Gachalá Emerald

The Gachala Emerald is one of the largest emeralds in the world at 858 carats (172 g)

Gachala municipality in the Department of de Cundinamarca, Colombia.

The Gachalá emerald, one of the most valuable and famous emeralds in the world, was found in the year 1967, in the mine called Vega de San Juan, located in Gachala, a town in Colombia, located 142 km (88 mi) from Bogota. Gachalá Chibcha means "place of Gacha. " ^[1] Now in the United States, it was donated to the Smithsonian Institution by the New York jeweler, Harry Winston.

Symbolism

The emerald was named in honor of Gachalá, the place where it was found.^[1]

Characteristics

• Shape: Emerald
• Color: Intense green
• Carats: 858 Carats^[1]
• Weight: 172 grams
• Size: 5 centimeters
• Year of extraction: 1967

Conservation

The emerald is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution in (Washington, D.C.). It was donated in 1969 by the American jeweler Harry Winston, and is labeled under number 122078 in the catalog.

References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://www.mnh.si.edu/earth/text/dynamicearth/6_0_0_GeoGallery/geogallery_specimen.cfm?SpecimenID=4015&categoryID=1&categoryName=Gems&browseType=name Ficha técnica de la Esmeralda Gachalá de la página web oficial del Smithsonian Institution of Washington, (Consulted on 06-19-2011)

External links

• Digital Artícle from the Colombian Newspaper El Diario, published on 06-04-2008 (Consulted on 19-06-2011).
• Emerald history
• Gachala Emerald

Media related to Gachalá Emerald at Wikimedia Commons