Inside the World of Colombian Emeralds: Unveiling the Lawless Market

💎Colombia is the leading producer of emeralds, supplying 90% of the world's emeralds.

💰The emerald market is extremely lucrative but also lawless, with cash transactions and clandestine export channels.

🤝Resellers play a significant role in the emerald trade, buying precious stones from miners and selling them to international buyers.

🇭🇰Hong Kong is the largest market for Colombian emeralds, with high demand from customers.

⛏️Miners face dangerous conditions in the emerald mines, including landslides and lack of oxygen.

Where do most of the world's emeralds come from?

—90% of the world's emeralds come from Colombia, making it the leading producer.

Is the emerald market legal?

—While the emerald market is legal, it is also characterized by lawlessness, cash transactions, and clandestine export channels.

Who buys emeralds from miners?

—Resellers play a significant role in the emerald trade, buying precious stones from miners and selling them to international buyers.

Which market has high demand for Colombian emeralds?

—Hong Kong is the largest market for Colombian emeralds, with customers showing a strong demand for the gemstones.

What are the risks faced by miners in the emerald mines?

—Miners face dangerous conditions, including landslides and lack of oxygen, while working in the emerald mines.

00:17Colombia is the leading producer of emeralds, accounting for 90% of global production.

00:31The emerald market is extremely lucrative but also lawless, with cash transactions and clandestine export channels.

01:01Resellers play a significant role in the emerald trade, buying precious stones from miners and selling them to international buyers.

01:19Hong Kong is the largest market for Colombian emeralds, with high demand from customers.

02:20Miners face dangerous conditions in the emerald mines, including landslides and lack of oxygen.

10:26The journey takes us to Muzo, the world capital of emerald mining, located in north Colombia.

12:23The emerald market in Muzo attracts buyers and sellers, who negotiate precious stones like carpet merchants.

18:53We enter the emerald mines of Muzo, where miners work tirelessly in dangerous conditions to extract the precious gemstones.