Places of Emerald

The emerald is a precious stone that is identified by its bright green color. Large handfuls of raw emeralds, when pulled from the ground, can be worth several hundred thousand dollars. The stone is favored by many as one of the most beautiful in the world, and has acted as the inspiration for the names of many popular tourist destinations.

Places which have been named or nicknamed after the emerald stone include:

The Emerald City-Seattle, WA

The result of a contest designed to boost tourism sponsored by the Seattle-King County Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1981, "The Emerald City" was chosen as the city's official nickname after it was submitted by a woman who was inspired by the lush foliage that surrounds the city. Whether or not the woman who submitted the winning entry was also inspired by "The Wizard of Oz" is unknown.

The Emerald Coast-Florida, USA

Located in northwestern Florida, the Emerald Coast is an area along the Gulf of Mexico, encompassing several counties, that is so nicknamed for the emerald green color of the water in the area. The green tint in the water is caused by the sand on the ocean floor, which is made of pure Appalachian quartz, which reflects the bright light of the sun off of the ocean floor and back through the surface of the blue water.

The Emerald Isle-Ireland, EU

According to the official government website of the government of Ireland, the term "The Emerald Isle" was first used to describe Ireland in Irish poet William Drennan's poem "When Erin First Rose", which was written right before the end of the 18^th century. The green hills of the Irish countryside are believed to have inspired Drennan to use the word "emerald" in his description of the country.

To truly appreciate and understand the reason behind naming the above destinations after one of the most beautiful and precious stones in the world, one must visit and experience the locations up close. Much like the emerald stone itself, photographs of the above locations simply do not do the actual locations any justice.

Sources:

Ellensburg Daily Record. "Seattle Nicknamed the 'Emerald City'.

Northwest Florida's Emerald Coast. "Beaches".

Nicola Gordon Bowe. The Government of Ireland. "Symbols of Ireland".