The emerald is known for its green colouring and is therefore very popular in jewellery production. In addition to its characteristic colour, emeralds with the right cut are also able to break light in a variety of ways and offer a unique shine. Emeralds are a variety of beryl, a silicate mineral. Accordingly, emeralds belong to the mineral class of ring silicates. The popular gemstone has a light to dark green colour and has a lustre like glass. Depending on the variation, an emerald can be transparent or translucent. The chemical formula of an emerald is Al2Be3[Si6O18]. The value of emeralds depends strongly on their colour. If an emerald has a strong green, then this stone can be classified as more valuable than a diamond of the same size. The name of this gemstone comes from the Latin word emeraldus, which is derived from the Greek term smáragdos and means green stone. Today the largest and most productive deposits are found in South America, with emeralds from Brazil being particularly sought after.