A rough 1064-carat emerald from the legendary Muzo mine in Colombia has just been unearthed. This discovery, of inestimable rarity, is the work of Emerald, a company specializing in exceptional emeralds.
It is said that the color of this variety of beryl comes from traces of chromium and vanadium, and sometimes even iron.
Associated with heart and love, the emerald, this green gemstone, is said to have protective properties against disease and even the ability to read the future. In some ancient cultures, it was also believed to have the power to promote fertility.
In the Muisca (or Chibcha) civilization, which was based in what is now Colombia, it is said that the emerald gemstones were the tears of a native called Fura, who had lost his wife, Tena.
But it is on the lands of another neighboring ancient civilization, that of the Muzo or Emerald People, on mining deposits 32 million years old, that a stone exceptional in its size, color and crystallization has been discovered. According to specialists, it is “one of the largest and purest specimens ever discovered in the world of gemmology”.
A natural “anomaly”
This 1064-carat emerald is a record-breaker.
In terms of weight, this gemstone joins the exclusive circle of exceptional emeralds discovered in the Muzo mine, alongside the Duke of Devonshire Emerald (1383 carats) and the Patricia Emerald (632 carats).
Its color is also abnormally intense with a deep green hue, characteristic of stones from the Muzo mines, renowned for their rich saturation and unparalleled purity.
The exceptional nature of this stone also stems from the unique formation process specific to Colombian emeralds. The Muzo mines are unique in that they produce emeralds in a sedimentary rather than metamorphic environment. In other words, sedimentary rock forms on the earth’s surface, while so-called metamorphic rock comes from deep below the surface, where it is subjected to high pressures and temperatures. As sedimentary rock, the 1064-carat rough stone extracted from the Muzo mine retains its natural hexagonal structure, a phenomenon rare enough to be worth mentioning.
“A rough emerald of this size and quality is a true anomaly in the world of precious stones. Its rarity and brilliance make it a specimen that rivals the greatest known treasures of gemology,” said the Emerald company.
As the company behind its discovery points out, the majority of rough emeralds mined in Colombia weigh less than 100 carats. Suffice to say that this specimen is likely to attract the attention of collectors, investors and experts from all over the world.
Excavations in the Colombian Andes
Renowned for the quality and weight of its emeralds, the Muzo mine – from which 70% of the world’s production is extracted – is located in the eastern Andes, more than a hundred kilometers northwest of Bogotá.
But to find these exceptional gems, you still need to muster up your courage and cross a chaotic road winding through the lush jungle and steep mountains, sinking into the clouds and skirting the precipices.
Formerly opencast, these mines were exploited by the conquistadors from 1594. However, it is thought that the Amerindians began extracting emeralds using tropical hardwoods and water poles as long as five centuries before the arrival of the Spanish.
Owned by TEXMA since November 2009, the five mines that make up the site are now underground. The most impressive, the La Rampa pilot mine, goes 400 meters into the depths of the earth by means of a winding gallery. The Tequendama, Catedral and Volvere shafts go down to a depth of more than 100 meters, while the oldest, Puerto Arturo, goes down more than 150 meters.
In view of the extreme conditions at the site, the Muzo mine is now making its entire sector safe and integrating all the professions from extraction to distribution into its emerald production activity, with respect for nature and people.
State-of-the-art traceability
The Emerald company can boast of strengthening its legitimacy as a stone specialist and jeweler after the discovery of such a rough stone in the historic birthplace of the world’s most prized emeralds. But the company also values its status as a technology company.
It has developed unparalleled traceability for its gems, born of the combination of numerous advanced technologies, including blockchain and artificial intelligence.
The company thus guarantees the complete traceability of its emeralds. Thanks to its partnership with Provenance Proof, it is implementing transparent monitoring from mine to market, thus addressing customer concerns about the origin and authenticity of these precious stones.
This new transparency brings with it the hope of democratizing both the process and the fair final price.
On the social level, Emerald is committed to ensuring fair and safe working conditions for the 700 miners at the Muzo site and supports local economic development in the region.
Read also > The Aga Khan emerald sets a new record for Christie’s
Featured photo: © Emerald
