Museo Internacional De La Esmeralda
Museo Internacional De La Esmeralda
4
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
About
Immerse yourself in a world of elegance and knowledge at our museum, where the Colombian emerald takes center stage. Marvel at the timeless beauty of these gemstones, the result of millions of years of geological history. Our life-size emerald mine tunnel will transport you deep underground, revealing the secrets behind the formation of these precious stones.
Experience the thrill of emerald mining firsthand through our 360-degree video. Witness the extraction process in the mines of Boyacá, one of the world's most renowned emerald-producing regions.
Discover the art of high-end jewelry through our exclusive pieces, crafted by Colombian master jewelers. Learn to differentiate a genuine emerald from an imitation and understand the criteria that define its quality and value.
Let the green magic cast its spell on you.
Duration: < 1 hour
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4.0
294 reviews
Excellent
142
Very good
64
Average
54
Poor
26
Terrible
10
B d A
Athens, Greece1,006 contributions
Jul 2022
a high school project work with fine vistas to the town but just that. A willing student like exponent, meticulous and humorous took us through the stages and the qualities and the four factors: translucency, colour, inclusions, clarity, cut etc. We did not absorb, or rather we absorbed less than form a wikipaedia or equivalent expose. But like whatever is oversold, this one assumed a character well beyond what it constituted. The jewelry specimens were below what you see in a upper middle class european gathering of well jewelled ladies. Security was interestingly underlined and that was to our liking
Written 1 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Your comments are invaluable to us as we strive to enhance our exhibits and provide the best possible experience for our visitors. We're always working to expand our collection and create even more engaging displays.
Written 17 September 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
scphil21
Orange County, CA442 contributions
Nov 2014 • Couples
This is an emerald store owned by someone with a fantastic collection of emeralds. The visit is quite bizarre. You go up in an elevator, pay your money. Then they lock you in a little dark room to watch a 10 minute video on emeralds. After the video is over there is no instruction on what to do. There is a dark cavern to your right and you sort of pause to figure out what is going on. Once the bizarreness reaches an unbearable point someone appears from nowhere to light the cavern and walk you through the "emerald mine". After that they run you around a few cases of rare emeralds and dump you into the jewelry store. No exhibits, no explanations, no history. Just a video and a whirlwind tour of some rich guy's emeralds. Kind of a surreal experience. This was not a highlight of the trip.
Written 2 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marcia74
Denver, CO88 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
I've visited this little museum twice in the past several months with friends who were visiting us here in Bogota. I just went last week and the entrance fee is only USD$2.50, so not sure how
much the one person got charged who said it was expensive. It's in a building that you show
your ID and they take a photo of you before getting in the elevator and you go up to the museum. BTW, there's a clean bathroom with soap and running water on this floor. You watch a short video in Spanish as they round up an English speaking guide, otherwise the tour is in Spanish. Then you go in a dark room and watch another short video that is subtitled in English. The guided tour takes you to 4 sections of Emerald mines that are replicas of the real deal. In the next room, they have several emerald pieces and Emerald art in glass cases. The guide explains each case. There are some magnificent specimens. You are then free to look and buy in their jewelry shop. Colombia is famous for it's Emeralds, so this is an interesting and informative stop.
much the one person got charged who said it was expensive. It's in a building that you show
your ID and they take a photo of you before getting in the elevator and you go up to the museum. BTW, there's a clean bathroom with soap and running water on this floor. You watch a short video in Spanish as they round up an English speaking guide, otherwise the tour is in Spanish. Then you go in a dark room and watch another short video that is subtitled in English. The guided tour takes you to 4 sections of Emerald mines that are replicas of the real deal. In the next room, they have several emerald pieces and Emerald art in glass cases. The guide explains each case. There are some magnificent specimens. You are then free to look and buy in their jewelry shop. Colombia is famous for it's Emeralds, so this is an interesting and informative stop.
Written 22 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eternalspring22
Bogota, Colombia4 contributions
Aug 2012 • Friends
It is a fake museum. I am taking an expensive Spanish class at Javeriana and they took us to this "museum" as a class field trip. The presumption here is that foreigners taking expensive spanish classes will have enough money to spend on grossly overpriced jewelry. The set up of the shop is you enter through a plastic imitation of a emerald mine tunnel and you are shown how the emeralds occur in veins in the rock, next you are taken to an small room exhibit of the raw mined emeralds, adjacent to that room are few workers polishing the emeralds and big finally of the five minute tour is THE STORE!!! In the store you can buy small $5,000 earrings and many more expensive stuff. If you ever been to a tourist trap carpet store in Turkey or India where they have the weavers at the entrance and they try to sell you thousands of dollars of premium hand made carpete this place has exactly the same feel and structure. Go to the legit Museo del Oro next door, skip this fake museum scam.
Written 25 August 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HPRIC
Washington DC148 contributions
Feb 2011 • Couples
To be fair - this is more of an educational opportunity that leads to a jewelry showroom - calling it a "museum" is a bit of a stretch. However, it is still worth a visit, since it is near other attractions like the Gold Museum, and you can be in and out in less than an hour. Plus, the views are great! The museum is located in the Avianca building, and security is tight- be sure to bring identification. When you arrive you will be shown a movie on emerald mining and then will be guided through a "mine shaft" which re-creates the various mining environments in Colombia, with actual emerald mine samples from each. It was very interesting to learn about the different qualities and types of emeralds that Colombia produces. Then, you can view all kinds of emerald artifacts, and lastly, you may purchase all manner of emerald jewelry. One drawback is that you are not allowed to take photos of the emeralds, but you are allowed to take photos out of the windows, which is quite an impressive view of the city.
Written 11 November 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RDubNJ
Mercerville, NJ44 contributions
Mar 2016 • Friends
Located in the Avianca building off of the plaza Santander, the Emerald Museum is a quick trip up the elevator. Bring photo ID if you want to get in, as they don't shirk on the security.
You'll get a guided tour of the museum with a description of the history of emerald mining in Colombia, a quick film and then your free to wander the small, yet interesting museum. Afterwards you can check out the gift shop if you're in the mood to buy emeralds and jewelry. The prices seemed pretty reasonable there, with the extra benefit that you're probably not going to be ripped off, which is the (slight) risk you run if you're trying to save by buying in the streets. The views from the window are also worth the trip up the elevator.
You'll get a guided tour of the museum with a description of the history of emerald mining in Colombia, a quick film and then your free to wander the small, yet interesting museum. Afterwards you can check out the gift shop if you're in the mood to buy emeralds and jewelry. The prices seemed pretty reasonable there, with the extra benefit that you're probably not going to be ripped off, which is the (slight) risk you run if you're trying to save by buying in the streets. The views from the window are also worth the trip up the elevator.
Written 22 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CanadianaJones
Kelowna, Canada189 contributions
Jun 2016 • Business
To properly accomplish this tour, a person will require approximately 90 minutes, so please plan accordingly. A copy of your passport is required at the ground level front desk prior to admission. The Emerald Museum is located in the Avianca Building on the 23rd floor.
After providing identification and paying 5,000 COP, a guide accompanies you to the elevator and stays with you for the tour. First you watch a short film about the history and logistics in the mining operation which gives an incredible background and sets the tone for the remainder of the tour. Next, your guide takes you through various parts of the museum and explains an incredible amount about emeralds in general. It is a true education for anyone with an emerald zest, and imperative for those intending on purchasing any emeralds locally. Your guide speaks good English and is very open to all questions, giving very detailed explanations so as to not leave anything unanswered.
Note! - There are no pictures or video allowed during the tour! Security is very high given the value of more than 3000 emeralds currently on display both in the museum, and later on in the tour, the store where one can purchase emeralds if one chooses. In the store, there is a bit of pressure to buy, but if you say you are just looking, then everything will be fine.
It is a unique adventure and one I consider well worth investing the time to see.
After providing identification and paying 5,000 COP, a guide accompanies you to the elevator and stays with you for the tour. First you watch a short film about the history and logistics in the mining operation which gives an incredible background and sets the tone for the remainder of the tour. Next, your guide takes you through various parts of the museum and explains an incredible amount about emeralds in general. It is a true education for anyone with an emerald zest, and imperative for those intending on purchasing any emeralds locally. Your guide speaks good English and is very open to all questions, giving very detailed explanations so as to not leave anything unanswered.
Note! - There are no pictures or video allowed during the tour! Security is very high given the value of more than 3000 emeralds currently on display both in the museum, and later on in the tour, the store where one can purchase emeralds if one chooses. In the store, there is a bit of pressure to buy, but if you say you are just looking, then everything will be fine.
It is a unique adventure and one I consider well worth investing the time to see.
Written 22 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cynhoff
Brewster, NY662 contributions
Dec 2014 • Solo
Enjoyed the information & the displays. It only takes about 45 minutes, so not too overwhelming. I discovered after purchasing 2 emeralds in the shop that I over-payed. I should have guessed that, shame on me! It's really close to the Gold Museum, so do both the same day.
Written 18 December 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nicole D.
Panama7 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
We loved taking this tour. It's not an over-the-top tour, but you get what you pay for: learn something new and different about emeralds! The tour is short and you get to go through a representation of the caves where you find the emeralds in Colombia. They explain to you about the history and some interesting facts about emeralds. Hector did an excellent job throughout the whole experience, we definitely enjoyed it as he was very knowledgeable and a great guide. At the end of the tour you they bring you to a shop where you can buy emeralds.
Written 6 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Greg T
Toronto, Canada17 contributions
Jan 2019 • Friends
The Emerald museum is a private museum on the 23rd floor of the Avianca building that charges a 5,000 entrance fee. You will need to bring ID to be granted access to the building. They show a video of the mining process and have an informative guide to show and explain 4 different emerald veins found in Columbia. They have displays of emeralds in raw form that are very impressive. Unfortunately, you cannot take pictures of any emeralds during your visit. You can take pictures out the windows of great views the city. The end of the tour brings you to their store where you can purchase their emeralds at a wide variety of prices. If you go on the free walking tour of Bogotá, you can get free entrance to this museum.
Written 17 January 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola el recorrido es carto pero con un guía espectacular mi inconformidad es que compre un anillo el 9 de enero y ya sele callo una piedra y la verdad son muy costosos para no tener una buena calidad espero pronta respuesta y donde puedo llevar mi anillo para que lo arregle ahora mismo estoy fuera del país si cuando yo vaya lo puedas areglar
Written 2 February 2019
fui y me encanto lo que aprendi, ya que el guia alejandro fue muy jocoso y bien claro.!!
Written 4 June 2019
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