http://colombiareports.co/colombia-emeralds-generating-fear-revenue/

Treasures are usually dangerous. Many people have heard “blood diamond”, but how about “green war”?

As one of the most valuable gems in the world, the demand for emerald is huge. Someone(I couldn’t find the name) even states that “Emerald is not a luxury. It is a necessity.” However, as you can imagine, the conflict is also enormous.

Colombian emerald mines are famous for their high quality and beautiful colour. People fighting for the mines all the time, even by using paramilitaries. Expect for companies with the mining right, drug traders also want to get some profit from emerald trade. The black market appears. My father told me that, “A jewelry trader may not trade drug, but a drug trader must trade jewelry.” That’s why in the article, local people thinks that emerald gets more fear than revenue for them.

Jewelry trades are mostly uncontrollable because their price depend on personal preference. If you don’t like it, that’s just a stone. If you like it, in some cases, people would like to pay whatever to get the jewelry they want. That is different from most trades in the world; and that’s why there are conflicts caused by jewelry all the time around the world.

I love jewels, and I want to get into the jewelry business. That’s just so captivating.