History of the Emerald and its origin
There are many pieces of evidence that our ancestors knew Emeralds, according to the treatises by Pliny and other Medieval authors. Nonetheless, we have no reliable proof that the stone described by our predecessors was Emerald. Wallis Richard Cattelle in his book "Precious Stones - a book of Reference for Jewellers" claims that our ancestors called all the green stones combined under the term "Samargdus," as "Emerald."
But the previous authors assumed that the first Emeralds known to us came from Pegu. At the same time, many stones were found in the tombs of the Pharaohs, in upper Egypt. As the sources say, the Emerald deposits developed in Egypt until the 17th century (Sikait region). But earlier, Spanish conquerors found these gemstones in the New World in 1567.
The temples of Peru were full of precious stones. The natives collected them because of their custom to believe in the divine power of all beauty gifts of nature. The Indians also claimed that these gemstones allowed them to communicate with the Gods. The locals presented many Emeralds and other precious stones to their guests as a gift. They believed that the Spaniards are their Gods. But later, their gifts turned into the tribute.
Later, in 1830 the Emerald mines were discovered in the Ural Mountains close to Ekaterinburg, Russia. The deposits also located in the Heubachthal of the Salzburg Alps in Austria. It's worth noting that the Emerald mines also located in North Carolina. But due to lack of appropriate specimens for jewelry purposes, the works were suspended.
The Value of Emerald
As mentioned above, a flawless Emerald equates to the Diamond in its value. However, the specimens of 5 karats and more exceed in value any genuine Diamond. Nonetheless, the value of the Emerald was changing during the centuries.
Spanish conquerors were the first who brought Emeralds of high value and excellent quality to Europe. These precious stones became pretty valuable in the Europe in that period. Nonetheless, the Spanish sailors have destroyed a lot of specimens of these gemstones in an attempt to check Emeralds to their durability. As a result, these stones arrived in Europe in a small amount, whence their incredibly high price. Emerald became collectible overnight. That's why you can meet a huge amount of distinguished Emeralds presented in various collections all around the world.
This precious stone has even become a subject of dispute between the famous conqueror, Cortez, and the king of Spain, Charles V. Cortez refused an offer of the Spanish King to receive this gem as a gift. As a result, Cortez has lost his dignity. These missing pages of history confirm that Emerald is one of the most valuable stones of the present time.