Glossary
Colombia
Colombia is the classic source of emerald; its stones have set the standard for centuries. The deposits lie in two ranges of the Eastern Cordillera north of Bogotá: Muzo and Coscuez in the west, Chivor and Gachalá in the east.
History
The Muzo people mined emeralds before the Spaniards arrived. From the 16th century Colombian emeralds reached Europe and even the Mughal courts of India; many historic emeralds there come from Muzo.
Appearance
Colombian emeralds combine low iron with chromium and vanadium and show a warm, lively green. Only here do trapiche emeralds with their six-rayed pattern occur regularly. Like most emeralds they are often treated with oil; the laboratory states the extent with the levels F1 to F3.
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Updated 2026-10-06