Zümrüt

Zümrüt is the Turkish name for emerald, a green to bluish-green gemstone that is the emerald variety of the mineral beryllium aluminum silicate (Be3Al2Si6O18). Its characteristic color comes mainly from trace amounts of chromium and, to a lesser extent, vanadium.

The gemstone ranks a 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale for hardness, making it suitable for jewelry, though many stones contain fractures or inclusions known as jardin, which can affect clarity and value.

Most natural zümrüt crystals are found in pegmatites and hydrothermal veins. Historically important sources include Colombia (Muzo, Chivor), and Brazil; more recent production comes from Zambia, Afghanistan, and Russia.

Because emeralds are often included, jewelry stones are frequently treated to improve clarity, most commonly with oil or resin; synthetic emeralds are also produced by hydrothermal and flux-growth methods. Treated emeralds should be disclosed.

Zümrüt has cultural and iconographic significance; in many cultures it symbolizes rebirth and vitality; in Western tradition, emerald is the birthstone for May.

Origin of the name: Zümrüt derives from Persian or Turkish roots; the word is cognate with terms in several languages for the gemstone.