Green Gemstones and Crystals

Emerald: Emerald is the deep green color variety of the mineral known as beryl. To be an emerald, a beryl must have a rich green color that ranges between bluish green, green, and slightly yellowish green. Pale green specimens and those outside of the required color range should be called "green beryl."

Today, emerald, together with ruby and sapphire, generate more economic activity than all of the other colored gemstones combined. In many years, the dollar value of emeralds imported into the United States exceeds the value of ruby and sapphire combined.

Emerald is only found in a few locations worldwide. It is found only in those rocks where enough beryllium to produce beryl was present at the same time that chromium or vanadium were present to give the gem its color. As a result, most of the world's emeralds are mined in just four countries: Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, and Zimbabwe. In the United States, a few occurrences of emerald have been found in North Carolina.

Emerald is rare, it has a very high price, and natural emeralds are usually marked with fractures and abundant inclusions. In response, laboratory-created emeralds are now more abundant in mall and department store jewelry displays than natural stones. Consumers enjoy their visually perfect clarity and exceptional color, along with a price that is a fraction of what would be paid for natural stones of similar color, size, and clarity. They have the same chemical, physical, and optical characteristics as natural emeralds.

Image copyright iStockphoto / Epitavi.

Malachite: Malachite has been used as a gemstone and sculptural material for thousands of years and is still popular today.

People enjoy malachite's range of vivid green colors, its bright polish, and the bands and eyes displayed on polished surfaces. Its green color does not fade over time, and that is why powdered malachite has been used as a pigment and coloring agent for thousands of years.

Malachite is a popular material for producing cabochons and beads. It is also cut into thin strips that are used as inlay materials or to make small boxes and ornamental objects.

Although Malachite is popular, its use is limited because it is brittle and has a hardness of only 3.5 to 4. It is not suitable for use in a ring, bracelet, or other jewelry item that might suffer abrasion or impact. In jewelry, malachite is best used in pendants, pins, and earrings.

Diopside: Diopside is a beautiful and relatively inexpensive gemstone that is occasionally seen in commercial jewelry. Specimens that contain chromium have a brilliant green color. Many people who see chrome diopside in a jewelry display initially think that it is an emerald. Then they are surprised to learn it is a gem they have never heard about.

Diopside is a gem best used in earrings, pendants, pins, and brooches because it has a low hardness and fragile cleavage. It is unsuitable for rings and bracelets unless it is placed in a setting that will provide protection against abrasion and impact.

In addition to the green chrome diopside, the gem occurs in two different appearances. One is a translucent light blue to purple granular material known as "violane" which is used for cabochons, beads, and ornamental projects. The other, called "star diopside," is a dark opaque gem with a silk of fine inclusions that, when cut into cabochons, exhibits asterism.