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The Emerald – Colombia's Gem of Folklore, Aid, and Legend
By Habeeb Salloum

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The Emerald – Colombia's Gem of Folklore, Aid, and Legend

By Habeeb Salloum

"Of all things which bounteous earth supplies
Nothing in greenness with the emerald vies;
Of mighty use to seers who seek to pry
Into the future hid from mortal eye."

So wrote the 14th century Marbod, Bishop of Rennes, when describing the emerald – for thousands of years one of the most expensive and durable gemstones in the world.

I was thinking of these lines on my first trip to Cartagena, Colombia's foremost resort. As I explored the endless emerald shops in that city of Conquistadors where the legend of El Dorado was born, I could see why this gem which some call the 'jewel of kings' had, through the ages, entrapped, besides bishops, endless streams of people enamoured with precious stones.

For many centuries emeralds were much sought after by the kings and sultans of India, the Ottoman Empire, Persia and the other countries of the East. They have graced the regal ears and necks of potentates and princesses since the time of the pharaohs. Yet, in our times, they have developed a dark history related to bribery, robbery and smuggling. Mostly mined in the poorer countries of the world, the majority of these strange and sensual quixotic stones are sold on a profitable, but deadly black market.

Emerald pendant. Emeralds are the most prized of the beryl family of precious stones. This beautiful piece was photographed at Caribe Jewellers in Cartagena, Columbia. Photo by Habeeb Salloum.

A good emerald is worth more than a same weight diamond. The Pope's ring carries this legendary gem and, in the past, the crowns of Persia and a good number of India's rajahs were adorned with the largest of these gemstones. The history of emeralds goes back to some 4,000 years, but until the 16th century Egypt was the only known source from whence they came. The mines were located along the country's Red Sea coast on the slopes of the Sikait and Zubara Mountains. Ruins of these quarries which came to be known as 'Cleopatra's Mines' are still visible today.

By the time that the Americas were discovered, the Egyptian emerald mines had been exhausted. However, after the Spanish conquest of South America, emeralds were to become much more common than in the previous centuries.

When the Conquistadors landed in what is today Colombia, they found a land overflowing with these precious gems – of a much better quality than those which had been quarried in Egypt. The Chibcha Indians who employed emeralds in religious offerings, personal adornment and trade, had mined these stones long before the Spanish conquest. The sight of so many emeralds among the natives aroused the greed of the Conquistadors. In a few years, thereafter, they had relieved the Indians and their temples of these precious stones. They then enslaved the natives and forced them to mine emeralds on a large scale.

Seeing the appetite of the Spaniards for gold, silver and precious stones, the Indians covered their mines and never revealed them to their conquerors. They hid them so well that up until the present time only two of their quarry sites have been discovered.

Emerald artisans at work in Cartagena. Along the edge of the bench can be seen several emeralds. Photo by Habeeb Salloum.

One of these, Muzo, worked by the Indians for over a 1,000 years and now a giant open-pit, is still in operation. Located near Bogotá, the country's capital, it has produced the largest and choicest diamonds ever found and remains the world's principal producer of these gems.

Today, world-wide, a billion dollars of emeralds are mined every year – 50% of these in Colombia, followed by Zambia, then Brazil, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and small amounts are found in a dozen other countries. However, nowhere on the globe are they found in such high quality and quantity as in Colombia.

Emeralds, chemically a beryllium aluminum silicate with a small amount of chromium which produces a rich transparent green, are the most prized of the beryl family of precious stones. They come in a broad spectrum of green with hundreds of shades and colour combinations. The unique ones are those with a soothing and phenomenal mellow green – mostly mined in Colombia.

The rough stones are usually found in veins of calcite – a dark-coloured carbon bearing limestone. Most are flawed hexagonal prisms, rarely exceeding 5 cm (2 in).

Artisan inspecting an emerald during the cutting process. Photo by Habeeb Salloum.

Of all the precious stones, emeralds are the only ones accepted with internal inclusions (imperfections). These faults indicate that the stones are natural rather than man-made. Large flawless stones are a rarity and the most valuable of all gems.

The production of artificial emeralds is relatively new. The first synthetic emerald was produced in 1935 by Carroll Chatham in his California laboratory. In the ensuing years, there was a large demand for these man-made stones, selling at about a tenth of the price of a real emerald.

Since Pharaonic times emeralds have been employed in folk medicine and through the centuries have become the bases of folklore and legends. The ancient Egyptians were the first to imbue them with magical powers – for women they became a symbol of desire, fertility and joy.

In India, which imported the stones from Egypt, a wealth of lore is attributed to them in Sanskrit sources. The Indians believed that emeralds were effective in warding off evil, misery and ill-fortune; keeping the body healthy; in the treatment of poisons and snake bites; and in the washing away of sin.

Egyptian and Indian lore about emeralds spread to ancient Greece, Rome and among the early Christians. Caesar wore an emerald around his neck to prevent epileptic fits and according to the Bible, the emerald is the '4th stone' assigned to the 4th apostle, John the Evangelist, and as the 4th foundation stone of Jerusalem.

The emerald entered Western folklore through Spain in a substantial way after the Arabs conquered the Iberian Peninsula. In the subsequent centuries, its lore spread to the remainder of medieval Europe. In his book Emerald and the Other Beryls, John Sinkankas attributes over a hundred occult properties to this gem.

Emerald jewellery on display at a shop in Cartagena. Photo by Habeeb Salloum.

Medieval man believed that emeralds contained magical powers that could undo magic spells, improve memory, reveal infidelities of lovers, sharpen the wit and enable eloquent speech. Others attributed to them divine glory, benevolence of the heart and control of the planet Venus.

In addition, for hundreds of years, emeralds were employed in the treatment of eye problems, fevers, digestive tract ailments and contagious diseases. A good number of folk doctors in the Middle Ages believed that emeralds relieved dysentery, helped in easing the complication of childbirth and healed the stings of venomous creatures. Generally, most people thought that they aided in maintaining good health.

In pre-Columbian Central America, the emerald had a bizarre spiritual function. The Tezcuco Indians, to soothe their victims before sacrifice, placed a pyramidal emerald on their foreheads.

Remnants of the medieval belief in the power of emeralds has filtered down to our times – a continuation of its universal appeal. It is the birthstone for May (the star sign Taurus), the gem for celebrating 55 years of marriage and the talisman for Mondays and the second hour of each day.

As it has been since the Spaniards landed in the new world, Colombia remains the fountainhead of emeralds and Bogotá the emerald capital of the world. Most of today's emeralds come from mines hidden deep within the jagged peaks of the Colombian Andes, mainly in the region of Boyacá.

Everyone in the country seems to have some connection with emeralds. Rarely does a visitor not meet someone who knows a person offering the best deal.

On the other hand, emeralds in that country have a darker side. The violence begun by the Conquistadors when they robbed the Indians of their emeralds has never stopped. Death, bribery, kidnapping and illicit trade are commonplace. Most of the newly mined emeralds are smuggled out of the country – a good portion by way of the black market to the U.S.A.

What makes Colombian emeralds so much sought after are their colour and proverbial fine quality. They have a symbiotic relationship with Colombian gold with which artisans combine the stones into exotically designed bijouterie.

Rarely does a person who visits that gem-laden land return without an emerald set in an enticing piece of jewellery. As it has been for millennia, this stone of folklore and legends continues to ensnare those seeking the exotic.

How to Buy Emeralds

When choosing emeralds, note that a carat weighs 1/5 of a gram and a point is 1/100 of a carat. Inclusions are imperfections contained in a gem and a natural is an inclusion which reaches the surface.

The best colour is an intense medium-dark, moss-grass green. The brilliance and sparkle of the stone is also important, compensating, at times, for light colour. Stones that are black spotted, cloudy, milky, opaque or translucent are generally the least valuable.

To examine the stone, always ask for a loupe (magnifying glass) to check for surface flaws, chips, pits and other imperfections which will dramatically lower the price of the emerald.

The price of a good emerald is around $1000.00 a carat – a pair of earrings with 0.2 emerald costs around $150.00. Also, the gold in which they are mounted – 14 or 18 karat – is important in the pricing.

However, the most important factor in buying emeralds is one's taste. Arabs and other peoples from the East prefer brilliant sparkling stones while those in the West prefer deep colours.

References

Desautels, P.E. The Mineral Kingdom. Ridge Press, Inc., Verona, Italy, 1968.

Dydynski, K. Colombia – A Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet Publications, Victoria, Australia, 1988.

Fay, F.S. The Rockhound's Manual. Harper & Row Publishers, New York, 1972.

Hurlbut, Jr., C.S. Minerals and Man. Random House, New York, 1968.

Rathone, J.P. Ecuador. The Galapogos and Colombia. Cadogan Books, The Globe Pequot Press, Chester, Connecticut, 1991.

Sinkankas, J. Emerald and Other Beryls. Chilton Book Company, Radnor, Pennsylvania, 1881.

Ward, Fred. The Timeless Mystique of Emeralds. National Geographic. Vol. 178, No. 1, July 1990, p. 38 to 69.

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