Emeralds, since their emergence in Upper Egypt, attracted man’s wide attention and was often confused with several gems that while still green in their characteristics, were far from the Emerald; we must remember that in ancient times there were no gemologists for identification. Let’s see some of the names that equivocally emerged for Emeralds along with the real gems with which they were mistaken.
- African Emerald: Green Fluorite
- Cape Emerald: Prehnite
- Congo Emerald: Dioptase
- Bohemian Emerald: Green Fluorite
- Indian Emerald: Quartz or tinted chalcedony
- Afternoon Emerald: Peridot
- Night Emerald: Peridot
- Oriental Emerald: Green Sapphire
- Scythia Emerald: Sapphire Green
- South Africa Emerald: Green Fluorite
The Emerald was also confused with other stones such as jade, jasper, malachite, and even green glass. It is said that Nero would watch the fights of the gladiators through an emerald, but it is very likely that it was just a green glass that coincidentally helped Nero with his seeing problems.
