Emerald is a precious gemstone known the world over for its rich green hues. Part of the beryl family, chromium is the mineral element that lends emeralds their famous green colors. Emeralds rate an 7.5-8 on the Moh's Hardness Scale, making these gems highly suited for jewelry use. Emeralds were originally mined in India, Egypt and Austria; however Columbia, Brazil and Zambia are now the biggest producers, with Columbia producing anywhere between 50-95% of all the world's emeralds depending on the year's harvest. Emeralds are the birthstone for the month of May.
See Also: Birthstones, Chromium, Moh's Scale of Hardness