We are happy to see the chill of winter go, and celebrate spring's arrival with warm weather, sunshine, and May's birthstone: the emerald!

Nature's green beauty in the gemstone world, emeralds are connected with rebirth and with love. Treasured by the goddess Venus, and revered by historical figures like Cleopatra, emeralds have a rich association with royalty, status, and love.

May birthdays are linked to emeralds as their stone. Some notable figures of history that claim emerald as their birthstone include John F Kennedy, George Orwell, Lou Gehrig, and Harriet Beecher Stowe.

For many, the greener the emerald, the more desired it is by the owner. Emeralds, found in Colombia, Brazil, and Zambia, and in many other countries, are often treated to bring out the green. They are moderately hard (7.5 on the Mohs scale) and can even be found colorless. Faceted emeralds are frequently given the oval cut, but can be cut into any shape. In fact, one shape, a rectangular cut with facets along the top edge is referred to as an "emerald cut," popular with diamond cutters.

We hope to show these gorgeous stones in lovely settings in our collections! Visit John S. Cryan Jewelers today to see them!