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Why Green Rocks

WHY GREEN ROCKS One of the world's three most coveted colored gemstones- along with rubies and sapphires-emeralds have captivated the world for thousands of years. Now emerald green is Pantone's Color of the Year, and both the lush shade and verdant stone are having a well-deserved moment. EGYPT COMPOSITION The emerald is a variety of the beryl species. Beryl is colorless in its pure state and becomes colored when nearby trace elements mix with it during formation. Emeralds were documented in ancient Egyptian records as early as 3500 B.C. TOP PRODUCERS SYMBOLISM Emeralds represent love, spring, fertility, and rebirth. RUSSIA USA AFGHANISTAN PAKISTAN Oh my God! I've got to have the emeralds! Elizabeth Taylor INDIA BRAZIL MADAGASCAR ZIMBABWE COLOMBIA ZAMBIA Produces the most valuable, with the most prized color Increasing in popularity and value, known for deep and rich color Dates Set in Stone 2750 B.C. Ancient Mesopotamians wore emerald jewelry set in designs of grapes and leaves. 51-30 B.C. Cleopatra fell in love with the jewel and popularized it during her reign. 330 B.C. Egyptians began mining emeralds. They buried mummies with emeralds around their necks to symbolize eternal youth. 4000 B.C. Babylon markets sold'emeralds. 1537 Spanish conquistadors discov- ered emeralds in South America and introduced them throughout Europe. 1066-1485 Strict laws forbade every- one but nobility from wearing emeralds. B.C./A.D. 1874 A North Carolina farmer discovered emeralds in the US by accident. 1912 American Retail Jewelers' Association named emerald the official birthstone of May for its verdant color, which has long been associated with rebirth and spring. 1963 Elizabeth Taylor's love affair with emeralds (and Richard Burton) began on the set of Cleopatra in Italy. Burton, later said, "The only word Elizabeth knew in Italian was Bulgari." 25¢ At age 12, Harry Winston turned one of his first profits when he spotted a glimmering emerald being sold as a piece of glass at a pawnshop. He purchased the two-carat gem for 25¢ and sold it two days later for $800. Source: Harry Winston, Rizzoli, 2012 The Fab Four CATHERINE THE GREAT EMERALD AND SPANISH INQUISITION NECKLACE This necklace first be- CHALK EMERALD Named after its former ELIZABETH TAYLOR'S BULGARI BROOCH owner, Claire Chalk, the 38-carat stone was set as a Taylor wore this emerald and diamond brooch, a gift from Richard Burton, on their wedding day. It broke world records when it sold for $6.6 million at a Christie's auction in 2011. The emerald weighs 23.46 carats, and the total dia- mond weight is approxi- mately 20 carats. DIAMOND BROOCH Catherine was one of the greatest collectors of all time in both scale and quality. She took great pleasure in the jewels which proclaimed her power and rank as Em- press. Her most treasured gems, including this emer- ald and diamond brooch longed to Spanish royalty and was later worn by ladies of the French court. It features 374 antique-cut diamonds and 15 emeralds, which are among the most valuable in the world. Once owned by an Indian prince and American jeweler Harry Winston, it was bequeathed to the Smithsonian in 1972, where it remains on ring surrounded by 60 pear-shaped diamonds by Harry Winston. Chalk wore the ring to a White House dinner honoring Queen Elizabeth II, but removed it when she no- ticed the queen was wear- ing a less illustrious emer- ald. She donated it to the Smithsonian in 1972. featuring a hextagonal-cut Colombian emerald weighing between 60 and 70 carats, were renowned not only for their quality, but also for their sheer display today. size. Many of Catherine's jewels were kept in her own private apartments at the Russian court, in her Diamond room, where she often gathered with her friends in the evenings to play cards. The Empress fully understood the power of jewels, and all who had been guests at her court bore witness to the brooch's unparalleled magnificence. Color of 2013. Emerald green has been on the rise for a few No. 1 seasons. Pantone traces the color's current popularity back to Angelina Jolie, who wore striking emerald earrings and an emerald ring to the 2009 Oscars. On the Silver Screen Marlene Dietrich The famous actress wore her beloved emeralds in several movies and realI life. Once while baking a cake, she lost her 37.41-carat cabochon emerald ring, which was found - after much searching - baked inside. The Wizard of Oz's Emerald City The Wonderful Wizard of Oz idolized emeralds with the Emerald City. Its walls and buildings were described as studded with emeralds while its inhabitants wore green- tinted glasses to protect themselves from the city's "brightness and glory." Trendsetters Today's emerald-loving starlets include Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron, Salma Hayek and Beyoncé. GOT GREEN ENVY? Explore Christie's Emeralds Sources & Photo credits: Marlene Dietrich OBettmann/CORBIS, "Emerald and Other Beryls by John Sinkankas Chilton Book Company Radnor, PA 01981 by John Sinkankas, Spanish Inquisition Necklace: Chip Clark, NMNH (catalog number: G5113, photo number: 95-40466), Chalk Emerald: Chip Clark, NMNH (catalog number: G4931, photo number: 95-40459), Hand holding emeralds: OAnn Johansson/Corbis CHRISTIE'S

Why Green Rocks

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One of the world's three most coveted colored gemstones, emeralds have captivated the world for thousands of years. Now emerald green is Pantone's Color of the Year, and both the lush shade and verdan...

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