How to invest in Colombian emeralds?
Every day, a wide variety of buyers are looking to invest in the world's most famous emeralds, the Colombian ones.
However, even if there are years of experience in the purchase and sale of these precious gems, there are usually people and even commercial establishments that fail in the attempt.
Either because they acquire overvalued emeralds, synthetic emeralds or emeralds that are not even Colombians.
Making the decision to invest money in these gems is not an easy task, as there are different levels of risk.
Therefore, taking into account our years of experience and the learning obtained by investing in these gems, we will give you some parameters so that you can invest in Colombian emeralds. Let's go.
Where should I go?
Each city or municipality of the country where this gem is marketed, has a specific area, neighborhood or location destined for the purchase and sale of 100% Colombian emeralds.
If this is the case and you wish to make your purchase in a commercial establishment, you must ensure that it has a RUCOM (Single Register of Mineral Marketingers), since this document will ensure the authenticity of the emeralds and the legality of their marketing.
In the case of Emerald by love, we worry about always delivering quality emeralds. For this reason, our customers are sure to buy certified natural emeralds, which are further carefully evaluated in quality, origin, treatments, etc.
On the other hand, if you want to make a slightly more traditional purchase, in the city of Bogotá you will find the Emeralds of the emeralds a place located in front of the station of transmilenio Museo del Oro, next to the University of Rosario. There, you'll find the famous commissioners, men and women in charge of marketing this precious gem.
What aspects should I take into account to invest in emeralds?
Colombia is characterized by its mineral mineral wealth, being the second exporter of emeralds in the world. Therefore, it is normal to want to invest in this stone, either to ride it in a jewel or to sell it in the future.
Once it has been decided on the safe place to invest in emeralds, it is time to look at them in detail, here tips not to buy and leave in losses:
- Form: Define what size or cuts you want to acquire is. I mean, you want a round emerald, square, emerald carving, trapiche, oval, heart, cabin, etc. This will be important to define the value of the gem.
- Size: Like most gemstones, emeralds can be presented in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from 0.02 to 0.5 carats to gemstones of 1 to 5 carat gemstones.
- Check the color: emeralds come in a wide range of colors. Color is one of the most important factors in determining the value of an emerald. The difference in the color of the emeralds is due to the different amounts of chrome, vanadium and iron in the environment in which they formed, so you must establish if you want a crystalline emerald (clear, transparent foe) or an emerald of good color (green bluish or intense green).
- Look for inclusions: The inclusions are all material (such as gas bubbles or tiny crystals) that has been trapped inside a gemstone during its formation. An emerald with excessive inclusions that diminish its transparency or clarity is worth less than an emerald with less inclusions.
Be cautious with the inclusions that reach the surface of the precious stone, as they can cause it to fracture in the future.
- Treatments: Due to the fact that emeralds often have notorious inclusions, it is well known that some emeralds and jewelers choose to apply treatments with oil, acids or other substances to be applied to stones so that emeralds light up purer.
Therefore, you should bear in mind that when a stone is treated its value decreases. Likewise, the less treatment you will be the more appealous, therefore, the more expensive.
- Certify your emeralds: In order to properly assess the value of an emerald you consider buying, you can request a report from a gemological laboratory. This will identify the type, size, cutting, clarity, color and origin of the emerald.
This assessment will give you a degree of confidence in the quality and value of the precious stone, even before you get the quote from a third party.
Tips to invest in emeralds
Investing in emeralds may not be so easy if not much is known about this issue, despite this, beyond investing with fear, what we are looking for with this article is that you have the tools necessary both to choose the right emerald, and to pay the right price for this gem.
These are the final tips we suggest you take into account once you've chosen the emerald or lot of emeralds in which you will invest your money.
- Budget: have a fixed budget set for the purchase of one or more emeralds. Remember that it is always valid to negotiate a lower price taking into account the treatments or quality of the gem.
Also, keep in mind that if it is a lot in which you only found a value stone, you can ask the owner if it is possible to choose from that batch a single emerald, (sometimes, choosing from a specific batch a single emerald can increase the value of this gem)
- Factors that drop price: remember that regardless of color, shape or weight, there are characteristics that discount value to the emerald stone. Treatments, if this emerald is natural or synthetic and even your country of origin, will be factors to take into account in the final price.
- Certificate: Whatever the place or person, ask to be certified the emerald. Under no circumstances can they deny you this document. You'd better not close the business without you being given this certificate.
- Commission: In some cases, commissioners who sell you an emerald ask for a certain percentage of profits to be obtained and/or have the stone you need, so ask to be clarified if this value will be charged to you, whether it is included in the final value and how much percentage it is.
- Value for money: you may find the right emerald, but the price does not go according to the emerald you will get. Whether it's because this is much more expensive than it looks or because it's very economical, it's worth asking why the price and whether you have any treatment or detail that gives you this value.
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.
