By Cynthia Unninayar

According to Andean Indian mythology, emeralds were the tears that an ancient princess shed upon the death of her prince. The Muzo mines in Colombia, named after the tribe that inhabited this area, were in use for at least five hundred years before the Spaniards arrived in the New World in 1492.

Muzo region and the Rio Minero river (photo: Serge Sibert).

When the conquistadores discovered the secret location of the legendary Muzo mines in 1538, they began a mining operation that would last for centuries. During this time, Muzo emeralds were sent all over Europe, to the Spanish Royal Court, and even as far away as India where they adorned the treasures of the great Moguls.

The Puerto Arturo winding shaft at the Muzo mines, depth of 150 meters; A Muzo miner finds a rough emerald (photos: Serge Sibert).

Today, the fame of the legendary Muzo mines carries on. Nestled in the foothills of the eastern branch of the Andes Mountains, 100 kilometres north-northwest of Bogotá, these mines continue to produce remarkable emeralds, gems that are prized for their size, clarity and, of course, their ideal colour—a saturated, pure green to slightly bluish-green.

This 15.54-ct Muzo emerald shows the saturated, pure green to slightly bluishgreen colour characteristic of Muzo emeralds. (photo: Muzo International).

Now, however, it is not the conquistadores, who extract these beautiful gems, but Muzo International, a branch of Texma Group, which obtained exclusive mining rights in November 2009. When it comes to mining emeralds in Colombia, Muzo International takes a different and “greener” approach. With this company, it is about taking the gem from mine to market. After the emeralds are extracted, they are polished and facetted by the company’s skilled cutters, working under environmental initiatives and safety protocols that are among the strictest in the world.

A 6.55-ct Muzo emerald, cut from a 10.06-ct rough (photo: Muzo International).

With complete control of the value chain from mine to market, Muzo International thus ensures that both the stones themselves and the methods by which they have been processed are of the highest quality, and is the foundation for the three pillars differentiating Muzo emeralds:

• Quality: When necessary, only nonpermanent cedar oil is used to embellish the stones.

• Certified Muzo origin: Each emerald is accompanied by a certificate confirming its origin and authenticity as a Muzo emerald from a highly respected independent gemmological laboratory in Switzerland.

• Traceability: Each emerald is individually numbered and can be traced back to the rough it originates from.

Muzo children at the school managed by Muzo International (photo: Serge Sibert).

Throughout the entire process, Muzo International’s commitment to social, ethical and environmental standards remains steadfast, and is implemented via its Corporate Social Responsibility and environmental initiatives. And, it is not just its own workers who benefit, but the entire region. Reforestation, improved sanitary conditions, and public health campaigns with a focus on the control of tropical diseases through vaccination and increased awareness of risk factors are all part of Muzo International’s charter. The company’s goal is to create an organizational culture committed to sustainable mining development, which can promote personal and business growth in a responsible framework for the individual, the community, and the environment. And, all of this while producing beautiful emeralds.

A 10.23-ct Muzo emerald, from an 81.62-ct rough, certified to be resin-free (photo: Muzo International).

Among the more exceptional gems to come from Muzo is the Fura Emerald. Discovered thirteen years ago, this 15,000-carat (2.270 kg) rough stone is five times larger than the more famous Unguentarium in the Vienna Imperial Treasury.

Muzo is also where the most valuable rough emerald in the world was found, based on outstanding colour and brightness. The 2,000-carat Tena was named for a mythical queen from that region whose tears were said to have created the emeralds. Its estimated worth far exceeds that of the emerald brooch once owned by Russian Empress Catherine the Great that sold at auction in 2010 for $1,650,500.

But it is not just about size. Muzo emeralds, in fact, come in all sizes and are prized for their quality, clarity, and ideal colour, which ranges from saturated green to a slightly bluish-green hue. One such stone, a magnificent 12.01-carat blue-green emerald, shattered the world record for carat price at a Sotheby’s auction in Geneva garnering $1,440,219 for an unheard of $119,000 per carat. Another exceptional, transparent, and enhancement-free Muzo emerald (9.27-ct) sold at Christies for $835,682. The report from the SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute, certifying its Colombian origin stated, “Natural emeralds from Colombia of this size, colour, and purity represent a great rarity and the described gemstone is thus a very exceptional treasure.”

Cutting experts analyze rough emeralds to understand the best cutting path; Each important emerald is manually faceted and hand polished to achieve the perfect stone cut (photos: Serge Sibert).

Clearly proud of its facetted gems, Muzo International also takes pride in the fact that its cutting workshops in Bogota have obtained ISO 9001 certification. This official recognition establishes a solid framework for a systematic approach of all internal processes in order to satisfy the expectations of its customers. Muzo International emeralds are sold exclusively through a network of representatives, which includes the most trusted names in the gemstone and jewellery industry.

An 8.76-ct emerald cut in Muzo International’s Bogotá workshops, from a 47.88-ct rough, mined in Muzo, Colombia, certified to be resin-free (photo: Muzo International).

By controlling every aspect of emerald production, from the mines through the expert cutting and polishing, as well as the marketing of the finished stones, Muzo International not only maintains absolute control over the quality of its stones, but is also improving the quality of life for an entire region. It is a company that is certainly redefining green.

www.muzoemerald.com