10,050 ct Emerald Found in Zambia

Gemfield Resources PLC, (a United Kingdom entity) announced the recent discovery of a 10,050-carat Emerald crystal from their Mbuva-Chibolele mine, located in Zambia. The emerald itself is a 10 centimeter hexagonal crystal and was found about 40 meters from the surface in a wall of pegmatite. This open-pit mine which has been open only since July of last year, is one of two mines in operation by Gemfield Resources PLC in Zambia.

The presence of emeralds in Zambia has been known since the late 1920's, however they were not mined commercially until the middle of the century. It is believed that much of the gem trade in Zambia occurs on the black market, however this is changing and the find by Gemfield Resources represents a positive step.

Emeralds from Zambia tend to have a bluish hue; in many cases even more blue than their more famous cousins from the mines of Chivor in Colombia in part due to a higher concentration of Vanadium. Zambian emeralds tend to require less treatments.

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