The human obsession with the gemstones is not anything which is new or something which has recently developed. There are times and ages in the history when we can see that there were various kinds of gemstones which were loved by the individuals and therefore people used to make various kinds of jewellery and ornaments out of it. With the passage of times, things changed and more and more gemstones, real and artificial started to come into being. But even when there were various gemstones in the world, the old ones still stole the spotlight.
The older and the best-in-class gemstones such as the sapphires, emeralds, rubies, etc are the class of gemstones which every person like to have a collection of and flaunt when and where the situation arises.
But, among all these gemstones, the emeralds hold a different place. These emeralds have a very rich and fascinating background and in the subsequent paragraphs, we will have a fair idea about how these gemstones came into being and the legend behind them.
The Background of Emeralds
Emeralds have, since the time of their inception been the most sought-after gemstone which has a long and beautiful history. The earliest emerald mines discovered in Egypt can be traced back to around 1500 BC. However, the most significant development around the gemstones and the ornamentation developed around 330 BC when the Pharaohs developed a fondness for these sparkling stones. Apart from this, many kings and queens who had a significant hand in shaping the history also such as queen cleopatra VII also had a profound love for the emeralds and therefore the gemstone became the favourite of the masses. From that point on, emeralds gained widespread popularity. She also popularised gifting the emeralds and other gemstones to people around the world whoever visited the court and, in this way, the popularity of the emeralds spread to the world.
Today, the emeralds in the form of emerald earrings UK and the USA are quite popular and among the most sought-after gemstones for the making of the engagement and the platinum eternity rings.
This was a historical point of view with which we explore the emeralds but there are certain mythical narratives as well and in the subsequent paragraphs, let us have a look at them.
The Legend of Umina, the Giant Emerald Goddess
Emeralds have a strong and interesting historical as well as mythical narrative which holds profound importance in certain communities. It is deeply steeped in various mythical tales. One such mythical narrative talks about how the people of Manta, located in present-day Ecuador, used to revere an extraordinarily large and mysterious emerald believed to be the size of an ostrich’s egg. It was believed that goddess Umina resided in the gemstone and in order to pray to her, the gemstone was prayed which stood as a symbol containing her energies and power. Legend has it that during significant festivals, the priests would bring the enormous emerald out from the temple for the people to pray to and seek blessings from the divine, while also presenting Goddess Umina’s daughters (the smaller emeralds) for collective worship.
This narrative is more than just a mythical story. This narrative shows how the region had abundant number of gemstones and how the emeralds were considered to be auspicious and therefore an important gemstone in the age. However, the Spanish later plundered the area, seizing the mines from the Aztecs and Incas.
These stories from the past which form the history and the myths are an important part of the coming up of the gemstone culture. Today, there are various kinds of gemstones and each of them has its own story. There are various tales associated with every gemstone which has made them popular in some or the other way. But, the world of gemstone is large and there are various types available. Different grades of gemstones are available even of a single gemstone which has made it popular and affordable for anyone who wants to have it. If you are someone who wants to buy these gemstones for making the eternity rings, bracelets or engagement rings UK, then all you have to do is to ensure that you go for a trusted seller and purchase the gemstones or the jewellery online. You will receive it right at your doorsteps in just a couple of days.
