I’ve journeyed to Cleopatra's lost emerald mines in search of the gemstone that's 100 times rarer than diamonds

Mankind has been making jewellery for at least 100,000 years. In all that time, very few fields of fine, gem-quality emerald have been discovered. In fact, emeralds are so rare that, in some respects, it seems a miracle that any have ever been found at all, the more so when one considers that emerald seams are only ever a couple of inches wide and may barely touch the Earth’s surface.

Until the 16th century, when Spain expanded its empire into South America and found the deposits located in present-day Colombia, every mined emerald mentioned in literature or listed in historical records — even referred to in the Bible — originated in Egypt’s Eastern Desert.

Take Pliny the Elder reporting that Caligula’s wife, Lollia Paulina, attended a party dressed in ‘alternating emeralds and pearls which glittered all over her head, hair, ears, neck and fingers’ or when Isidore, Bishop of Seville, said: ‘That it surpasses in all greenness all green stones, and even the leaves of plants, and that it imparts to the air around it a green shimmer.’ Not to mention the time the anonymous author of the Aberdeen Bestiary wrote: ‘It makes those who wear it appear attractive… it signifies virginity, which wholly preserves the freshness of the flesh.’

Every one of the emeralds described all came from what are now known as Cleopatra’s lost emerald mines. Given their diminutive proportions and the fact the Eastern Desert occupies an area about the size of mainland Britain, it isn’t entirely surprising that she mislaid them — but they are, it seems, located on the slopes of Gebel Zabara, the legendary Mons Smaragdus (Emerald Mountain) of the classical texts, some six days march from the Red Sea, where summer temperatures can reach 54˚C.

Many years ago, with the help of a local guide, I made a week-long trip there, sleeping on a bedroll under the stars and worrying about scorpions as I went. It was heaven. The landscape was more varied, more colourful and much more beautiful than I had ever imagined. We camped one night in the ruins of an ancient temple, another by a small oasis. When we reached the mining area itself, I spent a whole day exploring its various tunnels and chambers, coming away with a pocket full of small, rough emeralds.

I first caught emerald fever when I was 22. Walking through a Bangkok shopping mall, I saw a pair of tiny, square-cut gemstones in a jeweller’s window and fell in love with them. What began as an impulse purchase subsequently turned into something of a grand passion: I’ve visited all the world’s main emerald mines and cutting centres, made trips to see the great emeralds held in public and private collections and attended countless salerooms where notable emeralds were being auctioned. I still experience a thrill every time I hold an emerald up to the light and gaze into its mysterious interior. To me, each one is miniature work of art, a highly portable treasure trove.

Fine emeralds are 100 times rarer than diamonds of the same size and quality. They are greener than any other green gemstone —peridot, tourmaline, tsavorite — and make the rest look pale, brassy and washed out by comparison. The best emeralds are more valuable than any other coloured jewel. Intriguingly, they were one of the earliest commodities to be traded over vast distances, from England in the West to China in the East.

To date, they have only been located in four areas: Egypt (fully exploited long ago), Colombia, Brazil and Zambia. Colombian emeralds set the standard by which all others are judged; the best specimens are an intense, vivid, pure green and glow, as well as sparkle. They are bright yet deep, rich yet clear. Moreover, the green is dominant, with a very faint blueish hue and no yellow.

Almost without exception the most spectacular examples of emerald jewellery in the world — Catherine the Great’s emerald brooch, Queen Victoria’s emerald and diamond tiara, the Duchess of Windsor’s Siddhartha brooch (the first Cartier piece to feature an anatomically represented panther) and all of Elizabeth Taylor’s emerald jewellery (there was a lot of it) — incorporate Colombian emeralds.

Emerald values do not conform to the same pattern as other precious gemstones. If you compare 1,000 one-carat emeralds, each will be unique and priced accordingly. You could pay £200 or you could pay £20,000. They are partly judged, like other gems, on cut, clarity, colour and carat weight, but, unlike other gemstones, inclusions can actually add to the value. These are referred to as the ‘jardin’, or inner landscape, and have special names such as ‘wispy veils’ and ‘feathers’.

One of the rarest inclusions ever found in emeralds is referred to by its Spanish name: gota de aceite, which translates as ‘drop of oil’. The same feature is also sometimes called the ‘butterfly-wing effect’. Gota de aceite increases the levels of internal reflection and gives the jewel a smooth, velvety feel.

Ever since they were first discovered, at least 5,500 years ago, emeralds have been credited with magical powers. As Sir John Mandeville wrote in the 14th century: ‘Emeralds give riches and dignities, and make men honest and wise with speech; they also cure fevers, vision problems, skin diseases and spots.’

In 1348–49, during the Black Death, a prescription reputed to prevent infection contained ‘pearls, jargoons, emeralds and coral, one sixth drachm of each of these materials entered into the composition’. The Arabian physician Abu Meruan suggested ‘six grains of tincture of emerald’ to counter the effects of dysentery. Ibn al-Baytar, another Arab writer, proposed that, ‘emeralds should be worn by royal children from birth, since, set in pendants or rings, they prevent epileptic seizures’. Aristotle, meanwhile, advised that ‘emerald powder taken internally prevents hair loss and excoriation of the skin’.

It is easy to laugh at the pseudo-science of gem healing, but even today the government of India has several emerald prescriptions on its traditional medicine website.

Moreover, from the earliest times, emeralds have been credited with having supernatural powers. The idea that human destiny could be influenced by the action of a mineral can be traced to the sacred Hindu texts, the Vedas. The Kurma Purana, probably written between the years AD550 and AD850, stresses the connection between the working of providence, the planets and precious gemstones. In Jyotish astrology, emerald is allied with the planet Mercury and can be worn to enhance intellect, discrimination and the ability to communicate.

In Western astrology, the choice of which birthstone to wear is further complicated by the fact that few authorities can agree on which stone should be attributed to which month or sign of the zodiac. Some favour June, others May. Depending on which zodiacal system is employed, emerald is variously recommended for those born under the star signs of Gemini, Cancer, Sagittarius and Libra. If you simply want an excuse to wear one, then look no further than Marbodus, whose 12th century Liber Lapidum Pretiosum (Book of Precious Stones) includes the following encouragement:

'Wear it with reverence due, ’twill wealth bestow

And words persuasive from thy lips shall flow,

As though the gift of eloquence inspired

The stone itself or living spirit fired.

Hung round the neck it cures the ague’s chill,

Or failing sickness, dire mysterious ill;

Its hues so soft refresh the wearied eye,

And furious tempests banish from the sky:

So with chaste power it tames the furious mood

And cools the wanton thoughts that fire the blood.

If steeped in verdant oil or bathed in wine

Its deepened hues with perfect lustre shine'

This feature originally appeared in the December 10, 2025, issue of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.