Cartagena Emerald Museum

In a colonial house the historical center, more precisely, on Calle Don Sancho, is the Museum of the Emerald,-unique-where this gemstone lovers can discover and admire in all its splendor, and be cut or in its natural state, as well as know all concerning the extraction process.

At the entrance to this room, and historical, cultural and pedagogical, visitors find a tunnel or a tunnel replica representing 7 mines in Colombia,-located in the towns of Muzo, Coscuez and Chivor, Department of Boyacá, and Gachalá, Cundinamarca department.

Led by a guide, expert in multiple languages, the audience know in detail the pieces of rock with green gem formations, and also have the ability to differentiate their quality and purity. After going through the tunnel, visitors enter two exhibition halls displaying mills, special crystallization emeralds and countless exotic and different colors, among which include pink, blue and brown.

The Emerald Museum began with a dream of his manager and director, Vilmar Novoa Bohorquez, son and grandson of miners, born in Somondoco, who since childhood rare stones collected all the miners carve discarded because they could not sell.

"My father was the first with that hobby. He worked all his life in the mines and collected emeralds strange. I started collecting them in the early 80's with the dream of making a museum. He took the unique crystallization slim that the miners discarded, because at that time not known museum value. My thing has always been studying and writing self-taught on the importance emerald and between it and the human being, "says the director of the Museum.

The Emerald Museum Cartagena admitted in 2004 to the National Network of Museums of Colombia. Visitors will also find a souvenir shop with items and collection of charms with emeralds, necklaces and pre-Columbian figures.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.