Emerald (Colombian, Zambian, Muzo, Chivor)

Emerald is the green variety of beryl, coloured by chromium and, in some material, vanadium. The legendary Colombian mines (Muzo, Chivor, La Pita) produce emeralds in unique sedimentary black-shale environments, giving a pure, vivid green. Zambian emeralds, mined primarily at Kagem, are schist-hosted and often yield stones with fewer inclusions and a slightly bluish-green hue. Because of their turbulent geological formation, almost all emeralds feature jardins - internal fractures and inclusions. Consequently, the long-standing manufacturing practice of filling these fissures with colourless oil, traditionally cedarwood, to improve apparent clarity, remains a standard and accepted trade practice today, and should always be disclosed at the point of sale.

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