Investing in Colombian emeralds is becoming more popular, due to their unique characteristics, beauty and scarcity. There are more than USD 10 billion in Colombian emeralds in the market. Currently, 5 to 10% of the yearly production is used for investment purposes, with an expectation of growth in this aspect of 50% in the upcoming 10 years.

Colombian emerald production is a multimillion dollar industry, thanks to the outstanding quality of these gemstones and their international fame. For instance, in the scale of tonality, Colombian emeralds, according to experts and gemologists, are the most balanced, which means they are not very dark nor very light; in other words, they have a perfect saturation. Also, they stand out for their deep clarity and often extraordinary size.

Emeralds are excellent as a store of value due to a set of different factors: physical attributes, scarcity and even the historical background.

All these attributes make Colombian emeralds a desired precious gemstone, whose demand has been growing day by day and whose value has not decreased in the latest years. Plus, there are very few mines; new ones have not been discovered in a long time, which means they are a scarce asset, with unique qualities, that make them an attractive and profitable investment.

Emeralds are excellent as a store of value due to a set of different factors: physical attributes, scarcity and even the historical background. The most famous come from Colombia, which has dominated the international trade for almost five centuries. Although there are other lead producers, such as Zambia and Brazil, the unique characteristics of the Colombian emeralds are an important differentiation, which makes them the most desired in the world.

The secret resides in the millenary recipe of elements, including aluminum, silicate oxide, chromium, iron and vanadium, which initiated the eons-long formation process of the emeralds starting 30–38 million years ago, during the development of the Andean mountains.

On the other hand, Colombia hosts inside its mountains the most important emerald mines in the world, such as Cunas (a partner of GEMERA’s) and Muzo. Both produce the best, rarest and most expensive emeralds in the world.

GIA Interviews Edwin Molina, Member of the Board of Advisors at GEMERA

Edwin Molina, Leader of the Emerald Industry in Colombia and Member of GEMERA’s Board of Advisors

For more information about Colombian emeralds potential, check this interview (goo.gl/vkBEQa) that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) made to Edwin Molina, member of the Board of Advisors at GEMERA and President at Colombian Emerald Producers Association (Aprecol), where he talks about his experience as a CEO of the greatest emerald mine in the world, how North American companies are making huge investments in Colombian emerald projects and why the demand of these gemstones have been growing.