Jewels Around the World: Shopping for Emeralds in Cartagena, Colombia

In my last post, I wrote about spending the day in Bogota’s emerald district. But what if you aren’t spending time in Bogotá during your Colombian adventure? Not to worry! There are plenty of emeralds to be found all over the country. If you’re only hitting Colombia’s Caribbean coast, you’ll love this guide to shopping for emeralds in Cartagena.

There are two main areas in Cartagena where you’ll see a concentration of emerald jewelry stores. The first is in the neighborhood of El Laguito, which lies just south of Bocagrande. (If you’re not staying inside the walled city, you’re probably staying in Bocagrande.) Here, you’ll find an outdoor mall of sorts with multiple emerald stores. I’ve heard taxi divers call it Plaza de las Esmeraldas. As you walk around, people will beckon you to come inside their stores, but don’t worry. Unlike the people who sell stuff on the beach, no one is particularly aggressive about it.

The store I liked the most in El Laguito was called Jewelry Factory. It’s a family business going back to 1953. The people working there were extremely friendly and happy to show me around.

Jewelry Factory exterior — The outside of Jewelry Factory in El Laguito. The charming older gentleman behind me watches the door.

With the owner of Jewelry Factory. Behind us is the jewelers’ workshop.

Unlike many stores, they had a section of silver jewelry set with better quality emeralds. Most stores in Colombia save lower-quality stones for silver jewelry, but at Jewelry Factory, they recognize that some people are in it for the stone. I saw a lot of cool pieces that would work well as souvenirs or gifts. I got a cute silver coffee bean and emerald pendant with matching silver chain for about USD $20. Not bad, right?

Silver and emerald coffee bean suite. So cute! There’s nothing more Colombian than emeralds and coffee.

Silver flower studs with deep green emeralds — I almost got some of these silver flower studs set with deep green emeralds. Most silver pieces at other stores will have emeralds that are quite light in color.

For serious buyers who are ready to plunk down some cash for something really special, I recommend Lucy Jewelry, located within the Ciudad Amurallada, or walled city. This is where the second concentration of emerald stores lies. Lucy is the most upscale store of the bunch. If you’re looking for the best Colombia has to offer, this is a great place to shop. It’s gorgeous on the inside, but don’t worry about being under dressed. You’re a tourist, so no one will care as long as you’re not in a swimsuit.

Lucy Jewelry exterior — Lucy Jewelry’s gorgeous exterior. I was on my last day of clean clothes, and they did not judge me for looking like a sweaty bum.

Showroom at Lucy Jewelry — The showroom at Lucy Jewelry. The store is actually a remodeled colonial carriage house. As you can see, the interior stone walls are original.

As soon as we walked in, a salesperson asked if we needed help in English or Spanish, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t have Spanish skills here. Although it lacks a family feel, this store had by far the best quality stones and jewelry out of everywhere I went in Colombia this trip. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any photos of the jewelry, but they did let me photograph a few things.

Different qualities of polished emeralds — Some examples of different qualities of polished emeralds. Which is your favorite?

Rough and cabochon emeralds — Some emerald specimens they keep on hand. I’m fond of the rough crystals (left).

For a little something different, head to Joyas Momposinas L&L, also found within the Ciudad Amurallada. Here, a family from the Colombian city Santa Cruz de Mompox sells filigree jewelry, or filigrana. Santa Cruz de Mompox is known all over Colombia for this type of metalwork, a tradition which goes back hundreds of years to colonial times. One enterprising family decided to take their wares to sell in Cartagena, and Joyas Momposinas L&L was born.

Joyas Momposinas exterior — Joyas Momposinas L&L is on a typical picturesque street in the Ciudad Amurallada.

Window display — A close-up of the window display.

Most of what the family makes is silver, but if you want yellow gold, they can do that as well. While emeralds are frequently utilized, many pieces are just metal. One day I’ll visit Santa Cruz de Mompox and write about it, but this was a great preview. Mompox isn’t a big tourist destination (yet), so this is a great way to see and buy some of the coolest jewelry in Colombia without leaving Cartagena. And, if you ask nicely, they’ll give you a demonstration of the technique in the back.

Filigree earrings — Earrings like these stunners can take days to make. Each little silver thread is turned, twisted and sautered by hand.

Filigree butterfly — They were kind enough to give me a demonstration of the filigree technique. This is a butterfly the jeweler was working on.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to shopping for emeralds in Cartagena, Colombia. Whether you’re spending a few days in the city or just passing through on a cruise, I have no doubt you will fall in love with Cartagena and its people. You may as well take a little souvenir home so you can remember it forever. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Plates with rough emeralds — If you have no appreciation for jewelry, I’m not sure how you found your way to Jewels Abound, but you could always get one of these sweet souvenir plates decorated with rough emeralds from the Jewelry Factory.

Street view Cartagena — Just your average street view inside the walled city in Cartagena.

Jewelry Factory
Local 1, Cra. 1 #1A-120
Barrio El Laguito
Cartagena, Colombia
+57 1 6651519

Lucy Jewelry
Calle Santo Domingo #3-19 Edificio Cuesta
Ciudad Amurallada
Cartagena, Colombia
+57 5 6644255

Joyería Momposina L&L
Cra. 7 #38-2
Ciudad Amurallada
Cartagena, Colombia
+57 6606479