Beryl

specimen number:
8911014

location:
Muzo Mine, Western Boyaca, Boyaca, Colombia

description:
Lustrous green slightly translucent but mostly opaque crystals of beryl, this the variety known as emerald, measuring to 1.0 cm in size coming off matrix. Very slight micro-damage present as seen.

Located in the Western Boyaca province of Colombia, the Muzo Mine is the world's most famous and historically significant source of emeralds, with indigenous peoples mining the green gems for centuries before Spanish conquistadors seized the deposits in the 1500s. The geology of the deposit is unique, formed along major tectonic fault zones where mineral-rich hydrothermal fluids interacted with organic-rich black shales and limestones under intense pressure, precipitating brilliant beryl crystals in calcite veins. Throughout colonial and modern history, the mine has been operated through various state and private concessions, enduring periods of intense conflict known as the Green Wars, but it remains legendary for producing emeralds of unmatched deep green color and exceptional clarity that set the global standard for the gemstone.

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