Mining Lawyer: Why are Colombian Emeralds a Good Investment?

Colombia is the biggest producer of emeralds in LATAM and the country that fulfils around 50-95% of the worlds total production in emeralds depending on the year.

Emeralds can be found in two departments of Colombia: Cundinamarca and Boyacá. Boyacá is especially well-known for emeralds due to its famous Muzo mines, also more familiar under the name “Emerald Capital” of the world. Colombian emeralds possess a high quality that is acknowledged worldwide because of the ideal constitution of the material and the best and brightest colours. 

The past few years, the production of Colombian emeralds increased due to the development of new technology and investments of multinational companies in the mining sector.

Our recent article gave you an inside in how to obtain a mining title in Colombia, but how to recognise a high-quality emerald and why is it so interesting to invest in emeralds in Colombia especially? 

Colombian Emerald Investments – How to Recognise a High-Quality Emerald?

Recognizing a high-quality emerald requires experience and knowledge. To determine high-quality emeralds there are 4 criteria: Colour, Clarity, Cut and Carat Weight.

The preferable emerald colour is bluish to pure green with vivid colour and a tone which is caused by the elements chromium, vanadium and iron.

The presence or absence of each and their relative elements determine the exact colour of an emerald crystal. It’s common knowledge that Colombian emeralds have a warmer and more intense green colour which makes these emeralds unique.

Almost every emerald contains fractures. This means that no emerald is homogeneous and irregularity always can be found. Fractures that are visible do not necessarily bring the value of an emerald down unless it affects the transparency and clarity of the emerald. Sometimes emeralds can be found without fractures.

These are highly rare and extremely valuable. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Laboratory offers a classification service for the clarity treatments of an emerald which describes the level of clarity enhancement although it will not give you a clarity grade for the emerald stone in general.

How an emerald is going to be cut will determine the weight of the emerald which can reduce the value of the stone. A cutter should always consider the depth of colour, durability and the fractures of the stone when it makes the design to minimalize the effect of these fractures in the emerald because emeralds are vulnerable and can easily be damaged when they are cut, polished and sett.

Also, the cuts can affect the colour which in turn can influence the value of the stone and can give the emerald the bluish green colour that emerald lovers prize or not. 

After the cutting-process, emeralds can vary in sizes, which means that carat weight can be high or low. Carat weight will tell how much the emerald weighs and will help to determine the value of the emerald in combination with all the other criteria.

Why Invest in Colombian Emeralds?

Years ago, the production of Colombian emeralds was highly affected by government’s ownership, regulation, criminal activity and violence.

The government’s position in emerald mining improved and became more transparent and traceable after multinationals started to invest in the emerald mining field. Those investments increased the production of Colombian emeralds and also made it possible to win emeralds with more modern equipment.

Emeralds from Colombia possess less iron and fewer impurities and fractions than emeralds from other countries like Brazil and Zambia which makes Colombian emeralds much more valuable. Some of the most expensive and rarest emeralds in the world came from the emerald mines in Colombia.

Colombian emeralds have kept their value over the last few years and it even has increased. Where emeralds once had the value of $40,000 per carat, nowadays they can reach almost $90,000. More investments in the Colombian emerald mining sector will guarantee the increase of the production of emeralds and could be a great asset for any investor who is interested in the emerald mining field. 

Where Can I Find More Information About Emerald Mining in Colombia?

Our Biz Latin Hub group in Colombia has specialised mining lawyers who can provide you all the services and knowledge that you need to know to invest in the emerald mining in Colombia.

Please contact us now to find out about this more and we are always happy to help you with all the questions that you may have after reading this article.

Watch our video if you want to know more about investment opportunities in mining in Latin America!