Muzo is a town and municipality

Municipio

Municipio and Município are terms used for country subdivisions. They are often translated as municipality.-Overview:...

 in Boyacá Department

Boyacá Department

Boyacá is one of the 32 Departments of Colombia, and the remnant of one of the original nine states of the "United States of Colombia".Boyacá is centrally located within Colombia, almost entirely within the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera to the border with Venezuela, although the western end...

, Colombia

Colombia

Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...

, part of the subregion of the Western Boyacá Province

Western Boyacá Province

The Western Boyacá Province is a subregion of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. The subsregion is formed by 15 municipalities.-Municipalities:...

. It is widely known for the nearby emerald

Emerald

Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...

 mines containing arguably the world's highest quality gems of this type. The Muzo mines are situated in the western foothills of the eastern range of the Colombian Andes, about 96 km northeast of Bogotá

Bogotá

Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...

. The Devonshire

Duke of Devonshire Emerald

The Duke of Devonshire Emerald is one of the world's largest and most famous uncut emeralds, weighing 1,383.93 carats. Originating in the mine at Muzo, Colombia, it was either given or sold by Emperor Pedro I of Brazil to William Cavendish, 6th Duke of Devonshire in 1831. It was displayed at the...

, one of the world's most famous uncut emeralds, is from the Muzo mines. It is a 1383.95 carat (276.79 g) emerald and was a gift to the 6th Duke of Devonshire by Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

 in 1831.

The US National Museum Division of Mineralogy

Mineralogy

Mineralogy is the study of chemistry, crystal structure, and physical properties of minerals. Specific studies within mineralogy include the processes of mineral origin and formation, classification of minerals, their geographical distribution, as well as their utilization.-History:Early writing...

 and Petrology

Petrology

Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, and the conditions in which rocks form....

carried out a study of the mines in 1916.

External links

• Muzo Emeralds official site of Muzo Emeralds, with a virtual tour of the emerald mine
• The Emerald Deposits of Muzo, Colombia Online copy of the 1916 U.S. National Museum study