The New Student's Reference Work/Emerald

Emerald, a mineral differing in nothing but color from beryl. The emerald is highly esteemed as a gem. It owes its value mainly to its very beautiful velvety-green color. It is found in very few places. The finest have long been brought from Colombia, where they are got from veins in slate and granite. Valuable stones also come from the upper Orinoco in Venezuela. Poor stones are found in Europe, in Salzburg and the Ural Mountains, and some old mines in Egypt yield them. The gem was known and highly prized in early times. Ptolemy offered a famous poet, who visited his court, an emerald set in gold, with his portrait engraved on it. Nero, who was near-sighted, looked at the combats of gladiators through an eyeglass of emerald. An emerald is rarely without a flaw, and its value depends on its color. A very perfect emerald of six carats has been sold for $5,000. The name of oriental emerald is often given to a very rare, beautiful and precious green sapphire.