Emeralds have been adorned for their mesmerising green hue, strength and royal aura for centuries. However, for 400 years, Emeralds from Colombia had been unchallengedly heralded as the finest Emarald in the world. Then, significant commercial mining of Emarald started in Zambia in the 1970s and the world’s attention shifted to the Zambian Emerald stone.
From celebrities to gemstone collectors, and enthusiasts - everyone becomes fans of Zambian emeralds for their deep green colour with a bluish hue. Besides, the higher clarity and durability make Zambian Emerald stone a tough competitor to Colombian Emeralds.
But here is the fundamental question – what distinguishes Zambian Emeralds as the finest Emeralds among its peers?
Most of these emeralds are extracted from the mines of the Kafubu River in Zambia, one of the leading sources of high-quality emeralds. Other major sources of emeralds are Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan, Madagascar and Africa. Among them, Colombia’s Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez mines are known for producing some of the finest emeralds for centuries.
Due to its geographical location, Colombian Emeralds are formed in mica schist, the reason behind its unique characteristics.
Amid the extreme popularity of Colombian emeralds, Zambian Emeralds have started getting the spotlight due to their exceptional quality and unique beauty.
Inclusions: While we buy Zambian Emerald stone online, we often go with its greater level of clarity than other counterparts because of its lower presence of ‘eye-visible inclusions’ such as crystals, fissures and liquid. Zambian emeralds are clearer and more capable of reflecting light, which increase their colours and typically making them more appealing.
Colour: Zambian Emeralds are exclusively known for their distinctive colour – that highly-desirable bluish green coming from the presence of iron in these emeralds. The bluish tone adds depth to the overall appearance, making them the finest green gemstone worldwide.
Strength & Durability: Compared to other emerald stones, Zambian Emeralds tend to be stronger – with a hardness between 7.5 and 8 on the Mohs scale. You’ll find only rubies and sapphire (both with a score of 9 on the Mohs scale) and diamonds (with a perfect 10 score) ahead of the Zambian Emerald stone in terms of strength. Therefore, these emeralds are less porous and brittle than emeralds sourced from other places in the world. As a result, Zambian Emeralds are a popular choice of jewellery.
In spite of their higher level of clarity and unique colour, the Zambian panna stone price is a lot of affordable than Colombian Emeralds. The reason of this affordable pricing lies in the emerald mining history of both these countries.
Colombia has a pedigree of emerald mining for more than 500 years while the mining of Zambian emeralds was only started in the 1970s. So, it took several centuries for Colombian Emeralds to make the myth that they are the best in quality and the gemstone industry valuing these emeralds more than their counterparts.
Then Zambian Emeralds entered into this competitive market of gemstones with their quality, beauty and features to compete. Since they would have to surpass the standard already set by Colombian stones, they have been affordably priced to give a competitive edge to Colombian Emeralds.
Zambian Emeralds found themselves in the global spotlight when the Kagem mine in Zambia unveiled an enormous 6,225-carat gemstone called ‘Insofo’ in 2010. 'Insofu' means ‘elephant’ in the local Bemba language.
Then again in 2018, the same mine unearthed another giant – a 5,655-carat emerald, named “Inkalamu”, meaning “lion” in Bemba. Both these once-in-a-generation discoveries are caught the attention not only for their enormous size but also for the perfection in clarity and mesmerising green hue with tint of blue.
Since then, Zambia has created history in the world of gemstones by producing incredibly rare and valuable emeralds.
If you’re in doubt about whether to buy Panna stone online, you need to consider several crucial factors – personal preference, competitive study of different emerald varieties, budget limitations and expert advice. Sometimes, you may also seek astrological suggestions to get the benefit of wearing a Panna stone.
Zambian Emeralds are a worth-buying gemstone for their standout deep green colour with a bluish hue. If you’re looking to buy Emerald stone online – whether to wear emerald jewellery or for astrological benefit, we invite you to explore Brahma Gems’ curated collection of exclusive gemstones. With a lab-certified guarantee and competitive price range, you’ll have the peace of mind that you’re buying a genuine gemstone.