Birthstone Friday—A Taste of Emerald Lore

Of all gemstones, emeralds, because of their long history and rich color, have a wealth of wealth of lore and legend surrounding them. That makes it particularly fun to have emerald as your birthstone. They’re full of myth and magic!

Can the intense green mean anything else than spring, rebirth, and fertility? Perhaps not surprising that it was chosen as the birthstone for this month of almost overwhelming green in the season of fresh starts.

But emerald has been alleged to have a number of healing properties, too. They were supposed to be an antidote for poisoning, though whether simply looking at an emerald provided the cure or whether it had to be ground and taken internally, I don’t know. If one had to be ground up and drunk, considering the rarity of the stones and the expense that would entail, I’d guess it was a cure that was rarely put to the test.

Emeralds were touted as a cure for eye diseases, and were supposed to refresh the eyes. Imagine living in the Middle Ages, a world of mostly dull colors, and suddenly seeing the vivid color of an emerald. That would certainly be enough to refresh anyone.

And it still is. If you don’t own a version of your birthstone, visit any fine jewelry store and say hello. You’ll feel better just for the looking.