Gemstones & Healing: Emeralds

CATALOGING THE GEMS

I evaluate a gemstone in a number of ways. First, it falls into one of these categories: Heart Stone, Grounding Stone, Guard Dog Stone, High Energy Stone, Trauma Stone, Mental Stone, Stress Tone, Luck Stone, Psychic Stone, Money Stone, Arthritis Stone and Master Healer Stone. I created this system over the years because each stone has unique skills. Some, like the Master Stones, are diverse, multi-skilled and affect more than one chakra in our aura. With this blog, we’re going to look at Emerald. It is a “Guard Dog” stone and a “Strength” stone.

MASTER HEALING STONE

There are a handful of gemstones that fall into this category. These stones have more energy than the others. They also possess a laser-like focus upon the physical and astral body. And they work on ALL chakras, not just one or two. That is why they are called ‘master healers.’ Most of them are transparent and are able to carry light waves more powerfully through an individual’s collective bodies, physical or otherwise. Their color may also indicate a particular chakra(s) that they work with. Boji Stones, Diamond, Emerald, Fire Opal, Flint, Lodestones, Opal, Peridot, Ruby, Clear Quartz Crystal, Green Tourmaline and Turquoise fall into this category.

CREATIVITY STONE

A Creativity Stone works with the right hemisphere of a person’s brain. This is the location of one’s seat of Creativity. These gemstones inspire ideas, plans and strategies that will help a person blossom into their unique skills and abilities. Emerald works with both hemispheres. However, there is powerful creation abilities that come with this gemstone.

PSYCHIC’S STONE

Emerald has a long and honored mystical and ancient past. A Psychic Stone is one that helps you to listen to your intuition or hunches. In some cases, it can make a person clairvoyant, but the other indicators have to be there first. This is a stone that helps people who are usually not listening to their own inner ‘voice,’ get in touch with it via the stone’s help and support. It is also good to wear it while meditating, because it will deepen it.

THE HISTORY OF EMERALD

Emerald is from the Beryl family. It has a Mohs hardness of 7 to 8, on the scale and is pretty tough, but it’s also fragile. Emerald cracks easily if hit the wrong way. They don’t do well in temperature extremes, either. The should never we cleaned in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Instead, some tepid water and soap will clean it. It has a vitreous luster and chemically is composed of Be3Al2SiO6. Green Beryl is called Emerald. Other Beryls are Aquamarine, pink Morganite and golden Heliodor. Pure Beryl is white and emerald’s color is caused by chromium impurities and sometimes, vanadium impurities. The deepest green, transparent color of Emerald is considered the most expensive and in demand form of this gemstone. The more “pale” an emerald is, the cheaper it is to buy. And, interestingly enough, very pale green emeralds are heat treated to become Aquamarine gemstones!

The lowest or most common type of emerald that all of us can afford is known as “mine run” emerald. As you can see and compare it with the above photo of emeralds, it isn’t very pretty. However, the ENERGY of emerald is in both. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to wear emeralds.

Emeralds are well known for the “garden of Eden” effect within them. Their flaws or inclusions are many and can resemble a green garden growing within the faceted gemstone. The less inclusions, the more expensive the emerald becomes–and there are very FEW emeralds that are completely ‘clear’ of inclusions. The old way of getting rid of a lot of these inclusions was by letting the emerald sit in oil. Oil then found its ways into the inclusions, filling them and making the Emerald look more clear. Newer techniques are fracture-filling techniques and irradiation. Neither completely removes the garden effect, however.

The Muzo mine in Columbia produces an unusual form of Emerald known as the “Trapiche emerald.” It has star shaped rays that emanate from its center in a hexagonal pattern. The rays may be mistaken as asterism, but unlike asterism, the ‘star’ effect is not caused by light reflection. There are a few emeralds that do display asterism and chatoyancy–but they are very rare. To cut an emerald successfully, the gem industry had to create and develop new ways to reduce the amount of pressure that occurs during the faceting. An Emerald, if exposed to too much pressure would crack and break.

Emeralds are found around the world and they are not all equal. Some vary in color, inclusions or have unique qualities such as the Muzo Emeralds. Columbia has some of the finest Emeralds in the world coming out of Muzo and Chivor mines. Brazil has emeralds and they are lighter in color than those found in Columbia. Brazil also supplies rare Emerald Cat’s eyes and ones with the six-spoked star. Zambia, Africa, has emeralds. Russia, Afghanistan, Australia, Ghana, India, Madagascar, and North Carolina in the USA also has deposits. There are times when a fine emerald can be more expensive than a diamond. It’s radiant green color (with inclusions) can demand top price.

Historically, the Sanskrit word was “marakata,” meaning “the green of growing things,” (and I’m sure it is about the ‘gardens’ in the gemstone). Later, there was a Persian word for it, but it is lost. Then, Latin for it was “smaragdos,” and later, via the Old French word, “esmeralde.’ It means ‘green gemstone.’
Emeralds were sold in the markets of Babylon 4000 B.C.L. Chaldeans believed the stone contained a goddess. Alexander the Great had a large emerald set in his girdle. In Islamic faith, an amulet of Emerald might be engraved with a verse from the Koran.

Roman’s believed a light colored Emerald was a ‘young’ gem and that as it aged and matured, it grew to a darker color of green. A Roman magician named Damigeron in 2 B.C.L. said that an Emerald “influences every kind of business, and if you remain chaste while you wear it, it adds substance to both the body and speech.” Nero, Emperor of Rome, was said to have watched gladiator fights through a large transparent emerald because he found the color calming. Pliny, the Roman historian, said that the green of the Emerald gladdened the eye without tiring it. King Arthur legends say the Holy Grail was fashioned from an Emerald. China believed that if one wore green and emeralds on Thursday, it would bring the wearer good luck.

The Incas and Aztecs of South America regarded this gemstone as sacred. The oldest known emeralds came from near the Red Sea in Egypt. The pharaohs between 3000 and 1500 B.C.L. (called Cleopatra’s mines, later on), had been exhausted by the time they were rediscovered in the 19th century. By the way, it is said that Cleopatra’s favorite stone was the Emerald. In the Vegas, the holy scripture of the Indians touted Emeralds as good luck and enhancing one’s well-being. No surprise, then, that the Indian maharajas and maharanis collected Emeralds. One of the largest emeralds, “Mogul Emerald,” dates back to 1695 and weighs 217.80 carats. It is some 10 cm tall. On one side of it is inscribed with prayer texts and on the other, floral ornaments. This emerald was auctioned off by Christie’s in London to an unidentified buyer for 2.2 million USD on 9.28.2001.

Aristotle referenced Emeralds in his literature. And it is from him that Emerald’s fame spread. He said that it prevented epilepsy (falling sickness), that it helped in speaking during business, victory in trials, helped in litigation and aided one’s eyesight, improving upon it. In the Middle Ages it was believed this gem would keep a woman chaste. And in many cultures, Emeralds were believed to foretell the future if put on the tongue or worn on the left side of the body. Others wore an Emerald to keep them out of danger. And that Emerald helped one express love, devotion and adoration for another.

Emperor Jahangir from the Mughal Empire (1605) had a pure emerald cup. One of the largest Colombian emerald crystals, known as “Patricia,” weighs 632 carats. And when Hernando Cortez, the Spaniard, conquered Mexico, he took many Emeralds. Unfortunately, the ship sank. Carved emeralds in the shape of flowers, fish and faceted ones (including one as large as the size of a man’s hand) were lost forever. What a shame.

There is a fascinating phenomenon that I’ve observed with Emerald. This is a gemstone for people who want to work on changing and transforming themselves. We’re all born with wounds and dysfunction (it’s just a question of how much or how bad it is). Emerald helps a person look into themselves to honestly see where they are at. Knowing where your wounds are and then wanting to work through them, heal them and improve yourself is one of Emerald’s wonderful skills. Pliny acknowledged Emerald being kind to the eye, but its far more than that. It is Insight into ourselves–as well as others. The natural direction of Emerald is to dig into our own, unique psyche to ferret out what is healthy and what is not healthy. And what is not–how to fix it, heal it and grow because of it. This is one of the reasons Emerald is a Master Healing gemstone.

Emerald is green. The color of the heart chakra. And, as we all know, our ground zero as humans living in an incarnation on this earth is about working with and through our emotional chaos. With Emerald’s refined eye that has NO distortion, it can perceive us clearly, objectively and without judgment. It not only shows what is out of balance, but also aids us intuition-wise, on how to heal ourselves as well.

There is a natural desire for Emerald to make us a better person than we already are. It helps us to root out what is toxic or holding us back from being all who we can be for a given lifetime. If this statement seems a bit Jupiterian and over blown, it’s not. Emerald influences us from the heart, and there is a profound love emanated by this gemstone like none other.

The calming effects of Emerald have been experienced throughout history. It even tamed Nero to a degree. And one can imagine the rulers of countries throughout the world in ancient times had few things in their lives to keep them truly calm. After all, running a country was a stressful thing. Wearing Emerald was always soothing then–as it is now.

The nice thing is you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on an emerald. Even “mine run” Emerald possesses these same qualities. That’s the good news. And even Emeralds with the “jardin” (gardens) work just as well as their kin who are worth thousands of dollars who have less inclusions in them. Emerald bestows this sense of inner calm no matter what is flying loose around us in our lives.

When it comes to relationships, love, disagreement and discord, Emerald can’t stop a divorce or force a marriage, but it can help the wearer be in touch with her or his real emotions. Emerald subtly allows us to see things are they really are–without our normal projections we utilize. I like Emerald’s quiet but firm qualities of energy. It’s never in-your-face. It’s persistent in a quiet sort of way and can help the wearer improve upon themselves as a human being.

Getting around to the “Emerald Eye,” there’s more to this than meets the eye! Yes, Emerald has a influence over our physical eyes. Equally, Emerald influences our third eye (Brow Chakra) so we look INTO things rather than glossing over them or not seeing them at all. Or not seeing them because we’re ‘blind’ to the person or situation. Like a laser, Emerald just cuts through the confusion, the crap, and allows us to see it as it really is. Those who regularly wear Emerald don’t “Suffer fools gladly.” And Emerald wearers tend to be diplomatic but they’re going to tell the truth, too. They might sugar coat it a little, but they won’t swerve from what they REALLY see/perceive.

Anyone who is in a career field where it pays to know the inner workings of others, can really use Emerald’s skills and perceptive qualities. Psychologists, police and psychiatrists, in particular, do well with Emerald. And people can fool a therapist too. The old saying that “rose colored glasses” gave a person a romantic or idealistic view on life are turned around with Emerald colored glasses. They see the world and everything in it as it really is. And there’s something good about this because when the game playing and the dancing stops, Truth is the one thing that really will set all of us free. People who are managers work well with Emerald’s abilities as well.

When it comes to an over-all healer, Emerald is it. Because it influences all of our chakras, it becomes important in the healing process. In a way, I see it as Roto-Rooter; a gemstone with an ability to dig into the toxic positive ions that cluster in our chakras. Emerald has a phenomenal ability to work with a person’s perceptions about themselves. When we can emotionally change our “sight” or “perception,” those clogged chakras become cleaned out by our own transformation. And this is how Emerald engages us. It’s not like Quartz Crystal, which has pyroelectric and piezoelectric skills. Instead, it works on us to see ourselves more accurately so that when we see something about ourselves we don’t like, we can make the choice to change it. Therein lies Emerald’s skill.

THE ASTROLOGY OF EMERALD

Emerald has so many qualities that expand and touch the human body and psyche, it’s easy to see why it is ruled by fortunate Jupiter. No matter what history, myth and legend there is about Emerald (and far more than I put here in the blog), it’s always GOOD. Like Jupiter, whatever it touches, expands and becomes successful and fortunate. Emerald is seen as the right gemstone to always be worn for many, many reasons. The fact that Emerald is associated with success in business is another Jupiterian trait. Everything about Jupiter is about growth. The color green, too, is symbolic of growth. Everything in on our planet is about green. And this color equates with positive growth qualities of green Emerald as well.

ASTROLOGY TRANSITS AND PROGRESSIONS WITH EMERALD

If one is handed a natal Jupiter with hard aspects, the wearing of an Emerald might well help offset some of this energy and turn it into something far more positive. Or, when the natal Jupiter in a person’s chart is receiving hard aspects from other transits or progressions, wearing Emerald isn’t a bad idea, either.

EAST DIRECTION

The East direction is where the sun rises. This is the point of LIGHT for all of us metaphorically speaking. Emerald has the energy of light within it. This direction is the position of birth and about creating new ideas into the light of day. It is our infant and baby stage where we are open to all possibilities. Our trust has not yet been broken by the world at large and we are still connected to the greater Cosmos that feeds our newly minted physical body. As adults, the East direction can aid us in rebirthing again and again on every level. It can shed light on an outdated or outmoded attitude. It can make us feel reborn on an emotional level once we get rid of an old wound. Consider this the rich soil of ourselves and the seeds of Being on all levels is planted here. A seed holds all possibilities and so will you.

This energy brings “light” bulb time to our jammed up/clogged up and constipated right hemisphere of our brain. It ‘sheds light’ so that we figure out another way to overcome a hurdle and get on with our lives. Or with an idea or project. You might say that Obsidian is the lightning of the gemstone world; it unclogs the debris in our right hemisphere so that we’re flushed clean with new possibilities. When the psychic channels of the right hemisphere are cleaned out, amazing new ideas, intuitions and hunches can once more flow with ease.

HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF EMERALD

Those with long term chronic illness can help themselves if they are into their own change and growth. Those who do not want to change, will not do well with Emerald. But those who are tired of suffering and who are looking for a new way to try and heal themselves will find Emerald a gentle teacher. The sense of calmness that Emerald bestows can help anyone, whether they have a dis-ease or not. In our stressed out world that is flying apart around us, Emerald can center us, calm us and support our knowing that we’re going to be all right.

Those who are always tense, who have burned out their central and parasympathetic nervous system can get relief by wearing Emerald. The soothing component of this gem’s energy is wonderful for the raw nerves of many of today.

WHO SHOULD WEAR EMERALD?

This is the gemstone for those who know they have wounds and distortion (for whatever reason) and they want to fix it. Emerald is the great Seer into ourselves. For people who are into personal growth, spiritual growth and becoming a better human being.

SPIRITUAL CONSIDERATIONS

Emerald works with our heart chakra, although, in reality, it works with all of them. It is an androgynous gemstone, meaning that it has equal feminine and masculine energy traits.

HOW TO WEAR EMERALD

If you work in a stressful and emotional job environment, Emerald can protect you from some of the pressure and tenseness that inhabits your life. If there is a grinding quality to every day, then think of Emerald. If you’re in a job you hate but you have to stay because it brings in the money you need, wear Emerald. If you’re having problems with a child, a spouse, a teen or your parent and there’s the long haul staring you in the face: wear Emerald. When you feel you can go no further, you’re exhausted, Emerald will pick you up and keep you moving.

IN SUMMATION

No one thinks a heavy, hardworking plow horse is beautiful, fast or glamorous. Emerald is like that in many respects. Although Asia adores Emerald, the rest of the world isn’t that enamored with this beautiful, hardy gemstone. After all, it’s nearly opaque. There’s no glitz to it. It’s not transparent so it won’t glitter and flash. Many don’t consider it important at all; sort of a middle class gemstone and that’s pretty much it. And typical of Emerald, it doesn’t toot its own horn or brag about its qualities and skills. And isn’t that just like Saturn? This planet just quietly goes about its business but it has a huge impact on our lives. So does Emerald in very positive ways.

Like the “plain Jane” at school who no one notices or pays any attention too, Emerald is like that.

The different colors of Emerald are infused with a second chakra energy that will work in tandem with the primary root chakra energy. Green Emerald utilizes Heart chakra. Yellow Emerald has Solar Plexus chakra energy. Red and gray Emerald are about the Root chakra. Black and orange Emerald work with Sacral Chakra that symbolizes the fertile black darkness of a woman’s womb; the center of birthing creativity of all kinds. White Emerald connects the Crown chakra with the Root chakra. Any color of lavender to violet Emerald works with in the Brow Chakra.

IMAGES

Emerald matrix: http://www.emeralds.com/specimens/specimens/crystal_files/page22_2.jpg

Emerald mine run: http://www.dinosaursrock.com/images/UltraExtremeExcavBlockEmeralds.jpg

Colombian emeralds raw: http://z.about.com/d/chemistry/1/0/D/n/emeralds.jpg

Copyright 2010 Eileen Nauman
All Rights Reserved