Editor’s Note
This article highlights the key mining regions for Colombian emeralds, primarily in the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. Municipalities like Muzo and Gachalá are central to this industry, which leverages unique geological conditions to produce the world’s finest emeralds.
The main exploitation zones for this precious stone are located in the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. Notable municipalities include Muzo, San Pablo de Borbur, Maripí, Quípama, and Gachalá.
Muzo, San Pablo de Borbur, Maripí, Quípama, and Gachalá are the main producers of Colombian emeralds.
Colombia is the world’s largest producer of high-quality emeralds, thanks to their hydrothermal sedimentary origin which provides characteristics such as brilliance, transparency, color, light play, and optimal hardness. These quality traits have allowed this Colombian gem to be recognized and desired by buyers worldwide.
Currently, the National Mining Agency (ANM) registers 1,038 active mining titles for this mineral in the national territory and 486 requests in process.
Colombian emeralds are associated with veins, hydrothermal breccias, and hydraulic breccias that affect sedimentary sequences of the Paja, Rosablanca, and Villeta Group formations in the Eastern Belt and the Guavio Limestones and Macanal Shales formations in the western belt.
The chromium content in many of the emeralds is ideal and allows their color, light play, and brilliance to be optimal, ensuring that the Colombian emerald is recognized for its high quality on a global scale. Additionally, they possess very typical inclusions that become their identifying mark compared to emeralds from other regions of the world.
The exploitation of Colombian emeralds is carried out in underground operations with processes of technification and new investments in some of the main mining projects in operation, such as the Puerto Arturo and Coscuez mines.
In 2020, 1,603,224 carats of this precious stone were produced and exported, as well as 3,117,799 carats of other qualities. Production is expected to increase with the investments that new actors in the sector, including Colombian and foreign companies, have been making for several years.
He added that Colombia is the third Latin American country to have a mineral resources and reserves code in accordance with the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO), promoting the implementation of good practices in social, environmental, and mining safety matters in the country.
In April 2021, the Colombian Emerald Good Practices Guide was presented, which is the result of joint work between Fedesmeraldas, the Colombian Commission of Resources and Reserves, and the National Mining Agency.
The Guide aims to guide mining titleholders and professionals in the Emerald mining sector in Colombia in exploration and estimation of mineral resources and reserves.