Where do the best emeralds come from?

Historically, the first known emerald mines were in Egypt at the so-called Cleopatra mines between 330 BC to 30 BC. Now thanks to the recovered jewelry and paintings, scientists know that those emeralds were often opaque and commonly used in their natural form or slightly polished. The most common cut used were cabochons, which were drilled so they could be mounted in necklaces or earrings.

Native South Americans treasured and traded emeralds and other gemstones for centuries before Europeans arrived. It wasn’t until the Spanish conquistadors arrived in Colombia and looted everything valuable. These large and exceptionally colored stones from Colombia began their rise to supremacy. The legendary Crown of the Andes, crafted in South America in the 16th century, is one example of how the Spanish revered emeralds.

The Best Emeralds

Emeralds have been discovered in small amounts on almost every continent, but the best and the most expensive emeralds are located in Colombia. Emerald gemstones have also been unearthed in East Africa and Brazil, and beautiful gems also exist in smaller percentages in Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Madagascar, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe, but Colombian mines’ production is bigger and more extensive.

Colombia is famous for several different exports like petroleum, coffee & spices, gold, and precious metals. Bbut few people know that Colombian emeralds account for 70–90% of the world’s emerald market, being the purest gemstones in the world. Colombian emeralds are so famous for their vivid colors and bigger sizes that dealers are willing to pay a 20% to 30% premium for them. They may be a challenge to face due to their uneven distribution of coloring and darker tones closer to the surface or in the ‘skin’.

Colombian emeralds are usually the most expensive per carat. The best quality Colombian emeralds could be priced at about $120k per carat, compared to less than $80k per carat for other countries’ emeralds. Colombian emerald color has an important role when it comes to value appraisal. Their quality are the purest and vivid compared with exceptional pieces from an African or Brazilian mine. Also, emeralds from Colombia have a bluish-green to green in color with strong or vivid saturation. Zambian Emeralds have a more bluish and darker color compared to the Colombian gems. And they usually have greater clarity, while the emeralds Brazilian gemstones have a lighter color and lower saturation.

Our Emeralds

Here at Anam Karat, we offer personalized customer service to help you choose the best piece of jewelry for your needs. We provide a lifetime guarantee on all our pieces and an appraisal certificate for our natural diamonds and the best emeralds. Also, as a courtesy, we offer FREE insured shipping which includes adult signatures required to make sure your new piece of jewelry arrives safely at your hands.