For more than 4,000 years, emeralds have been among the most valuable of all the jewels on Earth, loved since the ancient civilizations by royals alike such as Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. Few gems are enveloped by as much mystery as emeralds.

Apart from its captivating beauty, the emerald has a rich history that spans back to ancient Babylon, the “cradle of civilization,” which makes it one of the most fascinating gemstones. The precious and sought-after emerald is one of the three most treasured colored gemstones available today, together with ruby and sapphire. The emerald’s distinctiveness relies on in its rich saturated vibrancy and its extraordinary spectrum of green color reflections. As a green gemstone variant, the emerald belongs to the mineral group, beryl, its green color stems from chromium, and sometimes vanadium elements present all through the stone. The concentration of chromium determines the intensity of its green color. Together with inclusions, the color reveals the history, origin and authenticity of the stones, which can find its source as far as almost forty million years ago in the Cordillera Oriental also known as the widest branch of the Colombian Andes. 

Some of the most recherché emeralds can be found in Colombia, Zambia and Brazil. Colombia is set apart for its old-world emeralds and is considered to hold the largest array of finest emeralds still today. The old mines, Muzo and Chivor are the most highly regarded, unveiling emeralds of the rarest qualities. The Eastern Cordillera basin ensconces most of Trapiche emeralds, known for their extreme scarcity. Lines run through these special emeralds, forming a six-pointed radial pattern that is made up of dark impurities.

Muzo, Colombia – It is here where clouded forests overgrow in the mountain slopes, that one of the world’s most magnetic emeralds are hidden. The Muzos, also known in ancient times as the Emerald People living in the steamy Andean jungle, were held in high regard by other civilizations such as the Incas. The Muzo people were fearless guardians of the legendary mines that the Spanish conquistadors desperately tried to find after hearing about the flawless, green scintillating gem. According to legend, the area known today as the “Emerald Belt” was formed from the bodies and tears of Fura and Tena, the first woman and man, respectively. A deity gave them all the necessary knowledge to survive, as well as the sun, the moon, and the stars, and granted them with eternal youth, but only if they kept faithful to each other.

The Muzo mines are situated at the western flank of the Eastern ranges of the Andes, at approximately 100 km away from Bogota.  The uniqueness of the eponymous emeralds extracted from the Muzo mines relies on their singular color and exceptional saturation and richness of the stone. They are found in just a few underground galleries, all of which lie 100 meters deep under the Earth.

Today, Muzo emeralds are coveted all over the world by the greatest jewelry houses. Each Muzo emerald is tracked by a certificate, which provides the place and date of extraction, as well as its shape and carat weight.

Aside from the origin of the stone, emeralds can be assessed based on numerous factors that collectively compose this gorgeous green gemstone’s composite and appearance.

Emerald rates 7.5-8 on Mohs Scale of Hardness, a scale developed to rank gemstones and other such materials including diamonds and simulant stones on their scratch-resistant capabilities. Diamonds are ranked at the top of this scale at 10, as the most scratch-resistant material. Conversely, Talc graded at 1, is at the lower end of the scale. Consequently, the emerald can be worn for all occasions that life creates without apprehension, but with care and affection.

Emerald colors comprise a large enough chromatic spectrum of green hues which would meet anyone’s preferences and sensitivity. The hue, saturation and tone of the emerald largely determine its value amongst aesthetes and appreciators. Similar to a diamond, colored stones can be evaluated according to their characteristics using the four C’s; color, clarity, cut and carat weight.

The most desirable color, or its hue, usually ranges from a bluish-green to green-green. They can also be further broken down with modifiers such as slightly and strongly. The saturation is evaluated by the intensity of the overall color of the stone being assessed. An emerald with a vivid saturation, offers the greatest fascination and richness. The tone reveals the stone’s brightness; high quality emeralds usually have a tone between medium and dark.

After its color singularity, an emerald’s clarity comes a very close second to assess the quality of the stone. In essence, its transparency is what makes it remarkable and extraordinarily sought after.

Emeralds are known to often contain inclusions, which are flaws within the stone. These inclusions are oftentimes visible to the eye and may reach the surface of the stone, appearing as very thin cracks, making the emerald vulnerable to breakage. Inclusions may affect the transparency and clarity of an emerald which ultimately impacts its value.

The great majority of emeralds are also known to be treated with oil or resin to enhance the clarity of the stone. Some forms of treatment such as resin are less desirable than others. Most gemstone laboratories classify these treatments as minor, moderate or significant. The less the treatment, the more valuable the stone, untreated emeralds are exceedingly rare.

The cut of the emerald plays an instrumental role in protecting and magnifying the original beauty of the stone. An emerald’s natural inclusions, delicate hardness, perceptive colors and dichroism are the reasons why the greatest attention, care and expertise of master cutters are critically needed when a jewel is given shape. The classic emerald cut has over time become a signature setting for both aesthetic and aesthetic qualities.

The overall magnetism of an emerald can sometimes be hardly expressed with words, when its natural character provokes storming emotions in the eyes of the beholder.

In contemporary history, emeralds have always continued to nurture the fascination of the most sophisticated jewelry houses as well as royalties and highly regarded personalities. Large, flawless emeralds have been showcased and set into some of the most extraordinary one-of-a-kind necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets.

From the Hollywood golden age of Elizabeth Taylor, to more recent contribution to the seventh art, such as the movie Crazy Rich Asians, emeralds have always taken center stage. Actress Michelle Yeoh’s very own show-stopping large emerald 3-stone ring boasts one emerald in the center prong set, flanked by two diamonds set on either side, creating a stunning presentation of color meets scintillation. The famous Rockefeller Emerald is the highest record-breaking emerald in history, fetching 5.5 million USD in auction. Emeralds remain today and will always be a priceless possession of timeless beauty and dazzling mystery.