BERYL (EMERALD): OCCURRENCE IN COLOMBIA 313 



being more strictly described as Colombian. Whether emerald mines ever existed in Peru 

 and other parts of South America or not, it is certain that at present the Colombian are 

 the only deposits known. 



The Spaniards first learnt of the existence of Colombian emeralds on March 3, 1537. 

 A gift of emeralds was offered to the Spanish conquerors by the Indians, who, at the same 

 time, pointed out the source from which the stones were derived. This spot, known as 

 Somondoco, a name still in use, lies nine leguas (about twenty-three miles) distant from 

 Guateque, close to the waterfall of Nagar, over which the Garagoa flows before joining the 

 Guario, a tributary of the Upia, which in its turn feeds the Rio Meta. The place is situated on 

 the eastern slopes of the Cordillera of Bogota, in latitude about 5' N. and about half a degree 

 east of Bogota (formerly Santa Fe de Bogota) the capital of Colombia. The wild and 

 maccessible nature of the region soon drove the Spaniards to abandon the workings in spite 

 of the richness of the deposit. No exact records of this occurrence and of the situation of 

 the old mines are in existence, and doubt has sometimes been thrown on the authenticity of 

 the occurrence. It is probable, however, that the majority of emeralds mined in Colombia 

 in former times came from this spot. The deposit at Somondoco is now (1901) being 

 worked by an English company, but as yet only second quality stones have been found. 



A short time after the discovery by Europeans of Somondoco as a locality for emeralds, 

 another, about 100 miles distant, richer and of greater importance than any now known, 

 was discovered. This locality is the only one in Colombia at which fine emeralds are now 

 met with. The stones occasionally found in ancient graves or mountain lakes, which latter 

 were the sites of votive offerings, are all of poor quality, while the naturally occurring stones 

 are frequently of admirable colour and transparency. 



The mines now under consideration are situated in the country of the wild Muzo 

 Indians, who for a long while successfully resisted the Spanish attempts at conquest. They 

 were partially subdued in 1555 by the Spanish under Luiz Lanchero, who, in the same year, 

 founded the town of Santissima Trinidad de los Muzos, the present village of Muzo, in the 

 Itoco Mountains. This latter name was at that time applied to the town itself as well as to 

 the mountains. 



In spite of the continued hostility of the Indians, the mining of emeralds was 

 commenced in 1558, an old mine in the mountains, of which all trace is at present lost, 

 being first worked. Later, the centre of the workings was situated about a legua (about two 

 and a half miles) from Muzo, work being commenced here in the year 1594. Numerous other 

 mines were opened in the same district in this year, but were afterwards abandoned for 

 various reasons. Some have been reopened and are being worked at the present day. 



The district is situated in the Tunka valley in the eastern Cordilleras of the Andes, 

 which branch away near Popayan from the main chain and stretch along the right or east 

 bank of the Rio Magdalena in its northward course. It is a wild, mountainous region, and 

 its inhospitable character, combined with the hot, damp, and unhealthy climate, renders 

 the search for emeralds anything but an easy task. Crystals of emerald, not, however, of 

 very good quality, have been found at not a few places in this region, so that it is probable 

 that many other emerald localities are still to be discovered. 



During the period which has elapsed since the discovery of these deposits they have 

 been worked with varying success in many different spots ; at one time under- Government 

 direction, at another by private enterprise. At one time service in the mines was made 

 compulsory for the neighbouring Indians, and this short-sighted policy resulted in so serious 

 a depopulation of the country that mining operations were appreciably hindered by lack of 

 workers. The deposit was at first worked in underground levels ; later, open workings were 



