Emerald, the first stones were mined in the deserts of Egypt near the Red Sea in what were known as Cleopatra's Mines. The name for Emerald is taken from the Greek smaragdos, meaning Green stone. Inclusions are generally accepted in Emeralds since all but the rare few have visible inclusions of Mica, Pyrite or Calcite or the "garden" type inclusions. Inclusions can be important in separating natural from synthetic emeralds as well as for identifying the country of origin. Emeralds were long thought to have healing powers, especially for eyesight. During the renaissance, emeralds were used as a test for friendship among the aristocracy; an emerald given to a friend would remain perfect as long as the friendsip endured.