Emeralds or Panna, the dark green gems, are known to symbolize growth, spring, and creativity. These gems are among the most popular and desirable stones because of their rarity, beauty, shine, astrological significance, and healing powers.
In ancient times, emerald stone were first found in Egypt, Pakistan, and Austria. Egyptian Queen Cleopatra loved these green gems, and they soon became her signature jewel. Since then, the gems are famous.
But, the emeralds found here were of low quality. Soon, other sources of the gem emerged, and the world saw some of the most rare and mystical Panna gems of premium quality.
In this blog post, we will discuss the different and top sources of the Panna stone and the quality of the gem generally found there.
The most famous source of this beautiful green gemstone is Colombia. The highest emerald prices were of the Colombian emeralds. Next in line comes the Panjshir emerald, Brazil, and Zambia.
Other sources of the gem include Ethiopia, China, Pakistan, Russia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, etc.
Let's discuss the top origins of emerald stones in brief:
Colombian Panna gems are considered to be the finest because premium quality gems are mostly found here. As per history, Colombia is the number 1 producer of emerald stones in the world. The quality and quantity of the gems from this source have surpassed all the others. Indeed, Colombia is the world leader in the production of these green gems.
The area's most famous and historic deposits are the eastern and western belts, in which the best mines are the Chivor and Muzo mines, respectively.
Muzo mines are known to produce the most famous jewels and are known for the yellowish-green and dark deep green color of the gem.
It also has a command over the world record of the most expensive emeralds, with prices per carat in millions.
Colombian emerald Price Range - INR 5,000 to 10,00,000 per carat
Recently, in the biggest wedding of the century, the Anant-Radhika wedding, we sold a Colombian emerald to the bride, which she wore in her sangeet ceremony.
Know more about it here -From Our Collection to a Celebrity's Celebration: Radhika Merchant's Emerald Necklace
Emerald stones found in Afghanistan are similar to that of the ones found in Colombia in appearance but can be larger in size. They are mostly elongated and have a thin, long shape. Because of the shape, they are also known as the Pencil Emeralds.
The most important mining area in Afghanistan is the Panjshir Valley. Panjshir Emeralds are known for their fineness and high quality and can be distinguished based on their growth structure. Panjshir is a mountainous area that is difficult to access but is one of the most essential Panna deposits in Central Asia.
Panjshir Emerald Price Range - INR 5,000 to 6,00,000 per carat
Brazil is one of the largest producers of these gems by volume, with a lot of states having a number of emerald deposits. The gems were first discovered here in 1912. These gems can be of any quality, from low to high grades.
Major mines are found in the states of Bahia, Goias, and Minas Gerais. The most famous mining areas are also from the Minas Gerias, namely, Itabera or Nova Era, which are the biggest Brazilian deposits with many large-scale mines.
One of the most expensive emeralds in the world is from Bahia, which is called the Bahia Emerald.
Brazilian Panna Price Range - INR 4,000 to 60,000
Since 2014, Zambia have become one of the most significant emerald producers. The color of the Zambian Emerald is often bluish-green, and the quality is mixed. They can be of high quality with good saturation and transparency, as well as can be of low quality as well.
The most famous area in mining is named Kafubu, in which lies the Kagem mine, which is the largest emerald mine in the world.
Zambian Emerald Price Range - INR 2,000 to 5,00,000 per carat
Ethiopia is a country in the African region. Ethiopian emeralds, one of the finest in the world, are known for their deep green hue. Some of these gems are of premium quality with exceptional clarity and color, so they do not require any enhancements. The most famous region is in the southern of Ethiopia, Shakiso.
This country is also known for producing opals, rubies, types of quartz, peridot, aquamarine, tourmaline, etc.
Ethiopian Emerald Price Range - 5,000 to 7,00,000 per carat
Origin is not the exact determining factor per se of the quality of a stone. But, because of the history and context, the root places where some best quality gems are found are always under the radar. People often demand Emeralds from the top sources.
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