Colombian trapiche emeralds

The trapiche is an emerald whose crystal shows six green sectors radiating around a core, separated by dark arms of carbonaceous inclusions trapped during growth. The word comes from Spanish, the wheel of the sugar-cane mill, whose spokes the stone reproduces. It is not a twin, the six sectors share the same crystal orientation, as our article on emerald twinning explains. The pattern requires black shales saturated with carbonaceous matter, the geology of the Boyacá deposits, which explains why it remains almost impossible to find in France.

A trapiche is not judged like a faceted stone. Color counts, but the pattern counts more. Fine, continuous, well-drawn arms are worth far more than a diffuse pattern. A regular wheel, with the core in the middle, is rare. The green of the sectors must contrast with the dark of the arms, and supply becomes very thin above 3 carats. At equal carat weight, a trapiche is worth less than a faceted emerald of fine color, because its transparency is lower. A trapiche with a perfect pattern is paid for its drawing, not its weight. Like all our emeralds, these stones carry at most a minor treatment, whose nature and degree are measured by the laboratory and stated on each product page.

Every trapiche on this page was bought in hand during our trips to Colombia, then certified by an independent laboratory. Our product pages state Colombian origin, the only mention a certificate can attest. The stones are cut as slices or cabochons to reveal the wheel, and are set flat, in rings or pendants. Prices shown including tax, insured DHL Express shipping, handover possible in Paris. To compare with our faceted stones, see all our Colombian emeralds, and for a specific search, the custom order.