Colombian emeralds: women’s first love

At the mere mention of Columbia, there is a twinkle in your eyes. Your mind starts picturing a landscape full of scintillating vivid green emeralds and why not! It is the planet’s most blessed shore where emeralds of the finest quality are unearthed.

Emeralds in general are green precious gemstones that are big on rarity quotient. So much so that they are 20 times as rare as a diamond. Consequently, emeralds have been amongst the most valuable of all the gems on Earth’s bed since over 4,000 years. Incidentally, emeralds also hold a special place in our culture, not only as the birthstone for May but also as the traditional 55th wedding anniversary gift.

But remember there are emeralds and then, there are Colombian emeralds. Originated in ancient Egypt, the classic Colombian emeralds were prized by all the powerful empires including the Romans, Spanish conquistadors and Mughals. Even the royalty of the Incan Empire cherished Colombian emeralds. That’s not all. The Guinness Emerald and The Chalk Emerald, which were thought to have formerly belonged to the Maharani of Baroda, India, were discovered in Colombia only.

In the present time too, Colombian emeralds’ popularity is on the rise. All the famous global designers and jewellery design houses use this rare gemstone in their creations. The likes of David Morris, Maria Gaspari, Grisogono, Cartier, Bulgari and Harry Winston roll out Colombian emerald jewellery collections year after year. It has also been the delight of the Sotheby’s and Christies auction houses since ages. 

Agreed, other than Columbia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Brazil too have rich deposits but the royal green hue of a Colombian emerald is unparalleled. Moreover, they are also found in a variety of different shades ranging from deep green to a glassy light green. They have also got a good resale value. Note that, a Colombian emerald of over 50 carats may cost much more than diamonds of the same size! Besides offering top-quality emeralds, Colombia also scores big on quantity. It alone accounts for 50 to 60 per cent of world’s total supply. 

Certainly, it doesn't come as a surprise that as more and more women are warming up to gemstones, the Colombian emerald is the most sought-after of all. From Indians to westerners, working professionals to homemakers and celebrities to commoners, every woman’s heart beats for it and seems like their 4,000-year-old love affair with this precious stone has just begun.    

Author: Deepa Mishra

Disclaimer: All images used in the blog have been sourced from Google purely for the purpose of informative reference. The models, celebrities or products showcased in these pictures are not to promote any brand in any manner.