Emerald on Matrix from the Gachalá District, Colombia

This small Emerald specimen from the Gachalá District in Colombia features several vivid green Emerald crystals and crystal sections on a light gray, pyrite-bearing matrix. Despite its compact size of only 3 cm, the specimen has an attractive and varied front side with several clearly separated areas of green crystallization.

The Emeralds form a strong color contrast with the light-colored host rock. Some crystals display clearly recognizable faces and edges, while others are partially embedded in the matrix. The close-up photograph particularly highlights the three-dimensional arrangement of the individual Emerald crystals.

Vivid green Emerald crystals on a light-colored matrix

Several Emeralds are distributed across different levels of the front side. Alongside the larger green crystal sections, smaller crystals and intergrown areas are also present. Their color ranges from vivid green to somewhat lighter green.

The light to silvery-gray matrix contains pyrite. This makes the green Emeralds stand out particularly well from the host rock.

Emerald from Colombia’s Eastern Emerald Belt

The Gachalá District is part of the Eastern Emerald Belt of Colombia and belongs to the country’s well-known Emerald-producing regions. Specimens from this area can differ considerably in appearance from material from the Western Emerald Belt and may occur on light-colored mineralized matrix.

With dimensions of 3.0 × 2.0 × 1.2 cm, this is a compact Thumbnail specimen. The specimen is mounted on a transparent acrylic base measuring 25 × 25 × 12 mm. Its total weight, including the base, is 21.6 g.