Emeralds are found in New Granada, near Bogota, Egypt, East India, Burmah, Ural in Europe; Salzburg, Austria; Mt. Remarkable, South Australia; and North America. Some of the finest come from the mines of Muza, near Bogota, and the best stones are called Peruvian emeralds. During the conquest of Peru by the Spaniards, many very fine emeralds were destroyed by the invaders, who tested them by grinding and pounding, and concluded that the emeralds were worthless, because they were not as hard as the diamonds or sapphires.
In 1587, Joseph D’Acosta returned to Spain with two cases of emeralds, each case weighing one hundred pounds.
Green tourmaline sometimes passes for the emerald, but it is somewhat softer and considerably heavier.
Olivines or chrysolites, if of a fine green color, sometimes resemble the emerald, but they are much heavier than the emerald and have a fatty lustre. Green spinels are heavier and harder than emeralds.
Beryl.
The second and less valuable division of the beryl family comprises the following colors:
Clear light sky-blue, called by lapidaries aquamarine; very light greenish-blue, known as Siberian aquamarine; and a greenish-yellow variety, called aquamarine chrysolite.
These three kinds are usually very brilliant, and especially so by artificial light, in which respect the beryl is superior to many of the more valuable gem stones. Beryls of very large size have been found in New Hampshire, one of which has been estimated to weigh over two tons. While the large specimens are worthless for gem stones, some very handsome aquamarines and golden-yellow beryls have been found during the past few years in New Hampshire and Connecticut. These stones, when cut, compare favorably with the best of their kind.
Chrysoberyl.
The name chrysoberyl is derived from two Greek words signifying golden-beryl. This name is well suited to the golden-yellow variety, but the chrysoberyl also includes many other colors: such as green, greenish-yellow, brownish-yellow, white, and dark-brown to black.