Emerald on Calcite - image 1
Photo by Beth Van Allen

Emerald on Calcite

Emerald on calcite, 13.5 cm, from the El Indio pit, Muzo mine, Quípama, Boyacá Department, Colombia. No repairs or restorations. The emerald has a slight “tectonic” bend in the middle. According to a letter from Colombian gem dealer Gonzala Jara, the specimen was found by a miner who had kept it in his family for more than 15 years. The miner had been “jackhammering along a very wide calcite vein, fell through with his weight to a medium large pocket of emeralds, and laid on the ground on his new “emerald pillow.” This was the nickname he assigned to it. Jack Halpern then owned it for more than 20 years. Beth Van Allen photo, courtesy of The Arkenstone.

Product details

SpeciesEmerald, Calcite
SizeCabinet
Dimensions13.5 cm
Added on02/13/2026
LocalityColombia, Boyacá Department, Muzo Mine
Publications
  • Mineralogical Record Mineral Collecting In Texas page 47
Current owner
CC
The Carabas Collection
Member since 2026
Previous owners
DateCollectorAcquisition price
—kept in his family)Not disclosed
—Colombian miner (unnamedNot disclosed

Learn more

Emerald
Mineral guide
Learn about Emerald
iconic green beryl crystals prized for saturated color and rarity of gemmy prisms; legendary localities include Muzo, Chivor, Kagem.
Emerald
Regional guide
Emerald from Muzo Mine, Colombia
from Muzo Mine, Colombia: vivid green with internal glow, formed in sedimentary shales and calcite, often with pyrite and parisite-(Ce) on calcite.
Locality guide
Muzo Mine
A collector's guide to Muzo Mine, Colombia: its geology, mining history and notable minerals, illustrated with the 219 specimens documented from this locality on EarthWonders.