Emerald

Emerald is an English gemstone name, referring to the green variety of beryl. Its meaning comes from the jewel itself rather than from the general adjective green. Emeralds have been valued for centuries, and the stone is conventionally associated with May as a birthstone, giving the name both a color and a calendar connection.

The Emerald Isle and the Emerald City add familiar geographical and literary associations. Esmeralda is a related form of the gemstone word in Spanish and Portuguese. Emerald’s visible Em beginning also gives it a different shape from other jewel names, while keeping the complete English word makes the mineral connection immediately recognizable.