A selection of our natural loose Colombian emeralds is listed online, but our full inventory is not individual stones move in and out of the collection, and maintaining a live catalogue that accurately reflects every stone we hold at any given time is not something we can do. What is listed online represents a portion of what is available.
Every stone we carry is a natural Colombian emerald, assessed individually for colour, clarity, cut, and treatment status. We do not carry calibrated commercial goods or wholesale parcels - each stone is an individual selection with a character of its own. If you are looking for something specific, a particular colour range, cut, size, or treatment status, we encourage you to contact us directly or visit our Perth studio by appointment, where we can show you the full current inventory.
Loose Colombian emeralds from our collection suit a range of purposes: custom jewellery commissions, additions to a considered gemstone collection, or investment acquisitions where documented provenance and quality matter. Whatever the intention, we are available to guide you through what we have and help you understand what distinguishes one stone from another before any decision is made.
Natural Loose Emerald Stones - What to Expect
Understanding what a natural Colombian emerald looks like across the quality range is the most useful preparation for selecting one. The following covers the factors that actually matter.
Colour: the primary consideration Colour is the dominant value driver in emerald, more so than in almost any other gemstone. The most prized Colombian emerald colour is a medium to medium dark green with strong saturation and a slightly warm, bluish-green secondary hue. The Muzo mines in particular produce a green with a warmth and depth - sometimes described as possessing an inner fire that gemmologists and collectors consistently identify as the benchmark for the species.
In the broader range of Colombian material, colour varies considerably. Lighter, more transparent stones exist alongside deeper, more saturated specimens. Some stones lean toward a warmer yellowish-green; others show a cooler, purer green. None of these variations makes a stone less genuine they reflect the natural range of what the Colombian mines produce, and each has its appropriate place in a collection or a setting.
Clarity and the jardin: All natural emeralds contain inclusions, the internal characteristics gemmologists call the jardin (French for garden). This is not a defect; it is a characteristic of the species, and a natural consequence of the geological conditions in which emerald forms. An eye-clean natural Colombian emerald is genuinely exceptional and priced accordingly. For most buyers, what matters is whether inclusions affect the stone's transparency and colour display, and whether any surface-reaching fractures create structural concerns. A gemmologist can assess both in person far more accurately than any photograph allows.
Treatment: The vast majority of natural emeralds on the market have been treated with colourless oil or resin to fill surface-reaching fractures and improve apparent clarity. This is a standard and accepted trade practice with a long history. The degree of treatment - from none or minor through to significant - is the variable that matters, and it is disclosed on every stone in our collection without exception. Unenhanced or minimally enhanced Colombian emeralds are rarer and command a meaningful premium; we carry both and document each clearly.
Cut Colombian emeralds are traditionally cut in step cuts and mixed cuts, emerald cut, oval, cushion, and pear rather than brilliant cuts. These cuts present the stone's colour in broad, even planes that suit the depth and warmth of Colombian material. We carry stones across a range of cuts and can advise on which shape suits a specific design intention.
Carat weight Our loose emerald collection spans a range of sizes, from smaller stones suited to earrings and delicate settings through to larger specimens appropriate for statement rings, pendants, and collector acquisitions. Price per carat in fine Colombian emerald increases non-linearly with size a two-carat stone of equivalent quality is not twice the price of a one-carat stone, but considerably more, because large fine Colombian emeralds are genuinely rare.
Why Colombian Emeralds
Colombia produces more than half the world's emerald supply and sets the international standard for the species. The reason is geological: the chromium and vanadium content of Colombian host rock produces a green of particular purity and warmth that other origins do not consistently replicate. Zambian emeralds carry more iron, which shifts the colour toward a darker, more blue-green tone. Brazilian material tends toward lighter, yellower greens. Each origin has its character, but Colombia is the benchmark against which all other emeralds are measured, which is why our collection draws exclusively from it.
Our family's four-generation history in the Colombian emerald trade gives us access to material that does not pass through intermediary wholesale markets. Stones selected at source, by people who have spent their professional lives understanding this specific gem from this specific country, arrive in our Perth collection having already been evaluated with knowledge that most jewellers in Australia simply do not have.
Loose Emeralds for Custom Jewellery
Purchasing a loose emerald for a custom jewellery commission is the most considered approach to acquiring a significant piece. It allows the stone to be assessed independently before any setting decisions are made, and it means the design can be conceived around the specific character of the stone, its colour, its proportions, and its inclusions rather than placing it into a template.
At Gems and Gold, we work with clients who have selected a loose emerald from our collection to develop a custom setting in 18-carat gold or platinum. We can advise on which setting styles suit a specific stone, which metal best serves its colour, and how the design can protect the stone appropriately for how it will be worn. Custom commissions are discussed by appointment at our Perth studio or by consultation online.
Why Acquire Your Loose Emerald Through Gems and Gold
Colombian provenance, directly sourced. Our emeralds are selected at origin by our family, four generations of Colombian emerald dealers. They do not pass through intermediary markets. What we know about each stone comes from people who were there when it was chosen.
Individual assessment, not catalogue selection. Every stone in our collection is assessed individually by our in-house gemmologist. No stone enters our collection based on a description alone - it is seen, handled, and evaluated in person.
Natural stones exclusively. We do not carry laboratory-grown or synthetic emeralds. Every loose emerald in our collection is a natural Colombian stone.
Perth studio and Australia-wide delivery. Our collection is available to view in person by appointment at our King Street studio. For those purchasing online, insured delivery is available across Australia.
