May Birthstone — Emerald

Emerald is the birthstone of May, and the gemstone of the twentieth and thirty-fifth wedding anniversaries. It is the green beryl that Colombia, Zambia and Brazil have supplied for five centuries, and the stone whose colour no other green quite reaches. Every emerald here is natural, assessed in-house by our FGAA-qualified gemmologist, and set to order in 9K to 18K gold, with loose Zambian emeralds for those who would rather start from the stone.

May birthstone

Emerald

Rebirth and new beginnings

Anniversary stone

20th and 35th

Mohs 7.5 to 8

Wear

Hard on paper, brittle in practice: never an ultrasonic, never steam

Care

Brief, lukewarm soapy water only. Never an ultrasonic cleaner, never steam; even hot dishwater can draw out the filler.

Why ours. Loose Zambian emeralds assessed in-house, and emerald set to order by our own workshop. Emerald is routinely clarity-enhanced with oil or resin; the degree is graded on a laboratory report and we disclose it on every stone.

Skip to results list

Filters

22 items

Active filters:

Filter

Active filters:

Two things every May buyer should know, said plainly. Emerald is routinely clarity-enhanced with oil or resin, which is the norm rather than the exception, and we disclose the degree on every stone. And despite its hardness it is brittle: never put an emerald in an ultrasonic cleaner or under steam. In earrings and pendants it will last generations; in a ring it belongs on a hand that understands what it has. For a gift, emerald studs and huggies are the safe, beautiful answer.

Learn first: The Emerald Buyer's Handbook · Emeralds in 2026 · Design a birthstone piece

Bespoke · Designed Around Your Stone

Not quite what you pictured? Design it around your stone.

Choose the sapphire first, then the piece, with our FGAA-qualified gemmologist at your side. Most commissions leave our Pitt Street workshop in two to four weeks.

CLIENT WORDS

In the Words of Our Clients

5.0 out of 5 on Google

Ministry of Gems® holds a rating of 5.0 out of 5 on Google. Five of those reviews are reproduced in full here — covering bespoke ring commissions, loose sapphire purchases and trade supply — and every one can be verified independently on Google, where reviews cannot be edited or deleted by the business they describe.

“Went to their website & made an appointment… Sasha took me through the steps and fine tuned the design with a video call. 2 weeks later got the ring delivered. Prices are amazing and what a lovely team. Highly recommend!”
5 out of 5 · Andy M. · verified Google review
“Got a really nice unheated pink sapphire for my girlfriend… made it so easy and cost effective. I learnt so much about the industry and now go to them for all professional opinions on gems and jewels! Could not give a higher recommendation.”
5 out of 5 · Charles R. · verified Google review
“Spoke with the team for my custom ring and the whole process was smooth… Very happy with the beautiful diamond ring and will definitely return for future purchases.”
5 out of 5 · Imendra F. · verified Google review
“I was really happy with the quality of gem stones as well as the services provided. Ministry of Gems exceeded my expectations, will definitely be buying more!”
5 out of 5 · Vishwa P. · verified Google review
“I use this platform to order gemstones for my clients, it’s very convenient.”
5 out of 5 · Ekaterina G. · trade client · verified Google review