of the global emerald market. The reason why Columbian emeralds are so highly regarded is that they exhibit a deep green color that is hard to find in emeralds sourced from other regions on the planet. In fact, one of the more notable aspects of Columbian emeralds is that they are mainly found in the extremely green jungles of the country. Other countries where emeralds are found include Brazil, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Emeralds, while not as exorbitant as diamonds, do tend to be on the expensive side which means that they are more in the reach of the privileged few and celebrities than the common man. Here is a list of some celebrities whose birthdays fall in the month of May and who would benefit significantly from wearing emeralds in some form or another.