GOLD & GEMS Emeralds are green precious stones that are mined from the ground. They are the premier gems in the Beryl family of stone-rocks. For more than 4,000 years, emeralds have been among the most valuable of all jewels on earth. Colombia, located on the continent of South America, is the country that mines and produces the most emeralds for the global market of this product. It is estimated that Colombia accounts for nearly 70-90% of the world's emerald market.[1] While commercial grade emeralds are quite plentiful, fine and extra fine quality emeralds are extremely rare. Depending on their market-value—determined by factors such as size, color, purity, and brilliance—a low to high retail price range of emeralds is estimated as so: Commercial stones are ranged $300.00 to $5,250.00 per-Carat; Good stones are ranged $5,250.00 to $10,125.00 per-Carat; Fine stones are ranged $10,125.00 to $20,900.00 per-Carat; Extra Fine stones are ranged $20,900.00 to $90,800.00 per-Carat. The state departments in Colombia where most of the emerald mining takes place are in the regions of Boyacá and Cundinamarca, both found on the eastern ridge of the Andes Mountains that runs north-south throughout the entire country. Because of the rarity of sedimentary rock found in the emerald deposits of the Andes Mountains, Colombian emerald companies believe this condition to be the reason why Colombian emerald deposits are, ""the purest emerald deposits found on earth.""     |