gems, beryl, emerald, Colombia, Muzo, Cosquez

González discusses the emerald mines of Muzo and Coscuez in Colombia and the controversies surrounding their exploitation, drawing upon his extensive practical experience with the deposits. The work brings together articles originally published in La Fusión concerning the administration and contractual arrangements governing the mines, their production and economic importance, and the conditions under which they should be worked. Particular attention is given to questions of government control, concessions, mining operations, and the commercial value of Colombia’s emerald resources. Written by a former director of operations at Muzo and Coscuez, the work provides a contemporary account of the Colombian emerald industry at the beginning of the twentieth century and is of particular historical value for the development and administration of these two major emerald deposits.