It is widely known for the nearby emerald 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. The
Devonshire,
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 in 1831.
The US National Museum Division of
Mineralogy and Petrology carried out
