Emeralds Mine in Muzo valley, Colombia by Jana Cavojska / SOPA Images
Miner showing a mineral in the rock which indicates emerald dike.
The biggest and best quality emeralds are mined in remote Muzo valley in Colombia, world number 1 depository of emeralds. Besides legal mines, people try to find emerald in debris from mining excavations. People searching for emeralds are called barequeros. Some of them are succesfull, some of them are desperate. Those with "emerald fever" are not able to leave the valley even if they don´t have anything to eat. They became emerald addicted. Emerald trade is running directly in the illegal mine or in the streets of the town Muzo. Emerald traders transport the gems with helicopters or with small planes from the remote valley.
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