At Johya
The Johya method, from selection in Muzo to the certificate
Buy in person, check twice, always certify. What follows is the path each stone takes to reach you.
I am Vincent Renault, precious stone dealer. With my partner Dimitri Velasco, we founded Johya around one conviction: the only way to vouch for an emerald is to have chosen it yourself. Every stone in our catalog was bought by us, in hand and with no middlemen, in Muzo, Chivor or Coscuez, and in Bogotá for stones sought on request. This page describes what happens between that moment and the one when the stone reaches you.
Vincent Renault, precious stone dealer, co-founder of Johya
Selection in hand, at the source
We buy directly in Colombia, in Muzo, Chivor and Coscuez. No lot negotiated at a distance, no photographs sent by a broker: every emerald is examined in hand, in daylight and in shade, before any decision. We choose a stone for its color, its inner life and what it promises once cut, and we turn down the vast majority of what we are shown.
Our checks, on the spot and back home
On site and then on return, every stone goes through a battery of checks before any decision to buy or to list. The degree of filling is the one given in the laboratory report, shown as is on the listing (None, Minor or Moderate). Nothing is hidden.
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10x loupe
Reading the inclusions and looking for the flash effect, the first clue to a resin filling.
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365 nm UV lamp
We use it alongside the loupe to spot possible treatment residues.
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Systematic weighing
The weight is recorded at each stage between purchase and cutting: it is the thread running through our traceability.
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Controlled light
High-altitude sun saturates colors: a stone is also judged in the shade.
Certification by a recognized laboratory
Every stone intended for sale goes to an independent gemological laboratory. Depending on the stone and the level of analysis required, we work with several laboratories, in France and abroad. The reports for the stones currently listed come from Bellerophon Gemlab, GIT and GIA. The report attests the natural origin, the Colombian origin and the level of treatment. It accompanies the stone on delivery and its number appears on the product listing. The detail of what we write is in our treatment disclosure policy.
One stone, one file
Every Johya emerald carries a unique reference. Its weight is recorded at each stage, from rough to finished stone: it is the thread linking the stone you receive to the one we chose in Colombia. Seller identified, checks dated, certificate numbered: the complete file for your stone is available online with its number, or on request.
See the full journey of an emerald · Verify my stone by its number · Emerald supplier for the trade
Our commitments
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The treatment, always in writing
Filling with oil or resin is the most common practice for emeralds, and most of the stones we are shown have received one. We do not work around it, we write it down. For each stone, the nature of the product and its degree appear on the laboratory report, on the product page and on the invoice, including when regulations do not require it.
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Real photographs
The photographs and videos on our listings show the exact stone you receive, with no color retouching.
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Origin proven, not narrated
We claim a mine origin only if a laboratory can attest it. Otherwise, the listing states the origin as Colombia, the only verifiable mention.
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The price of the stone, not of the chain
Buying direct removes the intermediaries. What you pay covers the stone, its verification and its certification.
