Colombia was the world’s leading source of emeralds for centuries, with its Muzo and Chivor regions being best known for producing gemstone-quality material.
With such a long history, Colombia has had many years to cement itself as the world standard for emerald quality, commanding top prices and luxury status; however, a neighbouring South American country has emerged as a rival in recent decades: Brazil.
Brazil is no stranger to producing commercial quantities of top-quality gemstones.
The country - particularly its Minas Gerais region - has been an important source of diamonds, imperial topaz, aquamarine, and quartz for hundreds of years.
Brazil is the home of some of the world’s most rare and desired gemstones, such as the neon blue Paraiba tourmaline and colour-change alexandrite. It seems that when the Earth was divvying up its supply of gemstones, Brazil was one of the most favoured locations!
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THE FACTS |
| Family: | Beryl |
| Hardness: | 7.5 - 8 |
| Toughness: | Brittle |
| Colour: | Deep velvety green to grass green |
| Cause of colour: | Chromium and/or vanadium |
| Main sources: | Colombia, Zambia, Brazil, Ethiopia |
| Acceptable treatment: | Colourless oil |
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Considering the country’s wealth of gemstone deposits, it is somewhat surprising to realise that its commercial production of emeralds is relatively recent.
Mining of the coveted green gemstone didn’t take off in earnest until the 1970s. It still took longer to gain a reputation as a high-quality source, and for that, it is worth asking – why?
When judging top-quality emeralds, two main factors matter above all else: colour and clarity.
And of the two, colour is king. There are many fine green-coloured gemstones on the market, including peridot, tourmaline, green sapphires, and garnets; however, the grass green of an emerald stands above them all.
Coloured by trace amounts of chromium and/or vanadium, the most desired shades are bluish green to pure green, with a vivid saturation that is evenly distributed.
Value declines if the stone is too yellow or blue, if there is colour zoning, and if there are too many inclusions impeding transparency.
While Colombia is most associated with producing top-colour emeralds, the colour can differ not only from country to country but also from mine to mine. Each stone needs to be judged individually!
That said, it is generally understood that Colombia produces pale to rich, vivid greens with a bluish undertone; Zambia produces slightly darker blue-greens, and Brazil produces light to medium greens with bluish undertones.
What Brazilian emeralds have in their favour - particularly those from the Nova Era area - is high transparency, which is of great importance for a gemstone notorious for its inclusions.
In fact, so common is their included nature that emeralds are the only high-value gemstone where we have learned to love its eye-visible internal fractures, referred to as ‘jardin’ (French for garden).
It is also accepted that many emeralds on the market have undergone treatment with colourless oil to fill those fractures and improve clarity.
In terms of status and appeal, emeralds rank alongside diamonds, sapphires, and rubies; however, gemmologists advise taking particular care when working with and wearing emeralds.
Emeralds are a bit softer, with a hardness of 7.5-8, and their brittle nature makes them more prone to damage from heat, stress and knocks from daily wear.
Avoid cleaning with ultrasonics and opt for settings where the gemstone is protected, such as a bezel setting or surrounded by diamonds.
With Brazilian gemstones, the jeweller is trading off a lighter colour for a gemstone with fewer internal fractures and a lower price point.
Brazil has also unearthed some of the largest emeralds ever discovered, such as the 379-kilogram Bahia Emerald.
All these features are helping cement newcomer Brazil as a top supplier of the prized gemstone.
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