How and where are emeralds mined?
Emeralds are precious stones, minerals of the beryllium group. They are mined all over the world, but the most valuable pieces of jewelry are found in a very limited number of countries, including Russia.
Emeralds have been known to mankind for a long time. They serve as talismans and a symbol of the marriage bed, people endowed them with magical properties, and today these gems are also a sought-after investment asset.
In this article, we will tell you everything about the mining of emeralds: how the deposits are developed, in which countries the rarest and most valuable stones are found, and what determines the cost of this rich green gem.
A brief insight into the history of emeralds
The first historical mentions of emeralds date back to the 4th millennium BC. These gemstones were common in Babylon, where the center of the jewelry trade was at that time. In addition, it is reliably known that emeralds were prized by the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra. It is in her honor that one of the largest deposits of the Arabian Peninsula, Cleopatra’s Mine, is named. When the ancient Egyptian queen wanted to express a special sign of attention to someone, she gave this person an emerald with her portrait carved on it.
In Ancient Egypt, jewelry with emeralds was presented to young girls, as it was believed that this gem helps maintain chastity. Lovers also exchanged rings with a bright green gem, thus, they swore an oath of allegiance.
In ancient India, emeralds were also loved. Sultan Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, especially appreciated these precious stones. He wore jewelry with emeralds as talismans. The sad yet romantic story of the Taj Mahal and its founder highlighted the bond of these gems with strong love and loyalty.
Because of the rich and vibrant color, people attributed mystical properties to emeralds. So, according to one of the legends, in the crown of Lucifer, there was just such a stone. And, when this angel was cast out of paradise, the emerald fell out and fell to the ground. The wise stone did not want to be a servant of evil, so it left the owner.
Today, emeralds are already mined industrially, but they still give rise to legends and stories.
Where are emeralds mined?
Emeralds are found in different types of rocks. This is due to some versatility of the physical and chemical processes due to which this gem is formed. There are three types of emerald deposits:
- Pegmatities;
- Pneumatolytic and thermal;
- Placer.
Now we will tell you more about them.
Pegmatitic emerald deposits
Pegmatitic deposits usually contain emeralds, which often don’t have gem value. These gemstones are characterized by a faded color and are often opaque due to their high content of impurities. Emeralds found in pegmatitic deposits are cut into cabochons and used to make inexpensive jewelry.
Nuggets are found in pegmatitic deposits, which consist of several crystals of emeralds accreted on one base, they are called druse. Such specimens are not cut but sent to collections in their original state. Their cost significantly exceeds the cost of faceted emeralds.
Pegmatitic deposits of emeralds are located in North America and Norway.
Pneumatolytic and thermal emerald deposits
High-quality jewelry emeralds with pure color and high transparency are mined precisely on pneumatolytic and thermal deposits. These gemstones are free of impurities, have a homogeneous structure, and their chemical formula includes carbon, magnesium, and chromium. Due to their pure color, these emeralds are highly prized in the jewelry market and are often comparable in price to diamonds.
Pneumatolytic and thermal emerald deposits are located in the Urals, Colombia, Australia, Brazil. Small deposits have also been found in Africa and India.
Placer emerald deposits
Placer deposits are formed in places of geothermal activity and represent the outcropping of large fragments of various rocks on the ground. It is among them that you can find an emerald. Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, stones found in placer deposits are of relatively low quality and small size.
So, placer deposits are found in Brazil, Australia and Zimbabwe. However, they are practically not developed due to the low value of the stones found there.
Some particularly large emerald deposits
Deposits in Colombia
Colombian emeralds are mined primarily in the east of the Cordillera. It is believed that a significant part of precious stones is exported from the country illegally, smuggled, after which it is “laundered” and sold in American, European, and Japanese jewelry stores.
Despite the fact that Colombian deposits give unique stones, emerald mining in this country is associated with tragedy and crime. Banditry, violations of laws, harsh working conditions, local mines are far from ethical work. There is even an “emerald mafia” in the country.
However, it is in Colombia that some of the purest and brightest stones are mined.
Colombian emeralds are some of the most expensive and don’t need advertising. In fact, Columbia Emeralds is a real brand selling itself. And the largest and oldest deposits are Muzo, Chivor and Peñas Blancas.
In addition, here you can find unique trapiche emeralds with a complex crystal shape, a pattern similar to a wheel, a flower, or a snowflake is formed on the cut of the gem stone.
Deposits in Zambia
In the South African state of Zambia, a deposit of emeralds was recently discovered, comparable in quality to Colombian ones. The Kagem mines, located near the city of Kitwe, contain a huge amount of gem-quality stones. The deposit was discovered in the early 2000s, and since then Zambia has reliably established itself in the emerald market.
Zambian emeralds are characterized by rich color and high transparency.
Deposits in Brazil
Almost a quarter of all emeralds on the jewelry market come from Brazil. These stones are characterized by a low price, but quite attractive qualities. They are not as bright as Colombian and Zambian, often have a slight yellow tint, and are quite transparent.
Most of the Brazilian deposits are located in the east of the state. They are developed by private prospectors who extract rocks from the surface. Potentially, cleaner emeralds can be found in the soil, but local seekers have no money to build mines, and the state is not interested in allocating funds for the mining of jewelry.
The largest emerald found in Brazil weighed 57,500 carats (11.5 kg). It sold for over $ 1 million. The emerald was named Teodora.
Deposits in the Urals
Russian emeralds are mined in the Urals, and the largest deposit is the Malyshevsky deposit, which has been developed since the 1830s. Estimates show that there are over 60 tons of gemstones here.
Emeralds in the Urals have been mined since the time of the Russian Empire. In the 19th century, they were considered the best in the world. The Soviet Union significantly slowed down and curtailed the development of the field, as the state needed beryllium, a metal for the defense industry.
They began to develop deposits not for the mining of emeralds, but for the production of beryllium ore, and it was mined by drilling and blasting, which is completely unacceptable for gem stones. Therefore, in the XX century, the quality of gems from the Ural mines has deteriorated significantly. And those who sold Colombian and Brazilian emeralds took advantage of this. They said that the Ural deposits were exhausted. But in reality, the poor quality was associated with the method of extraction. Since the precious crystals were destroyed in the explosion, the gems found in the ore were cracked and defective.
After the dissolution of the USSR, the mining of emeralds in the Ural mines was tried to be restored. However, due to the ruined economy of the country, the field has changed hands many times to foreign companies. Many mines were destroyed so as not to compete with the already untwisted mines from South America. And only after the nationalization of the enterprise by the state, work on the mining of emeralds was restored.
After the Russian Federation gained independence, the mining of emeralds was completely resumed.
Ural emeralds are still considered one of the best precious stones on the planet. They are characterized by bright grassy colors and amazing transparency. Large, rich color and high purity Ural emeralds are valued higher than diamonds.
The Urals emeralds are quite rare, there are not so many of them on the market, but they are there, they are in demand, and are growing in price.
Deposits in Egypt and other countries
Deposits in Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula are among the first known to mankind. Their development began before our era. Today, emeralds are mined in deposits in the Zabara foothills and near the city of El Quseir.
Also, active development of emerald deposits is underway in Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and on the island of Madagascar.
How emeralds are mined
Mining of emeralds can be carried out by open method or in mines. The first method is suitable for the development of deposits of precious stones located on the surface of the earth. So, emeralds are mined, for example, in Brazil, where manual labor is actively used, people are looking for gems and sorting out the soil without deepening.
Similarly, emeralds are mined in Colombia, where prospectors often have to work 16 hours in search of precious stones. The open-cut method was also used in the Malyshevsky deposit until the 1970s, but then deepening began.
Today, in the Malyshevsky deposit and many other deposits, a closed method is used, the development of mines. For example, in the Urals, their depth can reach 300 meters. At the same time, automation is widely used to improve the safety of miners. Of course, the closed (deep) method requires significant costs but in this way, you can find the most valuable and expensive stones.
Explosives can also be used in the development of mines. It is laid in such a way that the precious stones are not damaged during detonation. The resulting soil is then sent to a factory, where emeralds are separated from stones and clay.
Collected gems are tested and peer-reviewed and then sent to the market for cutting and sale.
What forms the price of emeralds
The value of emeralds is determined by their color and clarity. The most expensive stones are deep green or bright herbaceous, without inclusions, and transparent.
Also, the price of an emerald is influenced by:
- Country of origin;
- Type and quality of cut;
- Size (in this case, the price increases non-linearly, since large stones are encountered less often than small ones);
- Gemological research and certification.
It is important to check the emerald correctly upon purchase. Large stones, completely devoid of inclusions, can be of laboratory origin. They are less valuable than natural ones. You can also ask the seller for a certificate from the gemological laboratory, this document will indicate all the characteristics of the stone, often indicating the emerald deposit.
You can buy jewelry with natural emeralds of the highest quality in our store.
