The Johya notebook · Origins

Emerald by country of origin

From one deposit to the next, emerald changes in color, inclusions and price. Country by country, what sets each origin apart and what a laboratory can confirm about it.

Entrance to an emerald mine in Muzo, July 2026
Johya, Colombian emeralds

One file per country.

The country files

01 / South America

Colombia

Muzo · Coscuez · Chivor

At the source of Johya

Colombia, our starting point.

Colombia's three great mines, what sets their stones apart, and why a mine of origin is rarely proven.

See the mines of Colombia

Understand before choosing

Where an emerald comes from, and why it matters

Country of origin is the first thing a buyer asks about, before the weight itself. It weighs on the price, on the colour to expect and on what a laboratory will be able to attest.

Colombia remains the reference, with its three great names, Muzo, Coscuez and Chivor, set out on the page on the emerald mines of Colombia. Zambia supplies close to a quarter of world production with a bluer green. Afghanistan produces stones in the Panjshir that few people can place, and Australia keeps four deposits the rankings forget.

How do you recognise a provenance?

Each origin has its signature, inclusions, trace chemistry, dominant hue, and it is that signature laboratories cross-check to attest a provenance. The files below give, for each country, the deposits, the colour, the prices recorded and the signs that allow it to be recognised.

Further reading

Understanding prices Authenticity and treatments

From origins to stones.

The Colombian emeralds available now, each with its exact weight, its dimensions and its degree of treatment.

See our emeralds