Colombian Emeralds
Unique pieces bought at source in Colombia, certified by an independent laboratory and documented from the mine to the invoice.
No stone matches this degree of treatment. Remove the filter
From the mine to your case
Direct sourcing and rigorous verification, at every step.
- 01
Selection at source
Stones chosen hand by hand in the mines of Boyacá, Colombia.
- 02
Gemological verification
Every emerald is checked and described precisely (origin, treatment, weight).
- 03
Independent certificate
Authenticity attested by an independent laboratory.
- 04
DHL Express shipping
Insured shipment with delivery against signature, worldwide.
The essentials
The Colombian emerald is the world reference for this gem: the country alone accounts for close to half the value of the emeralds traded worldwide, thanks to a geological formation unique to the sedimentary shales of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. Johya buys its emeralds directly in Colombia, with no intermediary, and sells them as loose stones, ready to set, each with the certificate of an independent laboratory, its precise degree of oiling and its documented journey. The prices on this page reflect that direct sourcing: you pay for the stone, not for the chain of intermediaries.
I am Vincent Renault, qualified gemologist. With my partner Dimitri Velasco, we founded Johya around a simple idea: buy every emerald with our own hands, in person, in direct contact in the Boyacá region, then have it certified by an independent laboratory before offering it here. This page gathers the stones currently available. The text that follows explains what makes the Colombian emerald unique, what the mentions on our listings mean and how to find your bearings in the prices.
Vincent Renault, qualified gemologist, co-founder of Johya
Why the Colombian emerald is the world reference
The emerald is a geological anomaly: its formation requires bringing together beryllium, found in granitic rocks, and chromium or vanadium, found in rocks of deep origin. Those two worlds almost never meet. Everywhere else — in Zambia, Brazil or Russia — that encounter happens at the contact of a magmatic intrusion. Colombia is the only major deposit in the world where the emerald forms without any magmatism: hot brines circulate through Cretaceous sedimentary black shales, dissolve the necessary elements there and grow the crystals in veins of white calcite.
This unique mode of formation explains the Colombian green, often described as velvety: a pure, saturated green, less marked by iron than that of African emeralds. It is for this signature that international jewelry pays a premium for the Colombian origin, when it is attested by certificate.
Muzo, Coscuez, Chivor: what changes with the mine
The Colombian deposits stretch along two belts on either side of the Eastern Cordillera, in the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. Three names dominate the market.
-
Muzo
The historical reference. Warm, saturated greens that made the country's reputation. This is where we buy most often, and those trips can be read in our travel notebook.
-
Coscuez
A few kilometers from Muzo, stones with a close profile, warm and saturated green, with their own inclusion signature.
-
Chivor
On the eastern belt, bluer greens and fine clarity, sought after by jewelers.
The name of a mine is traded on more than it is proven: a stone bought on the square in Muzo has not necessarily come out of the galleries of Muzo. We claim a mine origin only when a laboratory can support it; otherwise our listings state the origin as Colombia, the only verifiable mention.
Read: Muzo, world capital of the emerald · Our dossier: the emerald mines of Colombia
What we check before buying a stone
An emerald is assessed in a few minutes and verified over several days. Four checks are systematic on site, before any purchase.
-
10x loupe
Reading the inclusions and looking for the flash effect, the first clue to a resin filling.
-
365 nm UV lamp
A wavelength more revealing than common lamps for spotting treatment residues.
-
Systematic weighing
The weight is recorded at each stage between purchase and cutting: it is the thread running through our traceability.
-
Controlled light
High-altitude sun saturates colors: a stone is also judged in the shade.
The final check always falls to an independent laboratory, in Bogotá or in Europe, which confirms the natural origin, the Colombian origin and the level of treatment stated on the certificate supplied with the stone. Our full method is set out on the dedicated page.
Minor oil, no oil: reading our product listings
About nine emeralds out of ten worldwide receive a colorless oil, traditionally cedar oil, which fills the fine fissures and improves transparency. This age-old treatment is accepted by every laboratory because it is reversible. Certificates grade it according to the international nomenclature: none, insignificant, minor, moderate. On our listings, the mention minor oil corresponds to those low grades; the rare stones with no oil at all carry the mention no oil and command a premium.
Of the 44 stones currently offered on this page, 4 are sold with no oil at all; their listing says so in plain words.
What we refuse is synthetic epoxy-type resin: an irreversible filling, which yellows over time and masks the real state of the stone. No emerald sold by Johya is resin-filled, and the exact degree of oiling appears on the certificate of every stone, even when décret n°2002-65, which governs the gemstone trade in France, does not require the mention.
Price of a Colombian emerald: the 2026 benchmarks
The price per carat of a Colombian emerald depends first on color, then on clarity, the degree of oiling and weight. The stones on this page currently range from €200,00 à €29.300,00 : the table places each level.
| Quality level | Price benchmark per carat |
|---|---|
| Commercial quality (pale green, marked oiling) | A few tens to a few hundred euros |
| Fine certified quality (frank green, minor oil) | 800 to 2,500 euros |
| Exceptional stone (intense to vivid green, none or insignificant) | 3,000 euros and well beyond |
Weight plays out in a non-linear way: at equal quality, a 2 carat stone is worth markedly more than two 1 carat stones. Our guides set out these mechanisms: the price of a 1 carat emerald et the 7 criteria that grade a stone.
Frequently asked questions about the Colombian emerald
How can you recognize a Colombian emerald?
By eye, you cannot. The classic clues — slightly bluish green and three-phase inclusions — are sometimes found in other origins. Only laboratory analysis, cross-checking inclusions, spectrometry and trace chemistry, can attest a Colombian origin. That is why every Johya emerald is sold with an independent laboratory certificate stating the origin.
Why are Colombian emeralds more expensive?
Because world demand concentrates on them. Their saturated green, born of a unique sedimentary geology, serves as the color reference for the whole trade. At comparable quality, a certified Colombian origin is paid more than a Zambian or Brazilian origin, and the falling output of the historic mines reinforces that pressure.
What is a trapiche emerald?
A rare formation specific to Colombia: six dark rays radiate from the heart of the crystal and draw a wheel. This natural pattern, caused by carbonaceous inclusions trapped during growth, cannot be imitated. Trapiches are cut as cabochons and collected. Several stones on this page show this pattern.
Does an oiled emerald lose value?
No, as long as the oiling stays light. A minor or insignificant grade is the market norm and does not eat into the value of a fine stone. What does devalue is heavy oiling that masks numerous fissures, or a resin filling, which is irreversible. The exact degree appears on the certificate.
Muzo, Chivor or Coscuez: which mine to choose?
None is better in absolute terms. Muzo is known for its warm, saturated greens, Chivor for its very clear bluish greens, Coscuez for a profile close to Muzo. The individual quality of a stone counts more than the name of its mine, and a mine origin is only worth something if a laboratory confirms it.
How can you verify the authenticity of a Johya stone?
Every emerald is delivered with the report of an independent gemological laboratory, verifiable with the issuing laboratory using its number. Our authenticity policy sets out the checks carried out, and the page Verify my stone makes it possible to retrieve a stone's provenance file from its number.
Delivery, withdrawal, professional purchase and bespoke order: everything is set out in our terms of sale, our shipping policy et l’professionals area.
-
Certified stones
100 % genuine, gemological certificate provided
-
Direct sourcing guaranteed
Zero middlemen, bought at source in Colombia
-
Secure delivery
DHL Express shipping, insured and signed for
-
Customer service 7 days a week
A team available every day to help you
Going further
Understand, compare and choose your stone with confidence.