Buyers Guide: Green Emerald Rings, Pendants & Earrings

Green Emerald is the Birthstone for May:

The new collection of green emerald jewelry from Brian Gavin is turning out to be quite popular! We sold quite a lot of it throughout the holiday season, and it was just as popular for the month of May because emerald is the birthstone for May.

Although green emerald is the birthstone for people born in the month of May, it is also popular with people born in other months. Perhaps you are one of the many people who love the lush green richness of natural emerald gemstones.

While there are many other green gemstones, like green Tsavorite garnet, tourmaline, and peridot, there is truly something special about the deep green tones of emerald. Which might be why so many famous places are named after emerald, such as the Emerald Isle of Ireland; and Seattle Washington “the emerald city” (also the Wizard of Oz).

You might be wondering about the inclusions that are visible in the green emerald pictured above. Natural emerald contains a lot of inclusions which tend to be visible to the naked eye. Inclusions within emerald are known as “jarden” which is pronounced like “garden” but with the ‘J’ being more silent and pronounced like the ‘J’ in the Spanish name Jose, which is pronounced “hose-a” and not “joes-a” for the record.

Mix & Match to Create the Perfect Set of Emerald Jewelry:

The ring, earring, and pendant set of green emerald jewelry pictured above creates the perfect combination, but that doesn’t mean you have to wear all of it at the same time. Nor do you have to purchase the entire set, you can mix and match different types of jewelry to create the perfect look that matches your individual style and preferences.

The green emerald jewelry collection from Brian Gavin is designed to be worn individually or as a set. In the same fashion, it can be worn all day and can transition seamlessly into the evening. This emerald and diamond jewelry set goes with everything from casual jeans to formal attire.

Of course, if you’re looking for something different, Brian Gavin can custom design jewelry and set it with green emeralds or any combination of diamonds and colored gems that you desire. Many people request that we set emeralds in our popular jewelry designs.

Green Emerald Engagement Ring Alternatives:

While emeralds are one of the more popular colored gems, it is also one of the more fragile. This is something that very few people wearing emeralds know about or are aware of. Thus, we’ve heard a lot of sad tales and horror stories about people who have damaged their emerald jewelry accidentally.

Emerald is a 3.0 on the Moh’s Hardness Scale whereas Diamond is a ten. That means that emerald is soft and much of that is due to the amount of Jarden (inclusions) that are an integral part of the emerald crystal structure.

With this in mind, we do not recommend green emerald as a center stone for engagement rings. Emerald is more suitable for jewelry that is worn occasionally, or set as a pendant or pair of earrings.

The beautiful medium green colored gems set in the Diana 3-stone setting pictured above are not emerald. The accent stones are green Tsavorite which is available in a wide range of colors that look very similar to emerald. The intended recipient of this ring loves emeralds and wanted emerald accents, but we advised against it. She loves the way the green Tsavorite gemstones look in the ring and told us that she wouldn’t have known they weren’t emeralds if we hadn’t told her.

By the way, if you’re wondering about the ratio of accent stones to center stone for a three stone ring. The green Tsavorite gems in this ring measure 4 mm in diameter and the center stone is 6 mm in diameter.

Green Emerald Jewelry from Brian Gavin:

So, there you have it. Whether you’re looking for green emerald jewelry to present to someone special who has a birthday in the month of May, or just something green for somebody who loves the rich, lush tones of emerald jewelry, Brian Gavin has just what you’re looking for, or we can make it custom design to order.

Order a ring, pendant, or earring set from our existing collection of green emerald jewelry, or ask us to find you a beautiful emerald to set in another popular style from our collection of fine jewelry designs.

While emeralds are softer and more fragile than many other colored gems, they can be worn and enjoyed for a lifetime if cared for properly. Be careful while wearing emerald jewelry, especially on the hands, which we tend to bang around more than people realize.

Take off emerald jewelry when swimming (all jewelry should be removed while swimming actually) and avoid transitioning from hot to cold temperatures. Never steam clean emerald jewelry or set it in an ultra-sonic jewelry cleaner. Avoid exposure to harsh chemicals and cleaning agents.

Many emeralds are treated with cedar oil and other types of oils and filling agents to enhance the color and clarity, and those treatments can be removed or altered by chemical exposure.

I know that all of this talk about special care and treatments might seem overwhelming at first, but this is the nature of emerald jewelry. The secret is to be aware of these things and then set them aside in the back of your mind. All of this is similar to the special care and attention you would take with other types of crystal, such as crystal stemware (although emerald is not that fragile) or special china. You’ll take it out for special occasions and be careful when handling and cleaning it, nothing more complicated than that.