Columbian Emeralds: Green Greatness
Out of the mines of Columbia, spectacular green gemstones have emerged—Columbian emeralds. Holy stones for some people, prized possessions for others, Columbian emeralds are some of the largest emeralds that have been found. Columbian emeralds sometimes cost more than diamonds of the same carat weight.
Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May, and it is a member of the beryl family of gemstones, which includes blue/green aquamarine, bixbite (the red emerald), pink morganite, yellow/orange heliodor, and colorless goshenite. Emeralds are considered stones of luck, prosperity, and growth. Aztecs and Incas of South America have viewed the emerald as being a holy stone.
Three-fourths of all Columbian emeralds have come from the Coscuez mine in Columbia. Many other emerald deposits exist in Columbia. However, not all of these deposits are being mined at this time. Emeralds have been discovered in other parts of the world, but Columbian emeralds are larger than most (at times) and have a sparkling green color that contains no evidence of a bluish tint that is sometimes seen in emeralds that have been mined elsewhere.
Emeralds from Brazil are closest in attractiveness to Columbian emeralds. Emeralds from Zimbabwe are usually smaller in size than Columbian emeralds, while the emeralds that Zambia produces are a darker green that sometimes contain an underlying hint of a blue color.
Considered some of the best emeralds in the world, Columbian emeralds are highly regarded by many. Columbian emeralds have a hardness of 7.5 on Mohs scale, but are brittle and can be difficult to cut, as is the case for most emeralds. Special care must be taken when cutting an emerald stone and the term “emerald cut” has originated from the cutting techniques used on emeralds. Most Columbian emeralds contain inclusions, but that is accepted by retailers, jewelers, and consumers because Columbian emeralds are so wonderful in other ways, such as having magnificent color and size.
Occasionally, Columbian emerald mines yield trapiche emeralds. Trapiche emeralds are very rare and unique. They are green with a blue center. The blue color of the center extends outward in six different directions, like spokes of a bicycle wheel.
Some exceptionally large Columbian emeralds have been named, then housed in museums for all to enjoy. “Patricia” has a carat weight of 632 and can be found in The New York Museum of Natural History. “Devonshire” was a gift to the sixth Duke of Devonshire and weighs 1383.95 carats. It is a Columbian emerald that was discovered in the Muzo mine, which is located near Bogata, Columbia. The Bank of Bogata also has a collection of Columbian emeralds that weigh between 220 and 1796 carats each.
Emeralds have been around for many years, dating back to the 1200s. Take care of your Columbian emeralds so that you may enjoy them for a long time, also. Avoid ultrasonic cleaning and do not let the Columbian emeralds come into contact with cleansing agents.
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