Emeralds have been highly sought after for much of recorded history. Even back in the era of Cleopatra and the Egyptian pharaohs, the stones were being excavated and sent throughout the known world – to adorn royal castles, temples, and the clothing and jewelry of society’s elite. Because of their rich green hue and their symbolic meaning which embodies new life and renewal, these gemstones have become emblematic of springtime. May is the quintessential spring month, and the emerald is its most fitting birthstone.

Although many have grown accustomed to seeing emerald in their iconic deep green hue, there are many different colors of the stone, ranging from a more yellow tint to a deep bluish tone. Many emeralds on the market have been altered and highly retouched to get to their current quality., as emeralds are known to naturally exhibit many inclusions or flaws. As a matter of fact, a perfect emerald is worth far more than a diamond of the same cut and clarity, due to the rarity of its occurrence. However, the beautiful plants and flowers at Zeidler’s have no such problem!

Did You Know? Lighter shades of emerald are known as beryl; the deep green of an emerald is caused by a high chromium content in the beryl.

This May, you may not be able to give emeralds to your friends and family; but you can make the gem your inspiration for a beautiful custom designed bouquet, basket, or dish garden. Choose from a wide selection of our favorite green plants and flowers – many people don’t realize that asters, lilies, hydrangea and even roses occur in beautiful green tones; as does the cymbidium orchid, which makes a lovely gift for anyone on your list. So make all the other gift givers green with envy, with an emerald inspired bouquet from Zeidler’s Flowers!