Buying Emeralds on Your Travels to Colombia

Colombia may not be the first place you think of when you plan a vacation, but you’d be surprised at how it’s catching on as a tourist destination. It’s not for the average tourist just yet, but those with an appetite for something different are experiencing the colonial romance of Cartagena, the tropical beach paradise of Tayrona, the beautiful women and salsa of Cali, eternal spring in Medellin, and perhaps the rapidly expanding center of it all in Bogota. Wherever it is that tourists are going, invariably they leave wanting to take some part of Colombia back with them. There are the usual items, coffee, woven bracelets, leathers, Botero figurines, and even brides; but those wanting to take back something truly special and valuable without getting married turn to Colombia’s world famous emeralds.

Travelers will find emeralds for sale in most of the major Colombian cities, but particularly in touristic Cartagena and in downtown Bogota, which is where most of the domestic and international-bound emerald trade is based. Cartagena is great for travelers who don’t plan to go inland, but you’ll pay tourist prices on just about everything… especially on emeralds. Cali and Medellin have their jewelry and tourist shops with emeralds for sale, but there isn’t much to choose from unless you go to fine jewelry stores. Don’t expect any bargains. For the best selection and your best chance at getting a good deal, there really is no alternative but to head to Bogota.

Before you even think about going to downtown Bogota looking for emeralds, or anywhere else for that matter, you really need to do a reality check and ask yourself the following questions... 1) How much do I know about emeralds? 2) How will I know I’m getting the real thing? and 3)How do I know I’m not getting the gringo discount? If an honest answer to the first question doesn’t scare you, you might be ok. But chances are the next website you visit will be Embassy Emeralds or the Google search page. Quite honestly, some of the best information you will find outside of a good jewelry and gemology book will be right here in our blog archives, on the About Emeralds page of the Embassy Emeralds website, or in the Emerald Encyclopedia. Do your homework!

If you completed the assignment, you might dare to slip on past question #1, but now you’ve come to the realization that in order to feel comfortable about question #2, you’re going to need some help. You could invest $100-$300 in a book or two, a loupe, a Chelsea filter, a synthetic emerald filter, and perhaps a few other tools you may never use again or you can contact us for help. We’ll arrange to talk by phone and be as helpful as we can. We don’t keep much inventory in Colombia, but we’ll gladly share some knowledge of a few local dealers we know to be reputable, advise you on the purchase, and even translate if needed. Expert help is always a good thing and it will help you eliminate doubts about question #3. If it doesn’t, you can always walk away to buy coffee and bracelets.

One last bit of advice… if you make it as far as where they sell emeralds and jewelry on your own, avoid the hundreds of emerald comisionistas you may see on the street. It’s no place to buy good, authentic emeralds or stand around with wads of pesos in your pockets. Good Luck!