In the beginning
Due to our close association with Zultanite®, many people find it surprising to learn that Provenance Gems started out selling Emeralds. Our founder and President, Marek Chmiel, literally spent his life savings sourcing and manufacturing an Emerald collection to sell in the boutique onboard the cruise ship Celebrity Equinox during the winter of 2009 as it would sail through the Panama Canal.
Over the years we have become know for working with many other gemstones, most notably Zultanite®, as well as Cuervo y Sobrinos Watches and Snowflakes, yet Emeralds have always been special to us.
Emeralds have a rich history and will always be associated with their most important producer, Colombia. However, right around the time Provenance Gems was founded, the mines in Zambia were receiving unprecedented financing and Zambian Emeralds of remarkable quality were starting to make tremendous impact. Immediately we saw that due to their comparatively low price-per-carat and transparent journey from mine to market, Zambian Emeralds could be a good choice for our collectors. And they were……while we would still often travel to Colombia and source Colombian Emeralds, Zambian Emeralds just seemed to just go from strength to strength.
Victoria Falls in Zambia. Just like Colombia, Zambia is a country of stunning landscapes and, or course, Emeralds.
10 years later we feel the trend continues. It could be said the gamble paid off, our Zambian Emeralds proved to be a tremendous success and the company was able to grow.
The name of our company is Provenance Gems. The definition of Provenance is “a record of ownership of a work of art or an antique, used as a guide to authenticity or quality.” It also means origin and we care passionately about the origin and ethical procurement of all of our products.
We found it important to market the origins of our gemstones, focusing on the story of their journey from mine to market. This approach caught the attention of a new and very special mine in Turkey that produced a unique and fascinating gemstone that even changed color. In 2011 we began working with Zultanite® and have never looked back.
Perhaps Emeralds will always be our first love, the contacts we made in the early days of Provenance Gems are just as strong today. Emerald passion is something special and there is surely a place for stunning Emerald jewelry in everybody’s collection!
