Trapiche Emeralds: Nature’s Perfect Imperfections

By Brittany Siminitz | May 08, 2024

In this world, nothing is perfect.

I’ve been struggling to explain this sentiment to my perfectionist daughter, the precocious 6-year-old who can’t bear to make mistakes. There’s such beauty in imperfections, and they should be celebrated.

It’s interesting how we strive for perfection in some areas of our lives yet embrace the less so in others. In gemstones alone, the hunt for the best possible diamond for the money is common among consumers. But emeralds—those are a different story.

I love May’s birthstone especially for its ability to make imperfections appear glorious, its every inclusion a journey into an inner world of green. The rarest, most prized emerald of all—inclusions and all—is the trapiche emerald.

Named for a grinding wheel used to process sugarcane, this Colombian emerald is noted by a spoke-like pattern, with or without a hexagonal core at its center. While this pattern is considered an inclusion (in the absence of a perfectly unmarked gem), it’s not one that inhibits the stone’s value—in fact, it has the opposite effect.

So under the radar are these gems, I was met with several questions from industry members upon mentioning I was searching for them. Their availability seems to raise questions too; a number of designers expressed fondness for trapiche emeralds, but lamented their price and difficulty to source.

Which makes this assortment of trapiche emerald jewels all the more alluring. If their looks don’t instantly do it for you, perhaps the notion of procuring a hard-to-find gemstone—exquisitely treated by one of two reputably skillful brands—will.