Colombian emeralds vs Zambian emeralds
If there were to be a competitor worthy of comparison in beauty and color to Colombian emeralds, surely the Zambian gems would be the ones that would take the lead.
Most of the emeralds that are distributed worldwide come from one of the mines in these two countries, Colombia and Zambia, so it is very common to ask ourselves: What is the difference between one and the other? And which ones should I buy?
Therefore, we have prepared this article to synthesize the main characteristics of each stone, their similarities and differences, and above all, so that you understand why choose national emeralds.
Colombian emeralds
To start talking about Colombian emeralds, it must be said that they are recognized for being the most beautiful, green and unique gems in the world.
When it comes to emeralds, Colombia has long been at the forefront, producing between 70% and 90% of the total world supply of emeralds.
These Colombian gems are known for their high quality and vivid colors. The color of Colombian emeralds comes mainly from the presence of chromium, which gives them an impressive deep dark green color to the naked eye.
The emerald areas of the country are Boyacá and Cundinamarca. Located in the northwestern part of the department of Boyacá, Muzo , is where the largest deposits of this precious stone are concentrated, however, the mines of Borbur, Coscuez, Chivor, Peñas Blancas, La Pita and Quípama also stand out.
Likewise, Gachetá and Gachalá , two municipalities in the northeast of Cundinamarca, complete the most important area of emerald exploitation in the country.
Zambian emeralds
The Republic of Zambia is located in southern Africa, in a region rich in precious stones. Kagem is the largest emerald mine in Zambia and has a long history of producing high quality emeralds.
For the past three years, Kagem has produced an average of 6.5 million carats of emeralds annually. This has made the country the destination for many buyers of the highly coveted green stone.
Two distinctive characteristics of Zambian emeralds is that they have a higher level of crystallization than Colombian emeralds, and in turn, have a desirable vivid bluish-green color.
Zambian emeralds have been slowly increasing in price, these days they are still a great option if you want a stunning emerald at a low price.
Of all the emeralds in the world, the one extracted in Zambia is one of the strong competitions of the Colombian emeralds, however, they do not reach the level of beauty and quality of the national ones.
Zambia vs Colombia
In terms of chemical properties, both gemstones are very similar. For example, both Zambian and Colombian emeralds have the same degree of hardness, between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale.
However, due to inclusions and other factors, these stones have many differences, which we will review below
Paula A. Bonilla
Social communicator and journalist from Sergio Arboleda University in Colombia. She is also a jeweler and is passionate about constantly learning about precious gems and national high jewelry.
Currently, she is working for one of Bogotá's most important jewelry stores, Emerald by Love. This jewelry store has over 40 years of experience and has 2 physical branches in the capital city of Colombia, located in the city center.
