Editor’s Note
This article offers a rare glimpse into Colombia’s perilous emerald trade, exploring the journey from the mines to global markets. It reveals the stark contrast between the gem’s international allure and the often-hidden realities of its extraction.
In early 2017, Patrick Zachmann travelled to Colombia with anthropologist Nataly Camacho to explore the emerald mining trade. Here, Camacho writes about the trip into the mysterious and frequently dangerous world.
Thanks to their intense colour, size and brightness, Colombian emeralds are known for being the most beautiful in the world. It is not unusual to see them displayed in Europe or North America, combined with diamonds and other precious stones in pieces of fine jewellery. However, the conditions of their exploitation are less attractive: violence, war, poverty, misfortune and bad luck could all define the emerald world.
“Mina Real” is one of the mines still owned by Colombian investors or families. There are 23 tunnels and 500 miners working in the mine. They usually are not paid or get a very little salary but they have the possibility to look for themselves for emeralds during a specific and limited period of time when they start the production (which means when a team has found the right rock). They also often steal some stones they will sell to traders in Quipima or Muzo. These stones will be then sold in Bogota in the street. Emerald story. Quipama. Region of Boyaca, Colombia. January 2017.
“Guaqueros”, men and women coming from all over the country, looking for the green precious stone which can make them suddenly rich. But nowadays, the chances to find them are very small since foreign multinational enterprises such as MTC have bought the main mines and have modernised and high-securised this traditional business. In the past, people could easily find emeralds in the river, or workers directly from the mines where they would steal them. The bosses usually would let them do as long as they didn’t take a big one. Emerald story. Quipama. Region of Boyaca, Colombia. January 2017.
We wanted to discover the hidden part of the Colombian emerald’s mythical universe; from the mining extraction to the secured laboratories in Bogota, where stones are polished, and also addressing the traders, who buy and sell directly in the street, or off site.
The first part of this photographic documentary took place in the Boyaca region, where most of the mines and the villages of Muzo and Quipama can be found. In the 1980s and 90s, in this exact place, a ‘narco’, Gacha, known as ‘El Mexicano’, who was linked to the Medellin cartel and Pablo Escobar, started a terrible war, later called the ‘Green War’, with the two most influential families in the emerald trade, led by Victor Carranza and Gilberto Molina.
Doris Vega, 55, has been working as a “guaquera” for seven years and her husband is still working as a guaquero in the river. Doris’ daughter, Berenice, 34, has been shot in the head by accident…
