
The emerald has been a gem of fascination in many cultures for over six thousand years. It is so prized, that carat for carat, a fine emerald may be two to three times as valuable as a diamond. Many cultures throughout time have believed the emerald to be an enormously powerful stone in different ways. The ancient Egyptians believed the emerald stood for fertility and rebirth. In some legends of King Arthur, the Holy Grail is described as being fashioned from an emerald. It was known that Emerald was a favorite gem of Cleopatra, the Queen of Egypt, and the Emerald mine in Upper Egypt, rediscovered a hundred years ago near the Red Sea, was one of the earliest Emerald occurrences in the human history. In addition, it was believed that wearing an Emerald would improve one's memory and intelligence, enabling one to think clearly about the past, present, and future.