Welcome to May! In honor of this month’s birthstone, take our quiz to see how much you know about emerald. Be sure to let us know how you did in the comments.
Enjoy!
1. Believe it or not, emerald was also Pantone’s Color of the Year in 1996.
False: Emerald actually is the 2013 Pantone Color of the Year, which harks back to the year 2000 with its first Color of the Year, Cerulean Blue.
2. There is no such thing as an emerald without inclusions.
False: While most emeralds indeed are included (many claim it gives them character), only the rarest natural emeralds are found without flaws. A top-quality natural emerald often can be worth more than its counterpart in diamond.
3. Colombia is the world’s largest producer of emeralds.
True: While emeralds have been found in a variety of locations – even North Carolina – the mines in Muzo, Colombia, are well-known for their high-quality emerald production.
4. The world’s largest emerald weighed in at 57,500 carats.
False: Well, mostly false. The owner of the watermelon-sized gemstone claimed, “I’m positive it contains emerald but I’m not sure how much of it is emerald.” The story caused quite the uproar.
5. Anne Hathaway was recently named the new face of emeralds.
False: It was Mila Kunis, who on Feb. 19 was named Gemfields’ new brand ambassador. The London-based colored stone producer owns the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia, and released this image as part of its campaign with the Oz the Great and Powerful star.
6. Since emerald is a precious gemstone, it’s extremely hard and can’t be scratched.
False: At 7.5-8 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, emeralds aren’t all that soft, but are still prone to chipping and scratching – unlike its precious gemstone comrades. Speaking of the hardest gemstone, check out our roundup of diamond stories from the past year.
8. Emerald is the traditional birthstone of May, but its modern counterpart is peridot.
False: While many other months now have the addition of a modern birthstone, emerald stands alone for the month of May, according to the Jewelers of America modern birthstone list. It’s interesting to note that this remains true for the Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish birthstones as well.
