Colombia

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The famous emerald deposits of the Cordillera Oriental were mined by local natives long before the invasive campaings of the conquistadors. They have been intensely exploited since that time and have produced more high-quality gemstones, than the combined production of all other deposits in the world. The deposits are in Boyaca and Kudinamarka Departments, 75 to 150 km north and northeast of Bogota. In the 1970s a large placer emerald deposit was discovered near the settlement of Yacopi. The emerald-bearing belt of the Cordillera Oriental can be traced north-northwesterly for more than 100 km from Chivor to Penas Blancas.

All Colombian emerald deposits are similar in structure and are characterized by vein-veinlet mineralized zones and stockworks in the Lower Cretaceous carbonate-shale sequence.

Ref: E.Ya. Kievlenko (2003) Geology of gems, p. 99

Gemstone List

Gem list contains entries from all listed localities in region.

Beryl var: Emerald Calcite

Corundum var: Ruby var: Sapphire Euclase

Glass var: Obsidian Parisite Pyrite

Sphalerite Tektite

Localities in this Region

Colombia Boyacá Department Chivor Chivor Mine Western Boyacá Province Muzo Municipality Cincho Mine Muzo Mine Puerto Arturo Mine Tequendama Mine Pauna La Marina Mine Quípama Pava Mine San Pablo de Borbur Coscuez Mine Peña Blanca Mine Cauca Department Mercaderes Río Mayo Cundinamarca Department Gachalá Ubalá Buenavista Mines