Legend has it that emeralds are tears of sadness for Fura, the first woman on Earth. Today they are stones with high value and beauty.
The Muzo Indians protected the emerald deposits with their blood. However, the Spanish would end up discovering them and in a short time these precious stones reached the European courts. Although today Colombia competes in production with Zambia, Brazil and Afghanistan, the Colombian emerald continues to be the most appreciated in the international market
Alejandro Restrepo, manager of Mercurio Jewelry and president of the Antioquia Jewelry sector, explains that this is mainly due to the fact that emeralds from other latitudes are much more opaque. “The Colombians are of an intense green color and crystalline, that is why they are so desired”.
Restrepo also explains that today fashion has begun to value these gems much more, so today it is more common to find them in designer pieces. “Due to its rarity, the emerald has become an object of taste”, explains the expert.
In fact, more and more jewelers decide to display an emerald as a centerpiece. Today, most of the time it is combined with silver; They can also be found mounted in white and yellow gold and, to a lesser extent, in other metals.
What is special?
Legen
Emerald is the green variety of a colorless mineral called beryl and is made up of aluminum, silicate oxide, and three important elements known as impurities: chromium, iron, and vanadium. Although the chemical composition of all emeralds is the same, the Colombian ones were formed during the Quaternary period, in which the Earth underwent a profound transformation: the mountains became valleys and the valleys became mountains. The region with the largest deposits in Colombia is Boyacá, which at that time was a great ocean, so the stones were formed under water: that is the reason for the clarity that characterizes them.
Fashion
The trend invites you to let the stones show their natural charm and more if they are Colombian. For this reason, it is common to see that today rings, earrings and necklaces have rough stones, without carving. “In this way, you can see all the charm of the gem, its shape and natural color,” adds Restrepo. It is common then to see that actresses and singers have begun to wear emeralds in finery and red carpets. In most cases, these jewels are made with Colombian stones. On the other hand, engagement rings have begun to leave out diamonds as the main stone to offer color, as is the case with emeralds. “Today we want it to be the centerpiece,” says Alejandro Restrepo.
Investment
Another of the invitations that is made from the jewelry sector is to invest in emeralds. “It is not just about buying them to put in a jewel. The value of these stones rises more and more so it is an excellent possibility to capitalize ”, concludes Restrepo.
Emeralds on display
In order to publicize the importance of the most representative gem of Colombia, its history and promote the country’s mining, jewelry and designer industries, the Silicatos de Berilio, Fura y Tena exhibition will be open to the public for free from November 8 to December 8 at the Mercurio Jewelry Store in the Oviedo Shopping Center. In the exhibition, national and foreign attendees will be able to appreciate the most exotic shapes and figures of this gem that have been found in the Colombian mines.