Sparkling Colombian Gems

The Colombian Emerald is cherished because of its beauty, color, and historical origin. Colombian Emeralds is the most famous beryl-family gemstone. It is exquisite more than rubies, diamonds, and sapphires because it has a Mohs rating of 7.5 to 8. This gemstone is sometimes referred to by natives as an “evening stone”. While emeralds are soft and less durable, they make beautiful engagement rings. Choose emeralds that have smaller feather inclusions or fissures/breaks in the stone.

The discoverer of the Colombian emerald is still a mystery. However, it is believed that it was first mined by Spanish Conquistadors. Historians accept that the native indigenous people have mining the gemstone since 300 AD. The Spanish sold the Colombian emeralds to Europe and other continents where they were cherished for their purported medicinal qualities, which included the treatment of various ailments like fever, epilepsy, and dysentery. The Colombian emeralds also were exported to India where it was engraved with divine text and worn as a protective charm by the Mogul emperor. It is also referred by the Indians as Mogul emeralds, in which most of them are maintained in museums worldwide.

Colombian emeralds are desired because they have a very pure color that isn’t based or derived from sparkle or luster. Colombian emeralds have been desired by celebrities, kings and important personalities since the time of Cleopatra and possibly much earlier in history. The tones of color and brilliance in the Colombian emeralds are unique and present their own particular attraction which makes them desirable.

Colombian emeralds are reputed as one of the most natural gemstones in the world, and they are the only range of emeralds that are formed in sedimentary host rock instead of the igneous rock. It is a beryllium stone that incurs its amazing color to vanadium and chromium, these chemical elements are very scarce, and these two elements are the logic behind the color of the only crystalline greenstone worldwide. The color, purity, size and luster of a gem determines its overall value in the market. It has a rare appearance which makes it different from emeralds, even when they are sourced from the same continent. The most prized color of this gem is the bluish green color.

Colombian emeralds are typically the most expensive per carat followed by Brazilian emerald and Zambian emerald. The best quality Colombian emeralds will fetch about $120k per carat, compared to less than $80k per carat for other emeralds.The color is known as the most pure and vivid from Colombian emeralds even when compared with exceptional pieces from an African or Brazilian mine. Colombian emeralds have a bluish green to green in color with strong or vivid saturation, Zambian Emeralds have a more bluish and darker color than the Colombian emeralds and it commonly has a greater clarity, while the emeralds from Brazil has a lighter color and lower saturation.

The color of these emeralds is used to distinguish between Colombian emeralds and other emeralds. Colombian emeralds are unique in that they exhibit a complete lack of iron. The rare, fine, saturated green crystals sometimes found there is the yardstick by which all other emeralds are judged. Clarity of an emerald can also help you in distinguishing Colombian emerald from other emeralds is clarity. An emerald from Colombia has the least amount of visible inclusions. A certificate is the only way to find out if a Colombian emerald is really a Colombian emerald. When buying a Colombian stone, you should rely only on trusted gemologists who have the tools to identify origin. For particularly expensive pieces, always ensure the gemstone has a valid certificate, by GIA, Gubelin or AGL.

You can buy Colombian emeralds just about anywhere, including large chain stores and small boutique jewelers. You shouldn’t judge an emerald on the store where it was purchased. Visit many places and compare the gems you find in case you have any doubts. The more you see, the more informed your decision will be, and the better the chance that you will buy the best emeralds available within your price range.