Colombian Emeralds: Critical Facts Determining Value and Quality

When mined, most Colombian Emeralds present various degrees of structural damage and diminished colour and clarity qualities.

Instead of being discarded by the jewellery industry, these crystals are legally manipulated (the fissures hidden with fillers, the colour enhanced with colourants) and sold for a significant profit. Consequently, today, most of the Colombian Emeralds sold will present signs of treatment.

In Colombia, the emerald industry distinguishes between cedar-wood oil and artificial resins meant to enhance appearance. Cedar-wood oil is the traditional go-to approach, used for generations in the Colombian emerald trade and not considered a treatment. It will only partly and temporarily improve clarity while, importantly, not hiding the natural fissures on the crystal's surface, allowing buyers to detect their presence. Moreover, it is not permanent and will fade away during normal wear.

In contrast, artificial resins conceal any existing damage from buyers when fissures extend to the crystal's surface. The disadvantage is that they render the stone highly susceptible to breakage.