Up next in my monthly series about birthstone jewelry for professional dress, is the emerald.

The May birthstone is emerald. There’s certainly no rule that I know of that says you can’t wear emerald if May isn’t your birthday month.

Here are a few tips on how you can enhance your look with emerald jewelry and ideas of how to incorporate the hue into your wardrobe for a professional look.

Something I always recommend to my clients is to wear sparkly earrings in your eye color. For lucky green-eyed women this can mean emerald. Interestingly, emeralds can range from bluish green to pure green, so choose the earrings with stones closest to your eye color to enhance your coloring the best. I promise, others will not be able to take their eyes off of your face. And I have probably said this a million times, but in business you want people paying attention to your face—to what you’re saying!

Another recommendation I give readers and clients is to consider medium sized jewelry, leaving extremely delicate, dainty jewels for special occasions. If you want to incorporate a small emerald pendant into a business outfit, combine it with one or two other necklaces for the most modern look. (Of course, like every other fashion item, faux or real emeralds can be found at a variety of price points.)

Often emerald green is easier to find in fall/winter, but pops of the hue in spring styles and fabrics are beautiful! Emerald and black is a natural, but it pairs beautifully with navy and is completely unexpected with white. An emerald sheath worn with a jacket is great for desk to dinner all year long!

Last but not least, if you love emerald green, but you don’t love the way it looks on your skin tone, add emerald shoes or a bag into your ensemble or look for it in prints.

Now, here are a few fun facts and things to know about buying emeralds compliments of jewelry designer and my good friend Kelle K. Graham, G.G. (Graduate Gemologist, G.I.A.).

• Top quality emeralds are more valuable than diamonds.
• Emeralds promise “good luck” and is the color of the life and the springtime, conveys harmony, and the love of nature.
• Numerous inclusions including crystals, fractures, or fissures are common and are referred to as “jardin” (garden). It is very rare to find an emerald that lacks these inclusions, thus inclusions are tolerated and are evidence to the genuineness of the stone.
• Great care must be taken while wearing the emerald and a special cut, the emerald cut (step cut), was created to protect it.
• There are innumerable synthetics and imitations in the market, thus it is best to purchase from a specialist in whom you have confidence. It is recommended proper paperwork accompany the purchase of large stones to insure its authenticity.

Now over to you—will you wear emerald jewelry or in clothing? I’d love to know!