Emerald

One of the most highly esteemed precious stones, known to ancient Egyptians, Hindus, Greeks, and Romans. In India emeralds were used to adorn images in temples, and Moslems used emeralds as amulets, inscribed with verses from the Koran. Emeralds were believed to change color when surrounded by deception and treachery. They were also believed to be preservatives against decay, dysentery, and the bites of venomous creatures and to promote easy childbirth. In ancient Rome the emperor Nero was said to have had an unusually large emerald that he used for viewing gladiatorial contests. Presumably he was shortsighted and used it as a lens.

em·er·ald / ˈem(ə)rəld/ • n. 1. a bright green precious stone consisting of a chromium-rich variety of beryl. 2. a bright green color like that of an emerald. • adj. bright green in color.

emerald this bright green precious stone is a type of brilliant green. In heraldry, emerald is the name given to the tincture vert in the fanciful blazon of arms of peers. Recorded from Middle English, the word comes via Old French and Latin from Greek (s)maragdos from Hebrew bāreqeṯ ‘emerald’, from bāraq ‘flash, sparkle’.
Emerald Isle a name for Ireland, perhaps from the prevailing green of its countryside; first recorded in the nationalist poem Erin (1795) by William Drennan (1754–1820).

emerald XIII. ME. emeraude — OF. e(s)meraude (mod. émeraude) = It. smeraldo, Sp. esmeralda :- Rom. *smaralda, -o, alteration of L. smaragdus — Gr. smáragdos. The sp. with -ld is prob. due to It. or Sp. influence in XVI.

emerald Variety of beryl, highly valued as a gemstone. The colour varies from light to dark green due to the presence of small amounts of chromium.