Esmeraldas Mining Services

Our Operations > Puerto Arturo Mine

Cradle of emeralds

10+ years of operations

800+ direct employees hired

55 hectares of extension

Las montañas que rodean la mina Puerto Arturo en Muzo, Boyacá

The Puerto Arturo mine is one of the most important operations of emerald exploration and extraction in the whole world, also the most productive in Colombia, known mainly for the quality and characteristic color of the stones it produces. It is located on the Eastern Andes mountain range in the Western province of the department of Boyaca, between the municipalities of Muzo and Quípama. Since 2009, it has been operated by The Muzo Companies Colombia through the original company of the group, Minería Texas Colombia (MTC), which in 2018, divided its operations granting the operations to Esmeraldas Mining Services (EMS) as the company in charge of the mining exploitation of the group.

Since the beginning of operations of The Muzo Companies Colombia, there has been an improvement and optimization in each of the processes carried out in the region, which has allowed a rational, sustainable and, above all, safer extraction of emeralds, letting us reach unprecedented levels of production in the area, which implies retribution to the municipalities in sums of social, environmental and tax investment never seen before in the country’s emerald mining. All of this thanks to the implementation of responsible exploitation methods, exploration and knowledge of the subsoil, implementation of new technologies, expert advice and, above all, hard and safe work that ensures the safety and well-being of workers.

Emerald extracted by responsible and sustainable methods.
Main shaft and entrance of the Puerto Arturo mine.

The Puerto Arturo mine has two main entrances to the subsoil: The main shaft is the deepest entrance of the Puerto Arturo mine, in which, through a winch (elevator with a basket), the operating personnel can be transferred to the different levels of production and enter inputs required for the operation. In addition, it serves as an evacuation point for productive cargo and sterile material from each of the work fronts. Likewise, the JD Ramp is the entrance through which specialized mechanized machinery for mining enters, which strengthens the loading and transport of material, communicating the most important levels of the operation and providing facilities, flexibility and safety to each of the processes.

To enter the mine, operating personnel descend hundreds of meters below the surface and through a maze of galleries. EMS miners use jackhammers and hand tools to chisel away the black shale walls in search of the famous white vein of calcite, the clue that an emerald is nearby. They carefully separate the gemstone from walls. The extraction process is monitored by CCTV surveillance and security personnel to safeguard the quality and traceability of the gems.

rilling process inside the Puerto Arturo mine.