Cleopatra The Queen And Her Emeralds

Call it a passion or infatuation, Cleopatra had it for
emeralds. It was during her reign as Queen of Egypt between
69 BC and 30 BC that the emerald started its rise to
universal popularity as a prized jewel.

This legendary queen started a fashion trend surrounding
this wonderful gemstone which has attracted an impressive
array of the rich and famous throughout history who have
keenly sought them.

Highly prized ever since, the emerald has never been out of
favour, a fact that is supported in more recent times by
emerald devotees including the British monarch, Queen
Elizabeth II, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlene Dietrich and even
Napoleon Bonaparte who chose them for his empress,
Josephine. But it is Cleopatra who can rightfully claim to
be history's most famous celebrity and champion of the
emerald.

No emeralds belonging to Cleopatra have survived but she is
known to have been completely captivated by them and
historical accounts exist of her being draped in emerald
encrusted mantles on occasions. The famous Emerald mines of
Egypt, located in the hills inland from the Red Sea in
Egypt's eastern desert region, were owned by Cleopatra.

Scorpions, snakes and heat were just some of the discomforts
endured by ancient emerald miners in search of the 'green
fire' as it became known.
Visiting dignitaries and diplomats from beyond Egypt's
borders were frequently favoured by Cleopatra with gifts of
her precious emeralds.

From the gemstone family of beryl, the emerald shares a
connection with aquamarine, heliodor and morganite. Pure
beryl in the emerald is colourless and will only produce the
characteristic vibrant green when chromium or vanadium are
present.

What then is the emerald's secret attraction and what makes
it such an irresistably romantic jewel?

Venus - the goddess of beauty and love would definitely take
the prize for that. Emeralds are much rarer than diamonds and
suitors in ancient times would have been extraordinarily
wealthy to have been able to afford such a massively
expensive gift for a lady.

The 20th and 35th wedding anniversay years explains why a
gift of emerald to a loving spouse on such occasions is a
sign renewing the committment of eternal love and devotion.
If you have a birthday in the month of May you would be a
likely recipient of an emerald gift since it is your
birthstone.

The intense brilliant green of the emerald symbolizes the
renewing cycle of life and of springtime and even today this
color retains a special status in many of the world's
cultures and religions. Christianity for example regards it
as the most significant of the liturgical colors being a
symbol of faith, hope and resurrection.

Green is the color of nature, fertility and life. A field of
green grass is the most restful color to the eye in nature.
Green is a universally recognised color symbol around the
world to represent safety. It is used widely in the
corporate world as a branding color. George Washington, the
first President of the United States favoured it above all
other colors.

In recent years don't let's forget it became the signature
color of Kermit the Frog, and Barbra Streisand played her
part with "Evergreen."

But maybe 17th century Spanish priest, writer, poet and
dramatist, Pedro Calderon de la Barca put it more
succinctly, "Green is the prime color of the world, and that
from which its loveliness arises."

However you relate to things 'green', the emerald when cut,
polished and faceted has the most fabulous brilliance and
depth which draws the human eye like bees to a honeypot.

But don't expect your emerald to come with a
'bargain-basement' sales tag. These beauties with the
clearest surface and most vibrant colors, because of their
rarity, are usually more valuable than a diamond of similar
carat weight.

Becoming the purchaser or giver of such a rare treasure can
set you back serious money unless like Cleopatra you have an
interest in an emerald mine or two. But don't despair just
yet since there is a way around that.

What if an emerald, like a few other precious jewels such as
diamonds, rubies, saphires, topaz and others, could
short-circuit the 'glitz' and the resulting price tag while
still being certified and guaranteed was possible?

The good news is that it is not only possible but the key to
finding out how is the subject of a new free report entitled
'Today's Diamonds' and all you need to find out about that
is with one click of a well-trained mouse.

Cleopatra would have loved it.


About the Author:

Precious gemstones and where to source them at up to 50% off
store prices is the subject of a new free report 'Today's
Diamonds' by author and metaphysician Dr Garry Lilley Ph.D.
This report puts within reach magnificent Emeralds,
Sapphires,Rubies and Diamonds for those who have been denied
the pleasure of owning a quality guaranteed and certified
precious gemstone because of inflated store prices.
Click on this link
http://www.glmedia41.com