The Colombian Emerald Mine: More Than Just Emeralds

When you think of mining, you obviously think of the mines themselves. A coal mine or gold or silver mine are probably the first types to come to mind. Gem mines might come to mind next. Basically they’re all excavations in search of specific mineral or resource. And it goes without saying that successful mines find what they‘re looking for. Most of us probably assume a given mine just digs up whatever that is and there’s not much else to it. Without knowing much about minerals or mining, that’s probably a natural assumption. But it would be a wrong one.

So the question is then, what else do they find? Since this is mostly an emerald blog, we’ll take a closer look at what else might be found in a Colombian emerald mine. This won’t be a complete examination; instead we’ll just take a look at some of the more interesting things. I should also point out that the same gems or minerals found in a Colombian emerald mine may not be found in emerald mines elsewhere in places like Brazil, Zambia, or Pakistan, for example. One can think of the earth in these mining areas as a big mineral cocktail. And just like any cocktail you might order up at your favorite bar, the ingredients used have an effect on the end results. Throw another mineral into the mix in a gem mine and the results there may be different as well. The difference may be in the formation of other mineral types (including gemstones) and/or differences in the quality, characteristics, or formation of these minerals and gems. This helps explain why Colombian emeralds are much greener, more desirable, but also more included than their Brazilian, African, or Asian cousins. It also helps explain the existence in the emerald mines of some of the other minerals and gems I’m about to mention.

The first mineral I’ll talk about is what prompted me to write this blog. Have you ever heard of Colombian Euclase (pronounced YU-CLAZE)? Unless you’re a mineralogy buff or rockhound, I’m guessing probably not. Euclase is found in many places in the world, but it’s not often found to be of gem quality quite like it is in Colombia and Brazil. Colombian and Brazilian Euclase is highly regarded because of the beautiful blue color they possess. Euclase can also be found in yellowish, clear, and green variations in places like Austria, Brazil, the United States, Russia, Africa, among others. Quite often it is left in its crystal form still protruding from a piece of rock and bought by mineral collectors. Part of the reason for this is the difficulty in cutting the crystal to be used as a gem. Euclase has cleavage planes that intersect in its crystal structure and these planes can be a difficult obstacle for the inexperienced and unknowledgeable gem cutter. However, when done properly, cut Euclase is highly regarded and often sold at prices similar to those of good quality emeralds. Embassy Emeralds is one of the few places anywhere you will ever see cut Euclase available to purchase. The Euclase we carry all comes from the famous Chivor mine in Boyacá Department, Colombia.

Another mineral which is found without exception in a Colombian emerald mine is Pyrite. You might have seen this before and called it Fool’s Gold. It has a gold-like color and metallic appearance but has a crystalline structure that can be easily broken and crumbled in the hand. Pyrite is a very common inclusion found in Emeralds. If you have a particularly transparent emerald with a pyrite inclusion, you can often take a closer look at it with a loupe or magnifying glass. Pyrite isn’t worth much, if anything, but occasionally pyrite forms in the presence of a fossil and can replace the fossil material in its formation. What remains is a replica of the original fossil made of pyrite. This same fossil replacement process also may occur with emerald. Typically these fossils are the shells of mollusks lost in the earth and dating millions of years old. These mineral-replaced fossils are rare and valuable and often end up in private collections or museums.

Though not as common, apatite is another interesting mineral found in Colombian emerald mines. Specimens we’ve seen personally have been a light pink color, however the mineral apatite can be found in several colors such as: clear, black, blue, dark green, yellow, pink, red-brown, and purple. The variations in color are due to the make-up of the ‘mineral cocktail’ I mentioned earlier and other geological conditions under which it forms. The term apatite is actually a general term that is used to describe three subtypes of apatites named for the predominance of fluorine, chlorine, or hydroxyls. These subtypes are: Flourapatite, Chlorapatite, and Hydroxylapatite. Gem quality specimens can be cut as gems or cabochoned, however they rate as a 5 on the Moh’s Scale of Hardness making them a poor choice in terms of durability. Some apatites may exhibit the ‘Cat’s Eye’ effect known as chatoyance.

Quartz is the second most common mineral in the earth’s crust, so it’s a very likely find in an emerald mine. Like pyrite, quartz is a very common inclusion found in emeralds. Often these inclusions are tiny grain sized crystals that formed inside the emerald crystal. Quartz can be found in a variety of colors and types and some of these different types are even used as gemstones, such as Citrines, Amethyst, Jasper, and Onyx. However, most quartz found in emerald mines will be of the typically clear or white variety and you wouldn’t find them particularly useful for much of anything.

Another very common mineral found in emerald mines is calcite. Calcite is mostly white or clear and is a relatively soft mineral that is the main ingredient in the composition of sea shells, plankton, some sponges, and limestone among other things. You’ll often find calcite in veins near hot springs or in the form of stalactites and stalagmites in caves. It can be dissolved in ground water and tends to be carried with it to later form a sort of cement around other minerals and rocks, bonding them together. You might think of it as a mineral glue of sorts, holding rocks of varied composition together.

Belonging to the feldspar group, a mineral group that makes up the most common type of material in the earth’s continental crust, is Albite. Its name comes from the Latin Albus which describes its white color. Aside from being brittle and plentiful in an emerald mine, it’s a rather uninteresting mineral.

Those are some the more noteworthy or at least common minerals to talk about in an emerald mine, but there are many others. Dabbling with minerals and mineralogy can be an interesting endeavor but a daunting one if you’re someone who has to know everything there is about a subject. There’s just too much to learn. But as you can see, if your focus is limited as it is in this blog, it’s manageable and you won’t have to absorb a college geology department worth of reference books.

A Word on our Products and Pricing...

Embassy Emeralds conducts all of its business up-front and in good faith with our very loyal and satisfied customer base. We have an excellent relationship and a great track record with our customers, and so we’d like to share with our you some information concerning our merchandise.

Our Emeralds

First and foremost, all of our emeralds loose or mounted are 100% genuine Colombian emeralds. Colombia is unquestionably where the best emeralds in the world are found. We purchase our stones from a very short list of reputable and knowledgeable suppliers in Colombia who receive their stones in rough form and have them cut by their teams of expert gem cutters. You’ll find it difficult to find many gemstone dealers who get their stock as close to the source as we do. We have great visibility into the entire process our suppliers go through from the acquisition of the rough emerald, to the cutting of the stones, and even the cedar oil treatment process. We can stand behind our stones as genuine because we’ve seen them in work from start to finish.

Our Emerald Jewelry

Our selection of emerald jewelry is unique and more special than one might know at first glance. Nearly all of our designs are originals, and some are one-of-a-kind jewels that may never ever be reproduced. But it is the quality of the stones and materials used that definitely sets us apart. Many online jewelers and major ‘brick and mortar’ jewelry chains use highly inferior African, Pakistani, or Brazilian emeralds that are often quite included and very surprisingly… quite a few of these so-called ‘high end’ jewelers even use synthetic or ‘cultured’ emerald (yikes!).

Gold and Platinum

Quality jewelry is what you expect and quality jewelry is what we deliver. Every item in our inventory is made from only what we say it is and we only use the highest quality metals. Any 18kt white or yellow gold ring is made only from 100% high quality, 18kt white or yellow gold…every feature… all the way through. You won’t find electroplated steel or cheap gold alloys in anything we sell. The same goes for any platinum items we sell. If you request a piece of jewelry custom made, we can have those items made exactly as you specify in whatever karat rating of gold you desire.

Diamonds

The quality of the emeralds in our jewelry is a major selling point for us, and we apply the same quality focus to the diamonds we use as well. If you don’t know much about diamonds, remember this… like emeralds, not all diamonds are created equal. When we first came into the jewelry scene we managed to find some very very cheap diamonds in the 0.01 to 0.05 carat range that could be used for accent stones. At just a few dollars each, they’d be quite a bargain for a jeweler who only cares about mentioning the word diamond in the product description. When we looked closely at these diamonds using just a 10X jewelers loupe, we were disgusted at what we saw. Not just because of the very bad color and heavily included nature of these diamonds, but also they were absolutely full of ‘garbage’ and tiny cracks and severe faults that steal away their brilliance. When you see cheap jewelry containing diamonds and other precious stones, unfortunately this is what you get. Always keep in mind… It’s all about quality.

Luckily for you, we do have standards, and we have excellent sources for high quality diamonds. We know the difference between a cheap diamond and a good one is very noticeable and significant, and so we pay several times more for even the smallest diamond accents to get quality diamonds that live up to our standards and your expectations.

Craftsmanship

Every jewelry item we sell is handmade by an expert jeweler with decades of experience and very often they are original pieces shaped and constructed one at a time. They are not mass-produced or made by machines. Popular designs may later become molds, but even still, these jewels are unique because the stones they employ will be always be different and unique.

Pricing

Regarding pricing, Our philosophy on pricing is: We’re happy if you’re happy. The goal is to sell emeralds and emerald jewelry, please the customer, and make a living. We’re not fooling ourselves into thinking that we’re going to get rich and retire on a single sale, and so we don’t try to.

Embassy Emeralds offers emeralds and jewelry that fit into two categories… items that we have in our inventory and items that we have exclusive authorization to sell from our supplier. We apply different pricing strategies to these two categories of merchandise in order to keep our prices reasonable and consistent with the quality of the merchandise being sold.

You may see some of our items and be surprised by the prices that go along with them. You’re surprised because you don’t usually see stones of this quality in the jewelry you’re browsing. If you’re surprised by that you might also be surprised to learn that many of these items are actually priced below their fair market value. Please consider what you’ve read above about the quality of the metals, emeralds, and diamonds used, and the craftsmanship that goes into creating these beautiful original masterpieces. All of our merchandise is priced fairly and based on its cost. This cost is directly related to the quality of the stones used, and the amount of gold or platinum required to make the item. In the end, you’re getting a far superior jewel than what you’ll find in any major jewelry chain. Admittedly and unfortunately, this does limit our market somewhat because the quality of our merchandise can push prices out of many people’s budget, but we believe it is important to keep our focus on the quality of the jewels we’re selling. However we do try to offer lower priced items for all budgets without compromising our standards. We also can make items on request that may help meet your budget concerns. If you’re interested in custom made jewelry, feel free to write to us and we’ll work with you from start to finish to make whatever you desire. We have access to other gems besides emeralds, such as sapphires, rubies, Colombian blue euclase, diamonds, and others, so please do contact us at: info@embassyemeralds.com.

We hope this information helps you understand our approach to our business. We know if you place your faith in us, you’ll be extremely pleased with your purchase and you’ll be back for more.

So, Are Those Feelings of Love Lab-Created Too?

It’s interesting that nearly all big-box jewelers these days are quick to point out how special their diamonds are, going on about their journey from mines in South Africa to the diamond markets in Antwerp, Belgium and beyond. They may even talk about the amazing properties that diamonds possess, such as their toughness and high thermal conductivity, and extreme rarity. And they’re also just as likely steer their customers away from synthetic diamonds.

So why is it that these same jewelers have no hesitation to sell synthetic emeralds? Sometimes called “cultured emeralds”, such gemstones are grown in a lab in a matter of days or weeks instead of the millions of years that it takes mother nature. These man-made stones exhibit similar colors and properties as natural emerald, and in some cases they even attempt to mimic the intricate imperfections found in natural emeralds. But like synthetic diamonds and other fakes, they just don’t stack up to the real thing.

Maybe it’s because emeralds from India, Africa and Brazil are inferior to their Colombian counterparts, universally considered to be the crème of the crop. And maybe they feel that sourcing Colombian emeralds is difficult or dangerous. Perhaps still they lack the skill and knowledge required to work with these stones. Whatever the reason, it’s disturbing that this double-standard exists.

I couldn’t imagine someone putting something as important as an engagement ring on the finger of a loved one knowing that the centerpiece was grown inside some imposing mechanical contraption or a lab dish; and I think it’s equally as criminal to do the same with an emerald.

Accept no imitations and demand the real thing. All of the emeralds at Embassy Emeralds are 100% genuine emeralds that have formed by natural processes over millions of years in the Boyacá region of Colombia.

Catching Fire

Photography is a hobby and an occupation enjoyed by millions of people. And for good reason. There’s something about capturing a moment in time, an image, an action, or even an idea as it occurs and showing it to the world in a way that can’t be duplicated with words alone. It doesn’t matter how many words you use, you cannot convey precisely the same message as a photograph. Photography is perception, background, history, context, and the message all in one visible word. Photography is also art, communication, and many times photography is proof. It can be proof of an existence, an action, a condition, among other things. Photography is versatile but yet often quite absolute.

In gemstone photography, photography is an image and one of proof, although it is a proof that is difficult to achieve. Gemstones and jewelry might possibly be some of the most difficult subjects to photograph. Rarely is a subject so dynamic and its true color so important as it is when trying to record an accurate image of a gemstone or piece of jewelry. It isn’t often we go through pictures in the family photo album or pictures of last summer’s vacation and scrutinize the color and clarity of the photographs. It just isn’t that important. It is when you’re talking about gems. A small tonal difference can create the perception of a stone that would be worth hundreds of dollars less per carat. The reason for the difficulty in capturing a gem’s true essence is usually a combination of lighting and the camera itself. Both of these problem areas can be improved upon with some investment in professional photography and lighting equipment, but rarely are they overcome completely.

I can imagine the online gem shopper who now might be asking themselves, ‘So… how do I know what I’m buying if the photo may not be telling me the whole story?’ It’s understandable to think that way, but luckily the camera seldom makes a bad stone look good. They’re just stuck looking bad. But for good, fine, and decent stones, without fail, stones appear much better in person than what is shown in the photo because a single still image can’t capture the dynamic fire and brilliance of a stone dancing in the light. So it stands to reason, and generally holds true that if you pick a stone you like from a good photograph, you’ll be even more pleased when you see it in person.

First Impressions of La Candelaria

I must be honest, I know very little about La Candelaria. Before arriving here in Colombia a week ago, I knew that La Candelaria was a historic district of Bogota and that it is well known for its centuries old buildings and architecture. I had also heard that it is well known as a place to watch your back, as many people find themselves a victim of crime there.

During my search for an apartment, I mostly dismissed the idea of living in or near El Centro which is just below La Candelaria. It’s quite obvious by the condition of the buildings, the streets, and the people you’ll find there these areas are not as nice, new, and safe as the areas north or west of the Centro such as Chapinero, Rosales, or Salitre. My emerald supplier suggested La Candelaria is not as bad as it’s made out to be and that he himself has a house there. He told me about a friend of his looking to rent some apartments. The apartments were not bad, but not what I’m looking for, however they certainly would be a great option for the backpacker or leisure tourist on a budget looking to spend a month or two getting to know Bogota. The owners were artists and the three apartments were a simple, but interesting little collection along with the two workshops joined to their home.

Walking around La Candelaria to see the apartments and a little bit of exploring the night before in a downpour, I came to realize La Candelaria is not that bad. You certainly want to watch your back as you do anywhere else, but there was definitely an interesting feel to the place. It’s too bad I didn’t have time to look for another option in La Candelaria; I think it would be a fun experience to live there. It’s only a few blocks away, so I’m sure I’ll be heading there to explore every now and then. There were a few places that I already know I need to investigate further, such as the Museo Botero and El Chorro de Quevedo. The Museo is of course, dedicated to the most famous artist from Colombia, Fernando Botero. El Chorro de Quevedo is a small plaza like area with a few bars and some cozy restaurants with special sort of ambiance. When I stopped in there to get out of the rain, I found a dark and very small two-story bar inhabited by a few hippies and couples. I can imagine getting a few drinks there with friends someday or escaping with a girlfriend to spend a few simple, but romantic hours talking over drinks.

Well, that’s my impression so far. I’m sure it’ll only get better, barring any problems with crime. But those things can happen anywhere. Hopefully it won’t, but if it does, I’ll try not to let it influence my opinion of the area. There’s just seems to be too much history and atmosphere to miss out on.

My New Home: Colombia

Most people’s idea of Colombia consist of a combination of movie images and real life news. Let me go down the list of movies for you to check off in your mind. You’ve probably seen most of them.

• Collateral Damage
• Clear and Present Danger
• Romancing the Stone
• Proof of Life
• Maria Full Of Grace
• Blow
• Scarface

Ok, now for the news, media stories and prevailing depictions over the years…

• The killing of Pablo Escobar in 1993. Perhaps the greatest criminal the world has ever known and quite possibly the most significant individual in the history of Colombia since Simon Bolivar led the fight for independence against Spain a few centuries ago;
• Armed struggled against the leftist guerrillas, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC); the right wing paramilitary group, the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC); and several other armed groups that often bump into each other in the jungle, evict civilians from their lands, provide security for drug shipping routes, and commit massacres and acts of terrorism;
• Drugs, drugs, drugs;
• Kidnappings for ransom;
• Murder, crime, terrorism;
• Shakira;
• Juan Valdez, the personification of the Colombian coffee industry;
• Beautiful emerald gemstones;
• The United States’ multi-billion dollar investment in Plan Colombia which helps fund the Colombian military and National Police among other things;
• Beautiful Colombian women/marriage agencies in Cali;
• President Bush’s recent 2006 visit to Bogota where an incredible 20,000 policemen were mobilized to provide security for a less than 24 hour visit;
• Mortar attack on President Alavaro Uribe’s inauguration ceremony;
• Rockets nearly hitting President Uribe’s helicopter with him and his wife on board;

For the most part, there is a very common theme to all of these movies and news stories. And that is one of danger. (I won’t exclude Shakira from this generalization because of the real possibility that standing too close to her could result in being knocked out by hipshake gone awry.) It is no secret that Colombia has been known as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for decades now. When you think of drugs trafficking, kidnapping, and guerrilla warfare, you think of Colombia. That’s the way it’s been for nearly 50 years and it’s a hard reputation to shake.

In Colombia’s defense, the situation has changed significantly in recent years. Murder and kidnappings are down something like 90 percent, Colombian citizens are travelling from city to city by car more, rebel leaders and drug lords are being captured or killed, paramilitary groups are disarming, and the overwhelming consensus is that security has improved greatly. Crime in general is down but certainly never far from anyone’s mind.

I may be crazy, but I guess I can say it’s been a dream of mine to come live here. And here I am. I’m sitting in a small, but comfortable apartment in downtown Bogota. It’s pretty safe here in my new home; the building is clean, well maintained, and has 24 hour security. It’s a bit of an oasis in an otherwise dingy and unsavory area. The street below is anything but a place I enjoy walking, day or night. I’ve been involved in milixtary operations in the Middle East, I’ve been a security manager on military installations as a civilian, and I’ve been to Colombia many times; so I have a good understanding and respect for what could be a dangerous situation. I won’t rule my new neighborhood out any time soon, but I am thrilled to be here.

Despite some problems, Colombia is one of my favorite places in the world. The people here are indomitable. Despite an ever-present war, domestic terrorism, prevalent crime, and terribly devastating poverty; the Colombian spirit is something is something I admire and respect greatly. They have a passion and appreciation for life and family unlike anything you’ll ever see. Rich or poor, seldom will you find a people with so much to give of themselves. This is one of the many reasons why I love Colombia and thoroughly enjoy being here.

How Much is my Emerald Worth?

One of the most common types of emails we receive at Embassy Emeralds is the: ‘How much is this emerald worth?’ email. It seems like a good question and certainly an innocent one. After all, many people think that emeralds, diamonds, and other gemstones are bought and sold as a commodity like gold, silver, oil, soybeans, etc… But this just isn’t the case, and so we must invariably reply with the ‘sorry, we’d have to see it in person’ email. Which is not too helpful but we try to explain the reasons why.

Each individual emerald sold to the consumer is valued individually based on the quality of that particular stone. For some gems, assessing quality is a simple matter, but for emeralds, it is perhaps one of the more difficult to assess. This is due to the almost endless possibilities of variance in the important emerald characteristics. One characteristic is the natural tendency for emeralds to contain inclusions...much more so than other gemstones. Inclusions that are acceptable in emeralds are not at all acceptable in most other gemstones such as diamond, sapphires, rubies, and topaz to name just a few. Variances in clarity is another key point to look evaluate, but perhaps most important is color. After all, we love colored stones because of their beautiful colors. A slightly better shade of color from one stone to the next can equate to a difference in price of hundreds or even thousands of dollars per carat.

We say it all the time, but nearly any quality assessment is based on the 4 C’s of Color, Cut, Clarity, and Carat. If you’d like to do an amateur assessment you should look at those areas, but you need to know something about the stone your assessing and you should know and have seen how these 4 C’s can vary from the lowest quality stones to the finest. This is something not many people have the luxury of knowing.

For an accurate assessment by a professional, it is absolutely essential for them to be done in person to see the combination of these important features of the stone and how they work together to create a complete image of quality. It should be stressed (not just noted) that the majority of jewelers are not good at gemstone assessments. Accurate assessments are done by qualified gem dealers or gemologists.

If you’ve ever written the ‘how much is my emerald worth’ email. Don’t feel bad. You didn’t know. But hopefully this blog helps you understand why you didn’t get the response you were looking for or educates others why writing the same email won’t be helpful to them.