The Origins of Emerald Engagement Rings

The majority of emerald engagement rings come from the rich mines of Colombia, but there are other important emerald deposits in the world.

Emeralds are considered one of the most desirable coloured gemstones, along with sapphires and rubies, and as such there is huge demand for these green gems. Emerald engagement rings can be found in many different locations around the world. However, there are certain locations which are considered to be more profitable for the mining of emeralds.

Colombia is without a doubt the most famous source for emeralds, arguably producing the finest stones for emerald engagement rings. The two major mining districts in Colombia are Chivor and Muzo, both of which are situated northwest of Bogota. Muzo, however, is the most famous mine, having originally been mined by Native Americans until the mine was abandoned, and then rediscovered, in the 17th century. The Muzo mine typically yields fine quality emeralds of a beautiful deep green colour and, as a result, the majority of emerald engagement rings will be Colombian in origin.

While Colombia is the principle source for emerald deposits, only a third of all emeralds mined are worth cutting. Hence it is good that there are additional mines, such as Brazil’s emerald deposits in Bahia, Goias and Minas Gerais. Brazilian emeralds tend to be lighter coloured than their Colombian cousins and are rather yellow-green in colour; they are also often relatively free of inclusions, unlike emeralds from Colombia. Uniquely, Brazil has also produced rare cat’s-eye emeralds and very rare six-spoke star emeralds, something no other country has ever produced.

In past few decades, increasing quantities of emeralds have been found in East Africa, in particular in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. One of the major sources is Zambia, whose emeralds tend to have a more bluish cast than either Colombian or Brazilian emeralds, and unfortunately may also tend to have a slight greyish cast. However, emeralds are mined throughout the world, including important deposits in India, Pakistan and Russia; other less important mines can be found in Afghanistan, Australia, Ghana, Namibia, Malawi and the United States. Historically, the most famous emerald mines were those in Egypt, known as the Cleopatra mines or the Emerald Mountain, but these were abandoned after the discovery of emeralds in Colombia in 1545.

Despite competing locations and despite their more heavily included natures, Colombian emeralds, with their rich green colour, are still generally considered to be the best for emerald engagement rings.

Source: Free Guest Posting Articles from ArticlesFactory.com