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Natural inorganic gem materials · Trade name: geographic / origin-linked name · Natural identity; treatment status unknown

Colombian Emerald

Also known asChivor emerald · Muzo emerald

A trade name for Emerald linked to Colombian mining areas; it is not a separate mineral species and does not guarantee origin. This page compares how the major standards and institutions name it, what must be disclosed when selling it, whether it can be worn every day, how it is treated and identified, and which source each conclusion comes from.

Price, rarity and origin are outside the scope of this wiki.

Care and wear

What this page can answer

This page covers

What we cannot conclude

  • Whether one particular bead is natural, treated or synthetic — only a laboratory report can settle that.
  • Geographic origin, unless an origin report accompanies the item.
  • Price, rarity or investment value: this wiki covers naming and disclosure only.

Material research: formation, causes and history

What authoritative sources say about how this material forms, what causes its colour and optical effects, where its name comes from and how people have used it. Each statement carries an evidence grade and its sources; it describes the material in general, not any specific piece.

How it forms

'Colombian emerald' is a trade/commercial name applied to emerald (green beryl) according to geographic origin; it is not a mineral species of its own. The classic deposits are the Type IIB tectonic-metamorphic occurrences of Colombia's Eastern Cordillera (Cordillera Oriental) basin. There the emerald fills extensional carbonate-silicate-pyrite veins, pockets and breccias within a Lower Cretaceous limestone-black shale succession; there is no indication that magmatic activity was involved, and growth was hydrothermal, driven by basinal brines at roughly 300-330 degrees C that circulated along thrust and tear faults and dissolved evaporites. A locality name is, after all, a trade attribution: any claim of Colombian origin needs independent gemmological and geochemical support.

Scope: Applies to explaining the geological setting of Colombian-type emerald deposits and the boundary of 'Colombian' as a trade / origin name; not applicable to emeralds from other localities.

Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019

Where it forms

Veins, pockets and breccias of the extensional carbonate-silicate-pyrite kind, hosted in a Lower Cretaceous succession of black shale and limestone.

Sources GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019

Thrust and tear fault zones along which basinal brines circulated and dissolved evaporites (no magmatic activity).

Sources GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019

How it forms, step by step

  1. Basinal parent fluids form at depth (meteoric and formational waters interacting with salt beds and evaporitic sequences).

    Sources GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019
  2. Hydrothermal brines (~300-330°C) circulate in the black shales along thrust/tear faults and dissolve evaporites.

    Sources GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019
  3. Emerald precipitates by hydrothermal growth in extensional veins and pockets (associated with tectonic activity, without magmatism).

    Sources GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019

Link to appearance

Colombian emeralds are known for characteristic three-phase inclusions (rock-salt crystals, liquid and a gas bubble), a common internal feature of emerald from this source.

Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019

Timescale

The mineralising fluids were about 300-330°C (fluid-inclusion constraints); the sources give no absolute age for the emerald itself.

Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022 · GIA Emerald Description · G&G Winter 2019

Related base materials

  • Emerald (green beryl): trade-name-of | 'Colombian emerald' is a trade name for emerald based on geographic origin, not an independent mineral species

Supporting findings

In Colombia the emerald fills extensional carbonate-silicate-pyrite veins, pockets and breccias within a Lower Cretaceous limestone-black shale succession; no magmatic activity is evident, and the crystals formed by hydrothermal growth linked to tectonic activity.

Evidence grade A

Scope: This model is specific to Type IIB Colombian-style deposits and must not be extended to other localities.

Sources G&G Winter 2019

Colombian emerald formation is related to hydrothermal basinal fluids at about 300-330°C circulating in black shales along thrust/tear faults and dissolving evaporites.

Evidence grade A

Scope: Temperature from the fluid constraints cited by the source; detail may vary between mining zones.

Sources G&G Winter 2019

Colombian emeralds are characterised by three-phase inclusions (rock-salt crystals, liquid and a gas bubble), a common internal feature.

Evidence grade B

Scope: A common feature, not an exclusive or sole criterion for this origin.

Sources GIA Emerald Description

Recorded localities

Authoritative sources list the localities below; the list is not exhaustive.

Locality sketch mapLand outlines only; the map does not depict any national or regional boundary. Dots mark approximate positions. Base map: Natural Earth (public domain).

South America

These are localities recorded by authoritative sources, not an origin finding for any individual piece. The CIBJO Gemstone Book (2022, §4.2.3) says a place of origin names where a gem was mined or harvested, is a matter of opinion, does not imply a level of quality, and that cutting, processing or exporting centres must not be used to imply origin. See how far testing can go on this page, the origin determination guide and the overview of recorded localities.

How it is identified

The appearance of Colombian emerald can closely match emeralds from other localities, and colour alone cannot prove its origin. Origin determination is a laboratory procedure based mainly on internal inclusion features such as three-phase inclusions and on trace-element suites compared against reference data; origin conclusions carry overlap and uncertainty, and common clarity treatments of emerald can complicate interpretation, so conclusions must be issued by an accredited laboratory. This entry gives no self-identification method or threshold.

Evidence grade A

Scope: Appearance is insufficient to settle origin; determination requires testing by an accredited laboratory, and this entry gives no self-test method or threshold.

Sources G&G Winter 2016

In "Colombian emerald" the locality in the name is a trade attribution, not a determined origin. Origin labels for emerald (Colombia, for instance) are often used to support a premium, yet origin cannot be inferred from appearance or name. Origin determination is a comparison against reference databases of known localities: a laboratory measures trace-element suites by LA-ICP-MS and weighs internal inclusion features against specimens of documented provenance. The judgement is relative - the characteristic ranges of different localities overlap, deposits with no reference material cannot be assigned, and a single deposit is internally variable; treatment alters the measurable features, so treatment status must be settled first. An origin call must be issued by an accredited laboratory for a specific specimen, and "consistent with a locality" is not the same as "mined there"; nor does a place name in the trade prove quality.

Evidence grade A

Scope: Origin cannot be inferred from appearance or name; the locality in the name is a trade attribution, not a determined origin; a conclusion must be issued by an accredited laboratory for a specific specimen; no self-test criteria are given here.

Sources G&G Winter 2019

Other research findings

'Colombian emerald' is a commercial/trade name for emerald historically associated with Colombian deposits; a locality name is a source attribution and any such origin claim requires independent evidence.

Evidence grade B

Scope: A naming-level boundary: a commercial name is not a test-confirmed provenance.

Sources CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022

Limits of this research

  • Research status: Formation, occurrence or other material-specific findings found in authoritative sources
  • Based on the Type IIB model in the GIA deposit review; locality-by-locality differences in Colombia are not individually verified.
  • Determining Colombian origin requires laboratory provenance analysis; this record provides no full diagnostic-criteria list.

Methodology

Evidence grades

A
Standards bodies, government geological surveys, peer-reviewed research and museum records
B
Institutional educational material
C
Specialist databases or cautious readings

A statement is never graded above its strongest source.

This section is LumaLark's own factual restatement of public authoritative sources, credited item by item; it contains no verbatim excerpts, images or third-party logos.

DecideListing name, disclosure, care and treatments

Suggested listing name
Emerald (any geographic-origin claim requires a laboratory opinion)

16 CFR Part 23 §23.1

Construction or treatment status

Natural identity; treatment status unknown

Treatments recorded for this material: Filled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material), Coated (via parent material)

Related:Disclosure and cautions

This page cannot answer

Natural? · Origin · Price

A lab report settles these; this wiki covers naming and disclosure.

Related:What this page can answer

Answer at a glance

"Colombian Emerald" is a market name rather than a mineral species name; before using it, verify: Laboratory identification required before the name is used.

Evidence

What this means for you

Before buying, check the recommended listing name "Emerald (any geographic-origin claim requires a laboratory opinion)" and any disclosed treatments on this page, and ask the seller for a grading report if in doubt.

Known uncertainty

Last reviewed
2026-09-01

Trade-name ruling

  • Laboratory identification required before the name is used.
Suggested listing name
Emerald (any geographic-origin claim requires a laboratory opinion)

Care and wear

The item-by-item care advice that the GIA Care and Cleaning Guide gives for the whole class, and so for Colombian Emerald, is set out in full under care on the Emerald entry.

Care

Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.

Treatments and identification leads

One row per treatment, with three standards side by side: how often it occurs and how stable it is (CIBJO), its category in GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (this site's paraphrase) and how the JJA/AGL 2025 table lists it. Each CIBJO value links to its entry under “Testing and market”, where the wording and source are given in full.

This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.

TreatmentMarket frequency (CIBJO)Stability (CIBJO)GB/T 16552 categoryJJA/AGL listingIdentification leads
Filling——Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1——
Dyeing——Treatment——
Coating——Treatment——

“—” means the cited source gives no value for that item, not “none”. Source: GB/T 16552—2017 Table B.1 (row for Emerald)

Whether a treatment has to show in the name differs between the two rule sets (this site’s paraphrase):

  • GB/T 16552—2017: a method classed as treatment has to be stated in the name itself — the method put before the name, or added in brackets after it; a method classed as optimization does not need to appear in the name, though one marked “Optimization (annotation required)” still has to be noted in the quality documents. Source: §5.4.2.1 a), b); §5.4.2.2 a)
  • CIBJO Gemstone Book 2022: no longer splits treatments into ones that need specific disclosure and ones that need only general disclosure: every treatment is to be disclosed, and the seller tells the buyer which treatment was used and what special care it calls for. Source: §4.2.5 Note 2, §4.2.5.1, pp.14–15

What this table covers

What this page can give

  • Registered treatments, their stability and how often they occur (see the table above)
  • Identification leads for each treatment, for use when sending a stone for testing

How lab reports word it

Report wording for Colombian Emerald is set out under report wording on the Emerald entry.

VerifyNames, standards, technical facts, clauses and sources

Names

Besides Colombian Emerald, the name register records "Chivor emerald" and "Muzo emerald", for which no restriction on use as a name is recorded.

Standard and listing namesIn the national-standard naming correspondence, the name Colombian Emerald itself is not listed in the original; it corresponds to emerald, on the basis of GB/T 16552—2017. The suggested listing name is Emerald (origin requires a laboratory opinion). Trade and mineralogical namesTrade names/synonyms include Muzo emerald and Chivor emerald; the mineralogical name describes emerald historically associated with Colombian deposits. Names in four languagesNames are given in four languages: Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English (Colombian Emerald) and Japanese. Institution usageOn authority wording, GIA records Colombian Emerald and the FTC records Emerald; the CIBJO text on file has no wording for this name (checked), and Gem-A is unchecked; bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name, which does not represent their position. The qualifiers stripped from the title name are: GIA restricts it to geographic origin; the FTC treats origin as a material element, and the geographic name must be verified. Japanese namesFor Japan's GSJ, the entry's own Japanese name means emerald from Colombia, and Japan's GSJ wording for that name is not yet verified by this site.

Name register

Every name recorded for this entry, with how it is classified, whether it may be matched to this entry automatically, whether it may be used as a product name, and the clause it rests on.

This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.

NameTypeMatchingUse as a nameBasis
no restriction recorded (2)
Chivor emeraldEnglishnarrower name (variety or subtype)matched automaticallyno restriction recordededitorial ruling (no clause cited)
Muzo emeraldEnglishnarrower name (variety or subtype)matched automaticallyno restriction recordededitorial ruling (no clause cited)

How each authority words this name: see Names › Authority wording.

Authority wording

GIA
Colombian Emerald
FTC
Emerald
CIBJO
Colombian Emerald (no wording for this name in the CIBJO text on file — bodies without a recorded wording show the entry's own English name)
Gem-A
Colombian Emerald (not yet checked by this site — the entry's own English name is shown)
GSJ (Japan) formal name
コロンビア産エメラルド (not yet checked for this body — the entry's own Japanese name is shown)
GB/T naming counterpart (this name is not in the standard)
祖母绿 (GB/T 16552—2017 §5.1.2.1 b))
Mineralogical name
Emerald historically associated with Colombian deposits
Trade names and synonyms
Muzo emerald (narrower name (variety or subtype)) · Chivor emerald (narrower name (variety or subtype))

Four-language names

简体中文
哥伦比亚祖母绿
繁體中文
哥倫比亞祖母綠
English
Colombian Emerald
日本語
コロンビア産エメラルド

Qualifiers stripped from the headline name

  • GIA: (geographic origin)
  • FTC: (§23.1: origin is a material aspect; geographic names require verification)

See also: Misleading and prohibited trade names · Supplementary name index

Classification

Origin
Natural materials
Material domain
Natural inorganic gem materials
Browsing family
Beryl minerals and gem varieties
Identity tier
Trade name: geographic / origin-linked name
Mineral chemical class
Silicates
Construction or treatment status
Natural identity; treatment status unknown

Treatments listed by standards

GB/T Table B.1Colombian Emerald is not listed on its own in GB/T 16552—2017 Annex B, Table B.1; the page applies the “Emerald” row of Table B.1. The treatment categories recorded on that basis are: filling, whose category depends on the graded definitions; dyeing, in the treatment category; and coating, in the treatment category. See alsoThe notes to Table B.1 and the definitions of the filling grades are on this site's Gem treatments page.

GB/T 16552-2017, Annex B, Table B.1

Under the “Emerald” row of Table B.1: Filling Graded — see §5.4.1, Table 1; Dyeing Treatment; Coating Treatment. The full row, with the effect column, is on the Emerald page.

What Table B.1 is, and how the “see 5.4.1” grades are defined: see the GB/T 16552: optimization vs treatment page.

What it is and how it's identified

Among the registered material facts for Colombian Emerald, the structural, durability and optical values are taken from the cited clause for emerald as a whole (regardless of origin), not measured on Colombian Emerald alone. Registered for emerald as a whole (regardless of origin): structure crystalline, hexagonal, commonly hexagonal prismatic; Mohs hardness 7.5–8, cleavage one direction, imperfect; optical character anisotropic, uniaxial, negative; birefringence 0.005–0.009. Registered for emerald as a whole (regardless of origin): density 2.67–2.9 g/cm³, where the cited clause gives 2.72 with a permitted tolerance of +0.18/−0.05 and the range is derived from this; refractive index 1.56–1.6, where the cited clause gives 1.577–1.583 with a permitted tolerance of ±0.017 and the range is derived from this. Registered for emerald as a whole (regardless of origin): pleochroism moderate to strong, bluish green and yellowish green, treatment status untreated; lustre vitreous, treatment status untreated; among optical effects, the cat's-eye effect can occur, and asterism can occur but is rare.

Registered material facts

Each row carries its own source and check date and can be cited on its own; “—” means the cited source gives no value, not “none”.

Chemical composition, luminescence, UV-visible spectrum, infrared spectrum, magnification: these whole-class features are given in the cited clause for emerald as a whole (not one origin), so they are not repeated on the Colombian Emerald page; see the material facts on the Emerald entry.

Items below that name the class they cover give the cited clause’s value for that whole class, not a measurement of Colombian Emerald (how to read class-level values).

Structure

Colombian Emerald — structure (overall): crystalline

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Colombian Emerald — structure (crystal system): hexagonal

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Colombian Emerald — structure (crystal habit): common hexagonal

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Durability

Colombian Emerald — Mohs hardness: 7.5–8

GB/T 16553—2017

123456789107.5–8References (diamond = value, bar = range; below)

Reference points on this site: Talc 1–3, Fluorite 4, Apatite 5–5.5, Orthoclase 6–6.5, Topaz 8, Diamond 10 (Source: GB/T 16553—2017); Gypsum 1.5–2, Calcite 3, Quartz 7 (Source: Handbook of Mineralogy); Corundum 9 (Source: GIA Gem Encyclopedia (care guide))

Mohs hardnessSource: GB/T 16553—2017
Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-21
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
Fact checked on
2026-09-21

Colombian Emerald — cleavage: imperfect in one direction

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Physical properties

Colombian Emerald — density: 2.67–2.9 g/cm³

GB/T 16553—2017

0.51.52.53.54.55.56.57.52.67–2.9
Specific gravitySource: GB/T 16553—2017
Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Qualification

The clause we cite gives 2.72, with a stated tolerance of +0.18 / -0.05. The range shown here is worked out from that.

Source & check 2026-09-21
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
Fact checked on
2026-09-21

Optical

Optical effects on record: chatoyancyrepresentative example: cause in Tiger’s Eye (schematic)asterismrepresentative example: cause in Star Sapphire (schematic)

Colombian Emerald — optic character: uniaxial, optically negative (anisotropic)

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Colombian Emerald — refractive index: 1.56–1.6

GB/T 16553—2017

1.31.72.12.52.93.31.56–1.6
Refractive indexSource: GB/T 16553—2017
Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Qualification

The clause we cite gives 1.577–1.583, with a stated tolerance of ±0.017. The range shown here is worked out from that.

Source & check 2026-09-21
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
Fact checked on
2026-09-21

Colombian Emerald — birefringence: 0.005–0.009

GB/T 16553—2017

00.050.10.150.20.250.30.005–0.009
BirefringenceSource: GB/T 16553—2017
Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-21
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-21)
Fact checked on
2026-09-21

Colombian Emerald — pleochroism: blue-green and yellow-green, moderate to strong

GB/T 16553—2017

Treatment state
untreated
Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Colombian Emerald — optical effect (chatoyancy): seen

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Colombian Emerald — optical effect (asterism): seen; rare

GB/T 16553—2017

Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26
CIBJO definitions
chatoyancy, asterism

Quality factors

Colombian Emerald — quality factor (lustre): vitreous

GB/T 16553—2017

Treatment state
untreated
Does this standard apply
applies to this entry
What this covers
emerald as a whole (not one origin)
Source & check 2026-09-26
Source
  • GB/T 16553—2017 Gems — Testing (GB/T): §5.1.7 (locator checked 2026-09-26)
Fact checked on
2026-09-26

Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.

1.551.561.571.581.591.62.62.72.82.93Refractive indexSpecific gravity12345Colombian Emerald

This material (RI / SG midpoints): 1.58 / 2.79; Closest values: 1Qingtian Stone 1.565 / 2.77, 2Natural Conch Pearl / Natural Melo Pearl 1.595 / 2.84, 3Calcite 1.572 / 2.7, 4Brucite 1.57 / 2.89, 5Synthetic Emerald 1.565 / 2.69

Show the full chart (330 registered materials)1.41.51.61.71.81.922.12.22.32.41234567Refractive indexSpecific gravity12345Colombian Emerald

Outside the full chart's range, drawn as triangles at the edge (RI / SG midpoints): Hematite 3.045/5.12, Synthetic Rutile 2.76/4.26, Rutile 2.753/4.23, Synthetic Moissanite 2.67/3.22

Refractive index × specific gravity (all registered materials)Each dot is one material's registered refractive index and specific gravity (range midpoints, not measurements); gold = this material, dark = the nearest few (picked on this site by distance in RI ÷ 0.02 and SG ÷ 0.1, leaving out near-identical varieties of the same species)Source: each material's registered refractive index and specific gravity facts (GB/T 16553 and others; sources on each entry)

Testing and market

The CIBJO laboratory protocol covers Colombian Emerald under “Emerald” (§6.1.30): see identification on the Emerald entry; the required tests are listed on the CIBJO laboratory protocol table for Emerald.

How far testing can go

Each row's “Source & check” expands to the full source; the date beside it is the fact check date.

Evidence and sources

Authority basis and clause sources

16 CFR Part 23
Naming rule §23.1 · Source

Sources

Further reading

Related entries and topic cluster

Parent entry and related pages on this site. Rows marked “Planned” are suggested new content and have no link yet.

Related-entry tree for Beryl on this site: 11 entries listed by this site's parent-entry links; synthetic, treated and similar entries carry their recorded state after the name; this page (Colombian Emerald) is marked.

This table scrolls sideways on narrow screens.

PageContentStatus
Browsing familyBeryl minerals and gem varietiesLive
Treatments recorded for this materialFilled / Fracture-filled (via parent material), Dyed (via parent material), Coated (via parent material)Live
Related articlesTo be added (placeholder)Planned

Who maintains this page

The material facts in the Colombian Emerald entry are maintained by the LumaLark wiki and matched one by one to the standard clauses or institutional sources they cite: every fact carries its source (with a clause or page locator) and a check date, so it can be traced back to the original. The entry exists so that buyers and sellers can check naming, disclosure and material facts item by item.

Facts editor
Ralph
Reviewer
June
How facts are checked
Each fact is matched to the clause it cites; facts checked between 2026-09-21 and 2026-09-26
Last revised
2026-10-12
Purpose
Lets buyers and sellers check naming, disclosure and material facts clause by clause.

Spotted an error? Report it on the forum