When the word emerald in brought up in conversation, one of the first images to come to mind is the Emerald City from the Wizard of Oz. Known as an icon for resplendency and power in popular culture, the emerald’s symbolism of wealth dates back far beyond the classic tale’s inception in 1900. For centuries, emeralds have remained coveted by the rich, the royal, and those with lofty aspirations.

Today, emeralds are a well-loved gemstone made use of in high-end jewelry and décor. But its uses go far beyond adornment as wellness practitioners and healers promote the stone as a source of wellbeing for everything from physical improvement to emotional regulation.

Emeralds are considered one of the four main precious gemstones naturally occurring on Earth, the others being diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Precious stones stand out for their hardness compared to other semi-precious stones. This means that they are less likely to scratch, dent, or otherwise break under traditional use.

Emeralds are known for their brilliant green coloring, but their opacity and inclusions can vary greatly depending on the environmental conditions of the deposit they are found in. As a gemstone, emeralds differ from their crystal counterparts by lacking a set geometric pattern as part of how they are formed.

Emeralds are a variety of the mineral beryl, or beryllium aluminum silicate. Beryl itself is a colorless mineral and commonly found alongside deposits of tin along hydrothermal veins created by the passage of heated water across deep rock layers.

The celebrated green coloring of emeralds is produced by the presence of either chromium or vanadium, both of which can create different shades of green depending on concentration amounts and different oxidation states. Clarity in emeralds also widely varies depending on the number of inclusions as well as whether there are any fissures in the stone. Also known as cleavages, these lines typically cause the emeralds to break smoothly along defined planes that weaken an otherwise strong gemstone.

When it comes to the Mohs scale for hardness, emerald beryl registers between 7.5 to 8. This places it higher than most other stones used in wellness practices but well below the standard set by diamonds, which register as a 10 at the top of the Mohs scale.

As naturally occurring stones, emeralds are mined globally with some of the largest deposits found in Columbia. Some of the Colombian deposits have even yielded unique emeralds exhibiting beams of color or striation created by the inclusion of dark green to black impurities. Aside from South America, emeralds are sourced from countries throughout Africa, northern Europe, and the United States.

It is important to note that in more recent years, emeralds have been produced synthetically in labs by introducing vanadium to beryl. Since they are created in controlled conditions, these gemstones are often free of inclusions. While chemically the same as natural emeralds, countries like the United States require manufacturers to disclose whether a gemstone is natural or lab grown so consumers can have agency over what they purchase.

Emerald mines were first discovered by the Egyptians as early as 1500 BC and remained a pivotal part of religious rituals and the royal ornamentation for centuries. Cleopatra was known to include emeralds in her own jewelry. Other ancient cultures including the Aztecs and Incas valued the gemstones and believed them to be holy relics. It is thought that these Central and South American civilizations sourced their emeralds from what is now Columbia to include in everything from processions to spiritual ceremonies.

Emeralds have been known by many names across history with wording that usually referred back to their green color. Cultures in what is now Mexico called emeralds quetzalitzli after the green color of the native quetzal bird, which had green feathers. The word emerald has its roots traced back all the way to ancient Greek and Persian, which used variations of a word that meant green gem.

Scientists finally took on analysis of emeralds in early 1800s as they sought to catalogue and better understand the chemical composition of minerals, gemstones, and crystals. It was then that the gemstone was confirmed to be a variant of beryl.

Today, a number of famous emeralds are kept in museums in acknowledgement of their historical impact as well as their unique qualities. These include the Duke of Devonshire Emerald, which is sized at 1,383.93 carats uncut and held on display at the Natural History Museum of London, and the Chalk Emerald, which was recut to 37.82 carats and included in exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Emeralds may have been popular over the years as beautiful gemstones used ornamentally by anyone or any group that could afford them. However, emeralds have been coveted for more than their appearance. Emeralds have long since been believed to contain healing properties dating back to ancient times. Even Cleopatria thought her emeralds were more than decoration, believing that they gave her an eternally youthful appearance.

Many healers believe that keeping emeralds close by can help mitigate the impacts of health disorders impacting the cardiovascular, pulmonary, and nervous systems. In part, this is due to the belief that emeralds can eradicate free radicals in the body which cause cellular damage by behaving erratically. Emerald works to counter these effects and cleanse the body, encouraging healthy proliferation of antioxidants instead.

Emerald is also thought to be beneficial to those struggling with their eyesight or with soreness in their eyes. The color green has historically been used to reduce eye strain, and holding or viewing emerald is believed to help restore visual acuity or stop the progression of vision-based illness.

Emerald’s detoxifying influence has also been purported to improve liver, kidney, and pancreatic health. These organs, which are largely responsible for regulating digestion, metabolism, and waste removal in the body, are bolstered by emerald’s cleansing properties.

Emeralds and their calming, soothing abilities are prime for helping people cope with difficult emotions and situations. As such, many use emeralds to promote emotional healing to guide them through strenuous times. Emeralds also provide a sense of compassion, both for others and the self, which can be comforting in times of stress and grief.

Tied to compassion, emeralds also promote a sense of love and harmony, helping individuals navigate challenging encounters while maintaining personal balance. Rather than being upset or distressed by the actions or words of another, people who make use of emeralds find themselves centered and able to respond with compassion and understanding.

Because people are calmer when they use emeralds, they often find that they are also able to think more clearly about important decisions or when dealing with exasperating circumstances. They are able to employ wisdom and reason to make the best of the choices available to them and come away from these encounters with a sense of peace.

All of this can also encourage a better understanding of the self, cultivating awareness and directness when considering deeper issues on a personal level. Emeralds promote truth as a result of clarity and harmony, and they guide users to be both perceptive and action oriented with confidence.

Practitioners also tout emerald’s metaphysical capabilities as a complement to its emotional healing benefits. In the same vein as its propensity to enrich understanding, emerald is believed to enhance mental capacity on the whole, enabling people to expand their knowledge of themselves and the universe. This is also closely tied to increased clairvoyance and perception of future occurrences that can have a direct impact on decision making.

Throughout their history, emeralds have also been associated with rebirth and fertility. Many wellness practitioners incorporate emeralds to stimulate good fortune and renewal for individuals looking to revitalize their energy. Those facing struggles with infertility may also choose to keep emeralds close at hand as civilizations dating back to the ancient Egyptians have believed the stone to promote both fertility as well as youth.

Those with a tendency to be more excitable or passionate can benefit from an emerald’s more calming side. Their green color is credited with cultivating a sense of calmness that can help people with mood swings or extremes in feeling find balance and an ability to communicate their needs more effectively.

Emerald is also believed to help individuals protect themselves against unsolicited energies and spirits. Those pursued by higher beings with malintent use emeralds to ward off negative enchantments. Their ability to enhance visions is also useful here, with practitioners citing heightened sensitivity and insight when working with energies, communicating with angelic realms, or working past blockages to see future events.

Long associated with wealth, emeralds are also thought to help people manifest monetary wellbeing. Emeralds have been kept in wallets, safety deposit boxes, and other places associated with money to promote financial health. This can manifest many ways from improving lottery outcomes to helping individuals excel in their careers and improve their financial standing.

The chakras take many of these energetic benefits a step further by honing in on centers of the body where different emotions and powers congregate. While the calming and clearing effects of emeralds can be beneficial for nearly all of the chakras, one in particular resonates with the gemstone.

The heart chakra is the center in the body for compassion and understanding with both the self and others. Clearly compatible with emerald’s ability to promote a more compassionate approach to interactions with others, the heart chakra stands to benefit greatly from this stone. By enhancing clarity of thought, emeralds also bolster the heart chakra’s ability to promote wisdom and truth.

Also known to help enhance emotional understanding, the heart chakra serves as a center for relationships, both with others and the self. Emeralds can enhance this link by helping users better understand their emotions and make deeper connections with less strain or confusion.

Those born in the month of May enjoy emerald as their official birthstone in most cultures. Associated with rebirth, emeralds work in May to invoke the feelings and impacts of the spring season as nature and earth emerge from the winter months. The rich green coloring of emeralds ties in closely to the hues reminiscent of springtime.

Emerald supports multiple Zodiac signs beginning with Gemini, which falls on the date range May 21 to June 20. Aligned with the benefits emerald brings to those born in May during spring, Gemini benefit from the emotional steadiness that emerald can provide during decision making and more demanding situations. That clarity can also help boost a Gemini’s overall thinking, making them more insightful and even more prone to be expert communicators. While Gemini can be identified by their curious nature, clarity via emeralds can help them take information to new heights as they learn.

Those born under Taurus also widely benefit from incorporating emeralds into their wellness routines. Another sign associated with spring (April 20 to May 20), Taurus individuals can take advantage of the same renewing properties of emeralds as their Gemini counterparts. It is also notable that Taurus is ruled by Venus, which has been broadly associated with emeralds since the time of the ancient Romans. This connection strengthens emerald’s ability to help a Taurus enhance their practical approach to life. Venus is also directly tied to love, allowing for emeralds to boost a Taurus individual’s sense of connection to others.

Emeralds have remained popular from royalty to commoners with good reason. Their physical beauty makes them a great choice for self-adornment and decorative pursuits. Yet the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of this unique gemstone should not be overlooked.

Individuals from all walks of life stand to benefit from emerald’s ability to enhance connections, provide for renewal, and eliminate negative elements. From fertility to finances and everything in between, emeralds can be used to amplify human wellbeing.