By Intern and Guest Blogger, Jenny Kaplan
Who first beholds the light of day
In spring’s sweet, flower month of May
And wears an emerald all her life
Shall be a loved and a loving wife.
-Gregorian Birthstone Poem
Happy Birthday May babies! Spring is in the air and everything is fresh and green. How perfect it is that your birthstone is emerald! I know I said the blogs about birthstones wouldn’t start till June, but emeralds are just so pretty I couldn’t wait (plus Judith showed me these gorgeous earrings and I felt inspired).
The intense green color of Emeralds (truly beloved by those of us who have been in the cast of The Wizard of Oz) is a fantastic reminder of spring and the liveliness that seems to come hand-in-hand with this time of year. The tiny fractures inside the gem are called “jardin”(garden) in French because of their resemblance to plants—another reminder of spring.
Ancient Egyptian culture highly esteemed the emerald. The Egyptians were known to engrave emeralds and bury them with the dead. Cleopatra had many emerald mines during her reign—it was her very favorite gem. It was said that when visiting dignitaries prepared to return home, Cleopatra gave them an emerald carved in her likeness as her farewell present. That’s a parting gift I would be happy to take!
Many believe that wearing emeralds brings wisdom, growth, and patience. Giving a gift with an emerald is supposed to be a symbol of love and fidelity—making it the perfect gift for an anniversary (good news for those of us who love the look of emeralds but were not fortunate enough to be born in May).
Happy birthday once again to all you lucky readers who have birthdays this month! Hopefully someone special will keep your birthday in mind and buy you an emerald or two of your own! (I highly recommend these fantastic earrings!)
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