May Birthstone: Emerald, History, Alternatives and Care

The May birthstone at a glance

The birthstone for May is emerald. All the modern lists agree. The older list also offers agate, and the British list chrysoprase, a bright apple-green quartz.

The green of emerald is perfectly suited to spring, which is why it is linked to May in popular imagination. But birthstone lists are customs, not rules: you may prefer another green stone.

Emerald: a green beryl, rich in inclusions

Emerald is a variety of beryl, like aquamarine. What sets it apart is its green colour, due to small amounts of chromium (sometimes vanadium). It forms under particular conditions, which explains its rarity. Famous deposits are in Colombia (Muzo, Chivor), Zambia, Brazil and Afghanistan. Ancient Egypt already mined emeralds, though those mines are now exhausted.

Emerald has a hardness of 7.5 to 8, but it is brittle: it almost always contains small fissures and inclusions, which professionals charmingly call its “garden”. The presence of this garden is normal; a perfectly clean emerald is very rare and very expensive.

According to Pliny the Elder, a Roman author of the 1st century, looking at an emerald rests the eyes. This idea has lasted for centuries: it is a belief, not a fact.

Traditional symbolism

Green has always been the colour of renewal and of life returning. Emerald has therefore been associated with spring, hope and faithfulness. In astrology it is linked to Venus, and in modern chakra systems often to the heart chakra. These correspondences vary between authors and rest on no evidence: they are symbols.

A little history of birthstones

The twelve stones of the high priest’s breastplate in Exodus do not include emerald in the modern sense: the Hebrew word later translated as “emerald” probably referred to another green stone, perhaps a green jasper, according to specialists. So the emerald we know is not certain to appear in the biblical list.

It does appear, however, in the Book of Revelation (chapter 21), which describes twelve stones for the foundations of the heavenly Jerusalem: jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald, sardonyx, sard, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprase, hyacinth and amethyst. In the 8th and 9th centuries, texts assigned these stones to the twelve apostles. Over time, these biblical lists mixed with lists of signs, then of months.

Other possible stones for May

• chrysoprase, a translucent apple green, cited in the British list;
• agate, a stone of the older list, in bands of varied tones;
• jade, a restrained green, highly prized in Asia;
• green aventurine, a glittering quartz, affordable;
• peridot, a bright olive green, the August stone.

Giving a May birthstone

A quality emerald is a precious gift. For a more modest budget, a small stone in a pendant or a ring works very well, and green aventurine or chrysoprase offers a lovely green at lower cost. For lovers of objects, a raw emerald crystal on matrix is attractive and less expensive than a cut stone.

See our jewellery and gift ideas ranges, or our guide to stone jewellery.

Delicate care, treatments and imitations

Care. Emerald is impregnated with oil or resin in most cases, to mask its fissures. To avoid damaging this treatment: no ultrasonic cleaning, no steam, no hot water, no solvents. Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth, dry, and never let it soak. Knocks can chip it: remove the ring for housework and sport.

Treatment. Impregnation is accepted and common, but a seller must disclose it. A “significant” treatment lowers the value. Laboratories state its level on their certificates.

Synthetics and imitations. Synthetic emeralds (grown in a laboratory) have existed since the 1930s, along with doublets and triplets (two or three pieces glued together), green glass, green quartz, green fluorite, or green tourmalines sold as emeralds. An intense green, a very clean stone and a very low price are warning signs. See our guide to choosing and caring for your stones.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to birthstones.