An emerald dealer known only as “El Mono” huddles in the shadows of downtown Bogota, furtively showing handfuls of uncut gems to would-be buyers mixing with worshipers from a nearby 16t… ...

Emerald miners chat after work on Feb. 29, 2024, at an informal mine near the town of Coscuez, Colombia. Job scarcity and the hope of striking it rich are driving women to pursue mining in ...

Colombia produces 60 percent of the world’s emeralds and almost all those of gem quality. “A part of emerald production has clearly established its own commercialization routes,” Mr. Mejia said.

Colombia is working to polish the reputation of its emeralds, which -- much like Africa's blood diamonds -- have lost their luster due to decades of violence surrounding the treacherous gemstone trade ...

NPR ventures into a Colombian emerald mine — which used to be more dangerous, with potential explosions inside and gunfights outside. The CEO, a former U.S. diplomat, says he wanted to change that.

The mine-to-market traceability strategy isn't just for deep-pocketed behemoths like Gemfields. Victor Carranza, Colombia's controversial labourer turned billionaire emerald kingpin, died in 2013 ...

And naturally-mined emeralds contain numerous inclusions or imperfections which make each stone unique. The earliest written reference to emeralds goes back 4,500 years, in hieroglyphics ...

NPR ventures into a Colombian emerald mine — which used to be more dangerous, with potential explosions inside and gunfights outside. The CEO, a former U.S. diplomat, says he wanted to change that.