Like aquamarines, emeralds are a part of the beryl family of minerals. Aquamarines get their blue color from iron, whereas emeralds get their green hue from chromium, vanadium, and trace amounts of iron, the latter of which is thought to only affect the shade of green in an emerald rather than being primarily responsible for its color. While the first emerald mine is often said to have belonged to Cleopatra (69-30 BC), emeralds in Egypt...Continue Reading