One of the most beloved of gems – the beautiful green emerald – is the official birthstone of May.

The emerald also holds a special significance for Irish people across the world and all those with connections to the ‘Emerald Isle’.

Typically the greenest month, it’s appropriate that the emerald is the traditional birthstone for those who were born in May, as the symbolic meaning of the color green is the renewal of life and nature.

But what are the traditions and history around the May birthstone?

• Cleopatra was said to have loved emeralds and they were used to symbolize health and fertility.  The stunning green stone is also said to represent wisdom and patience and grant the owner foresight, good fortune and youth.
• The May emerald even has its own traditional romantic poem: “Who first beholds the light of day; In spring’s sweet flower month of May; And wears an Emerald all her life; Shall be a loved and a loving wife.”
• Emeralds, a favourite gemstone of royalty, are said to bring prosperity, success, goodness and happiness to the wearer.  These birthstones signify honesty, growth and loyalty.
• The emerald is often mentioned in myth and folklore as having bewitching and magical properties and some cultures even believed that the gemstone could be used in rituals for healing.
• The word Emerald comes from the Greek word ‘Smaragdos’, meaning ‘green stone’ and is a member of the Beryl (aluminium beryllium silicate) family.

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