Alternative Gems

Bogotá, also Santa Fe de Bogotá, city in central Colombia, capital of the country, coextensive with Bogotá Capital District. It is located at an elevation of about 2640 m (about 8660 ft) on a mountain-rimmed plateau high in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes Mountains. Bogotá was founded on the 6th of August 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada who fought the Chibcha Indians near the site of the populous tribe center called Bacatá. The new city became the vice-regal capital of New Granada in 1717. It was captured by Simón Bolívar in 1819 and was the capital of the independent nation of Great Colombia (which included modern day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela). It became the capital of New Granada (later renamed Colombia) in 1830 when Great Colombia was dissolved.

A beautiful morning in Plaza De Bolivar, Bogotá, Colombia.
 

Details of La Catedral Primada, builted 1807-1823, stands at Plaza De Bolivar.

The morning sun blazes one of the many churches in La Candelaria, Bogotá.

Palm tree against a blue, morning sky. Despite the high altitude, palm trees find a fertile ground to grow.

A street, "fire" performer on the Carrera Septima.

The crowd moved a bit for me to take a clean shot

A street vendor, making fresh orange juice. In the background, a shop window, displaying opaque emeralds in matrix.

Another view of downtown Bogotá. The emerald market is just around the corner.

A panoramic view of part of Bogotá' from the surrounding hills. The population of Colombia's capital is approx. 7 millions.

Early morning on the Avenida Jimenez, on a particular sidewalk called "La Playa" (the "beach") and the emerald market is about to start...  Like in any other gem capital, in Bogotá, emeralds are traded in a particular area, where offices, and cutter shops are located. And like in any other gem capital, stones are traded on the street also. Of course, simulants and synthetics are abundant!

By 10 am, "La Playa" is fully animated and the brokers ("comissionistas") are already in action. 

Rafael D.M and R.C. ready to start. No, not yet...we need a cup of coffee first!... Usually, when a foreigner arrives at the market, he is immediately surrounded by a crowd of comissionistas. Sometimes the pressure, both physical and emotional is such that it is the point where mistakes are mainly made.

Another view of the street emerald market

Here is a "comisionista" with a piece of emerald "en bruto" (rough emerald)

Sometimes the same piece can change many hands in a a day...it is good to remember every single piece and the price as well.

"What do you need? Candies, cigarettes, a fresh-squeezed lemonade, 200 cts. of 5x3 cabochons emeralds? we have them!"

A higher view of the Colonial part of Bogota', La Candelaria.

Emerald buying a in a comfortable office. However, many times buying is done also "old-style" (in the street)