Bogotá, Entrepreneurs from the world’s mining and emerald industry will seek to boost exports of the Colombian green gem in the international market, as they assured today at the inauguration of the second Emerald World Symposium, which is held in Bogotá.
“We want to take advantage of the quality and beauty of Colombian gems and position them in the international market,” said Edwin Molina, president of the Association of Colombian emerald producers (Aprecol), at the opening of the event.
Although Colombia is emerging as one of the countries with the best production of “green gems” in the world, the National Federation of Emeralds (Fedesmeraldas) assured that the first half of 2018 was “a period of contrasts for the industry.”
In the first six months of the year, the value of the gemstone grew 4% but exports fell 6% to add 73 million dollars, 4.4 million less than in the same period last year.
“The emerald business is still growing, representing about 150 million dollars a year. This amount is very representative in the international market because the Colombian gem is the one with the highest value and the most desired in the world ”, stated the president of Fedesmeraldas, Óscar Baquero.
With this outlook, the symposium is emerging as a key event to position Colombia as a leading country in emerald mining production in a new industry that promotes good practices for the extraction, production and commercialization of colored stones.
As the president of the World Jewelery Confederation (CIBJO), Gaetano Cavalieri, says, “the country and its mining have changed due to the peace process it underwent, that is why when you think of emeralds, you think of Colombia, they are both very linked ”.
The executive director of the CDTEC specialized gem laboratory in Colombia, Gabriel Angarita, said that “the Colombian emerald is highly sought after, not for what it has but rather for what it does not have.”
Delegates from 25 countries involved in the world of emeralds participate in the symposium, especially from producing nations such as Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Pakistan, Russia and Zambia, which is the world’s largest producer.
The African country produces 30 million carats annually, followed by Brazil with 4 million and then there is Colombia with 2 million.