A Brief History Of Muzo Emeralds

For thousands of years, Emeralds have been considered as one of the world’s most valuable gemstones. The first ever recorded emeralds date back to ancient Egypt, where they were particularly admired by Queen Cleopatra. In ancient times, Emeralds were believed to increase
intelligence, protect marriages, ease childbirth, and thought to enable its possessor, the power of predicting future events.

Colombia has been the prime location for the mining of the finest quality emeralds in the world. These beautiful gemstones are set apart from emeralds from any other region, due to their incomparable brilliant green, free of any bluish tinge.
 

Many of the great emeralds found in Persia and Ottoman Turkey were said to have come from an "Old Mine" in India. But it turned out that most of them had actually originated in Colombia and were only cut and polished in India.

Muzo is by far the largest and most lucrative Columbian emerald mine in the world. For a thousand years, it has produced the biggest and best quality emeralds, including fist-size stones sold by Chibcha Indians to the Spanish conquistadores.

Muzo, has always been and still is one of the most dangerous places on earth to visit. An emerald war between Esmeralderos (local independent miners) and the Boyaca families lasted for six years and ended in 1990 leaving the emerald lord, Victor Carranza as the most powerful man in the
business. The safest way to visit the Muzo mine these days is by helicopter.
 

However, the veins at Muzo are now largely exhausted and the mine produces lower quality gemstones than it did in the past. We only acquire emeralds which were mined many years ago,thereby maintaining the quality of our jewellery.