From the Heart
of the Earth
Cordillera Oriental · Boyacá
The land that holds
the green fire
Nestled in the Colombian Andes, the Boyacá region has produced the finest emeralds in the world for five centuries. The unique geology — ancient black shale deposits formed deep within the earth — gives Colombian emeralds their unrivalled depth of colour. A warmth no other stone in the world can replicate.
Muzo
The most celebrated mine in the world. Muzo emeralds are prized for their deep, warm green — a colour so rare and distinctive it carries its own name: Muzo green. The stone of kings and collectors. Known for the finest jardin and a light that seems to come from within.
Chivor
Discovered by the Spanish conquistadors in the sixteenth century. Chivor stones carry a cooler, purer green — crystalline, transparent, extraordinary. The gems of the Aztec and Inca ceremonial tradition. Rarer than Muzo, and prized by those who know the difference.
"We do not buy emeralds. We choose them — one by one, in the light of Bogotá, by eye."
Jean-Pierre Marson · FounderWhat makes a stone
exceptional
The expert eye looks for the quality of the colour, the transparency, and the character of the jardin — the natural inclusions that prove a stone's Colombian origin. Jean-Pierre Marson has been refining this eye for over forty years. Most stones he examines never become a Pierre Marson jewel. Only those that carry something unrepeatable are chosen.
The emerald's journey
The atelier · Madrid
The stone dictates
the design
At Pierre Marson, every design begins with the stone — never the reverse. Each emerald is studied before the goldsmith begins. The cut of the gold, the angle of the prongs, the weight of the band — all are decided by what the stone needs to be seen at its best. Our goldsmiths work in the tradition of classical French joaillerie, by hand, with patience.
A jewel that carries a history
When you wear a Pierre Marson jewel, you carry five centuries of Colombian history, forty years of expertise, and hundreds of hours of goldsmith work. The stone remembers where it came from. The piece is designed to ensure it is never forgotten.
Discover the collection"The jardin is not a flaw. It is the proof."
Pierre Marson · On Colombian EmeraldsEmerald Education
It refers specifically to emerald mined in Colombia — most notably from the Muzo, Chivor, and Coscuez districts in Boyacá. Colombian emeralds are generally lower in iron content than emeralds from other origins, producing a more vivid and pure green color.
Origin must be confirmed by independent gemological certification. Any origin claim not backed by a laboratory certificate should be treated as unverified.
Their low iron content — a result of the black shale geology of the Boyacá region — allows chromium and vanadium to produce a warmer, more saturated green than emeralds from Zambia, Brazil, or Afghanistan. Muzo produces the deepest, warmest greens. Chivor tends toward cooler, more bluish-green with excellent transparency. Coscuez produces lighter, brighter material.
Colombian origin is a strong indicator of color potential — but color, transparency, and cut together define a genuinely fine stone.
Quality is judged through color, transparency, cut, and carat weight — with color and transparency carrying the most weight. The most prized Colombian emeralds show medium-to-medium-dark tone with strong, vivid saturation. View the stone in natural daylight and compare it side by side with others of similar size rather than in isolation.
Emeralds form through a hydrothermal process that naturally traps fissures and mineral crystals within the stone. This internal network — known as jardin, French for "garden" — is a defining feature of natural emerald, not a flaw. Every jardin is unique to its stone.
Inclusions only become a concern when they significantly reduce transparency or compromise structural integrity. A natural stone with zero visible inclusions at a low price is worth questioning.
The large majority of natural emeralds are treated with oil to fill surface-reaching fissures and improve transparency — a practice used for centuries and widely accepted in the trade. Independent laboratories grade the degree of treatment from none to significant; this degree, not the presence of treatment itself, affects value.
A treated emerald is still 100% natural. What matters is that the degree of treatment is honestly disclosed on an independent certificate.
Begin with a stone.
End with a jewel.
Tell us the occasion, the person, the feeling. We will select the stone and design the piece around it. Every bespoke creation begins with a conversation.
Order Sur MesureReady to wear.
Made to last.
Browse our current selection — each piece set with a hand-selected Colombian emerald, available for immediate delivery from our atelier in Madrid.
View all pieces