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What is it and where is it formed?
Emerald is the birthstone
for May. It is a green mineral called Beryl. It
is formed in metamorphic rocks. |
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How and where is it mined?
Emeralds are mined using
underground mining and surface
open
pit mining.
Click here to find out more about emerald
mining. Emeralds are found in Colombia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Zambia, and Australia.
An emerald that weighed more than 1600 carats was mined in North Carolina. |
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What is it used for?
Emeralds are used for jewelry. |
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Interesting! |
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Chromium and iron give emeralds their green color. |
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Perfect emeralds cost more than diamonds. |
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Emeralds cost a lot of money to buy. Some cost more than
$100,000. |
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Transparent, translucent, and
opaque emeralds. Transparent ones are worth more money. |
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Mineral Characteristic |
What the
mineralogists say |
Kid's Guide: What it REALLY
means! |
| Chemical Symbol |
Be3 Al2
Si6 O18 |
It has oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and beryllium in it. |
| Color |
Green |
This stone can be found in many shades of green. |
| Streak |
White |
If
you crushed this stone, the dust would be white. |
| Transparency |
Transparent to opaque |
You can see through some stones, but others are blurry or can’t be seen
through at all. The most valuable ones can be seen through. The
top picture shows transparent, translucent, and opaque
emeralds. |
| Luster |
Vitreous |
It
shines like glass. |
| Cleavage |
Poor |
If
you break this stone, it doesn’t split very evenly. |
| Fracture |
Conchoidal |
When it shatters, the edges are smooth. |
| Magnetism |
None |
It
is not attracted to and will not attract a magnet. |
| Hardness |
7.5 – 8 |
It
is a very hard stone. It can scratch glass. |
| Specific gravity |
2.7 |
It
is an average weight stone. If you held it, it would seem about the
right weight for the size of the stone. |
| Crystal Shape |
Hexagonal |
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There are a lot of superstitions about emeralds. Some say
they are good for the eyes and fix stomach problems. Others think that it keeps
evil away from you. |
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Links:
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Emerald in its ore. |
Citations:
“Emerald.” 21 Oct. 2005. <http://www.minerals.net/gemstone/gemstone/emerald/emerald.htm>.
“Emerald.” World Book Encyclopedia. 2000 ed.
“Emerald.” 18 Jan. 2006. <http://www.mineralgallery.co.za/emerald.htm>.
Pellant,
Chris. Rocks and Minerals. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1992.
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