GEM STONES INFORMATION

The birthstone for the month of May and the anniversary gemstone for the 20th and 35th year of marriage, Symbolizing love and success. In this category we are offering faceted natural Afghan and Colombian emeralds with wholesale prices. Each stone is guaranteed to be authentic and any treatments that have been applied to the stones are clearly disclosed. The most common treatment is the use of colorless oil. This oil enters any cracks or holes in the stone and makes them disappear. This improves the clarity of the stone while also improving the color. It is safe to assume that all Emeralds have been treated using this method. However we offer some untreated natural emeralds in our stock. Emerald is part of the Beryl family. The Beryl family is a large family that includes several different gems including Aquamarine, Morganite and Helidor. This means that Emerald shares the same properties as Beryl. Emerald is a hard gemstone (7.5-8 out of 10 on the MOHS scale). Emeralds that are very clean are more durable. Each emerald contains certain bubbles, cracks, flecks or foreign crystals, called inclusion or jardin (garden in French). These inclusions are visible to the ... naked eye. These inclusions tell the story of the emerald’s origin below the earth and its journey to sunlight. There is thus a certain beauty and mystery to these imperfections. Clean, perfect emeralds are rare to find. Emerald is one of the oldest and well-known colored gemstones available. It has been mined, cut and worn by powerful rulers for centuries. Even the Egyptians had an Emerald mine that later became known as Cleopatra’s Mines. The main source for Emerald has always been South America with the best quality gems coming from Columbia. In recent years, other major sources like Afghanistan and Zambia are increasing in popularity. Origin is important when selecting Emeralds. Stones from Columbia are considered the finest in the world, while Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan in many occasions has produced emeralds rivaling the best Colombian emeralds. Emeralds from Afghanistan have a hydrothermal formation just the same as Colombian emeralds. Emeralds from Panjshir are known for their intense green color and recognized as representing some of the best on the planet. Panjshir Emeralds are found in Panjshir Valley in the Hindu Kush Mountains along the foothills of the Himalayan Mountain range. The mines in Panjshir Valley are located at some of the world’s highest elevations at around 5000 m above sea level. Panjshir Emeralds have a long and lustrous history. Emeralds have been reported in Panjshir Valley for thousands of years. It is believed that the first emeralds that Romans saw were Panjshir Emeralds. Up until 2000 years ago, Panjshir Emeralds were traded along the Silk Road with Alexander the Great and Pilny the Elder. And today! Himalayan Gems and Jewelry is one of the first, and largest, companies in our era to ethically and legally commercialize emeralds from Panjshir. Now, we are the bridge to bring the finest gems from the Silk Road to you.