Pliny the Elder, the Roman author, naturalist and natural philosopher, described emerald in his book Natural History, published in the first century AD as “… nothing greens greener”. Even in the present day and age, the color green is known to relieve stress, eye strain and have a calming effect on one's being.

Emeralds that come from what is present-day Colombia were part of the plunder when sixteenth-century Spanish explorers had invaded the New World. The Incas had already been using emeralds in their jewelry and religious ceremonies for 500 years at the time. The Spanish traders opened the eyes of European and Asian royalty to the emerald’s magnificence.

The oldest of emeralds, from South Africa, have been dated back to 97 billion years. The first-known emerald mines were located in Egypt, dating from at least 330 BC. Queen Cleopatra was known for her passion for emeralds. The 2011 sale price of $6,578,50 for late Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor’s emerald pendant set a record at $280,000 per carat.