Zambian Emerald vs Colombian Emerald [Explained]

Today the most popular Emeralds are coming from either Colombia or Zambia. Emeralds are gemstones made from the mineral called Beryl. The word Emerald comes from the French word ‘Esmeraude’, which means green gem. Emeralds come in the natural green colour, which is a result of the presence of Chromium and Vanadium in them. Different countries are know to produce Emeralds and each region has their own special characteristics. Amongst these countries are Zambia, Brazil, Afghanistan, China, France, and Colombia. This article focuses mainly on Zambian Emerald vs Colombian Emerald as these are the world’s highest producers of Emeralds.

Zambian Emerald

Zambian Emerald is a blueish green gemstone made in the Kafubu river area of Zambia which dates back to 1976. Zambia, being the second largest producer of Emerald in the world, has mined up to 20% of the world’s Emerald, worthy of recognition as Zambian Emeralds. In this development, companies like Gemfields and Tiffany & Co, have worked hand-in-hand with Zambia to popularise and increase the demand for this precious gem in the foreign and local markets. Since its inception the largest mine is the Kagem mine. With the help of celebrities like Mila Kunis who have worn these incredible Emeralds on the red carpet, the Zambian Emerald has become very popular with the American market.

Gemfields have also positioned themselves as an ethical mining partner who have partnered with Gübelin Gem Lab to create the Emerald paternity test.

Colombian Emerald

Colombian Emerald on the other hand is produced in Colombia, a country in the South American continent. Colombia mines and produces the world’s largest quantity of Emerald. Most of these Emeralds are made in Boyaca and Cundinamarca, with the three major mines being Muzo, Coscuez and Chivor. They produce the purest dark green Emeralds in the world. History remembers Colombian Emeralds for some of the famous ones like the Duke of Devonshire Emerald, named after Duke of Devonshire the sixth, Patricia Emerald, Crown of the Andes and the Tena Emerald, which happens to be the most valuable Emerald in the world. Although it was the major cause of the green war from the mid-1950s in the country. The Colombian Emerald trade has been accepted as a leading trade in Colombia’s economy.

Zambian Emerald vs Colombian Emerald

Here are some facts about the two Emeralds

Zambian Emeralds are cleaner and more saturated in its bluish-green colour, while Colombian Emeralds are purer and dark green in colour
Zambian and Colombian Emeralds though fragile, hold a hardness of 7.5-8 MOHS, showing a great amount of strength
Colombian Emeralds are made from sedimentary rocks and have more inclusions than the Zambian Emeralds which are made from Metavolcanic and Metasedimentary rocks
Colombian Emeralds are 70-90% of the world’s Emeralds and are more expensive per carat than the Zambian Emeralds which makes up only 20% of the world’s Emerald
They both have oil drop effects
Colombian Emeralds have an older mining history than Zambian Emeralds, thus a long-standing and trusted record of fine cuttings
Zambian Emeralds are traceable to the origin thanks to the Gübelin Gem Lab Emerald paternity test
The Gota de Aceite effect is more commonly seen in Colombian Emeralds. There have been very few reports of Gota de Aceite being present in Zambian Emeralds

Because emeralds are classified under colour, clarity, cut, and weight etc. making conclusions on Zambia emeralds vs Colombian Emeralds should come handy from the above facts. Whether you need it for beautification, fashion, business venture or as a simple gift, these Emeralds will definitely justify the purpose.