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Emeralds

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wdavissontci
  1/28/2013 14:54 EST

Does anyone have a good contact for emeralds (cut or raw) or people that work for emerald mines. I have contacts in the US interested in stones.

incagold
  1/29/2013 06:25 EST

i thot 'emeralds in the rough' were beautiful young colombianas

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mawdsjeff
  1/29/2013 16:14 EST

This seems unsuitable content! Where is the person who took it on themselves to say that an interesting topic should be closed the other week? Where are you now there IS something unsuitable posted!!! If the moderator/administrator is reading this, can he look into it? We got picked on for talking about something suitable and now there is something like that, it should be jumped on!! Geoff

Patricio
  1/29/2013 18:14 EST

Agree this is a totally inappropriate post, bad enough if a joke and worse if legitimately asking. Sure the vast internet better suited for answers to your questions.

BTW, I do have a contact who is well aware of sources for minerals in Col, but this place would be last I would ever talk about it.

soystar1
  1/29/2013 21:32 EST

Good luck on your business venture.

sensualspirit
  1/30/2013 03:27 EST

Ok, I'm clearly missing something. What big issue is there with someone asking about a mineral connection?

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kayakpro
  12/17/2014 23:26 EST

I have an emerald business specializing in Colombia emeralds that I ran from my apartment in Bogota for 2 years before returning to the US. I still return often and continue working with emeralds but from the US now. The emerald landscape is really difficult if you don't know what you're looking at. Just a ton of poor quality, epoxy filled stones and comisionistas that will take advantage of your lack of experience. If you're looking for a US contact, I can probably help. If you're looking for someone in Bogota, contact me and I'll put you in touch with a very knowledgeable, ethical, and respected dealer. I can give you some general tips and fill you in on some of the things to watch out for. Best of luck!

Patricio
  12/18/2014 11:27 EST

Appreciated your posts on Bogota. I moved here permanently 3 months ago from Fl. I live in Nicolas de Federman sector, across street from Pablo VI close to Univ. Nacional. I would be interested in any tips on eval and purchase of these stones. Thanks Patricio

HugoMaracuya
  12/18/2014 13:02 EST

So would I. :) I just sent you a PM

kayakpro
  12/21/2014 16:14 EST

I don't mind making the reply public. It's info that call can benefit from.

Unfortunately knowing whether a stone is suspicious or not based on sight alone is a skill that takes a little time to develop. The distinction between real and fake is rather easy if you've looked at enough synthetic emeralds and real emeralds. If you haven't looked at a lot of emeralds over time, I'd suggest doing that before getting serious about a purchase. Being green is about the only thing fakes have in common most of the time, but there are some fakes that can be harder to tell. You can use a few gadgets to help make the distinction such as chelsea filters, but its rather awkward to use these things in front of the dealer.

The biggest risks are real emeralds that are treated with 'perma' (perma-safe) or other hard epoxies that can be used to reconstruct or dramatically improve a bad emerald. They can turn a crumbling stone into something impressive. As a buyer, it's quite scary what can be covered up.

Here are a couple of tips:
- Ask the hard questions... Ask what the treatment is. If you ask if it is treated with perma and they say they don't know or hesitate in anyway.... just walk away. They should know what the treatment is and if they don't care enough to know, then they're shady and not worth buying from.

- Use the lab... ask if they'll certify the stone at the CDTEC lab or at least make the sale pending a clean lab report. If they suggest another lab or offer to certify it themselves... there's reason to be suspicious. Gem certifications should always be done by trusted 3rd parties and the CDTEC lab is legit.

- Don't buy any stones in the street... though most stores there sell garbage emeralds too. If you want a good stone you need to talk to a reputable dealer. That can be hard to find, I know. If you need a trustworthy contact I'd be glad to provide one via PM or email.

- I would not buy from a jewelry shop personally but that's because I know what the real costs are. For most consumers, the markup is hard to avoid, but you can sometimes negotiate. If you buy from a reputable dealer, a reasonable discount should be possible in most cases. Less reputable dealers are going to ask a lot more if they suspect you're inexperienced or don't know what you're looking at. To make a nice custom jewel is really not as expensive as one might think. I'd go this route in most cases unless its a simple or relatively inexpensive jewel. Those tend to be cast from molds, which brings down the labor costs.

- Emeralds should be treated with cedar oil or not at all. Only a handful of treatments are considered 'acceptable' and it is never acceptable if the treatment is not disclosed.

- View the stones with a 10X loupe. Learn how to use one so that you can look at the internal features of the stone, but also the surface. Look for surface reaching cracks or fissures that can (but not always) be problematic. Higher power loupes are not used.

- Buying from the source is a myth. You can travel to Chivor or Muzo and try to find a deal but you'll face the same challenges as in Bogota. The heart of the emerald trade is in and around the Av. Jimenez. The trick is just knowing the right people to talk to.

- Do the homework and footwork to understand what you're looking at and don't be in a hurry to buy. If you need a contact or more specific help, let me know.

HugoMaracuya
  12/22/2014 02:15 EST

Thank you so much for the time and trouble you've taken to give us your advice. Really good of you. Of course, I will still be very much out of my depth, but you've given us something to think about, and made us aware of some of the pitfalls. I appreciate it. Thanks.

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beo
  3/28/2015 09:58 EST

Early april, I would like to drive up to Coscuez, and visit the market where they trade emeralds.
If possible I will buy some rough ones.

Did someone make the trip there?
How are the roads towards the town/mines?

Are the people there welcoming visitors?

Thank you

Silversun21
  11/1/2015 05:55 EST

KayakPro, can you please message me the information of the emerald dealer in Bogota? I am making a trip down shortly and would like to make a few purchases. Thank you in advance

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