After 23 hours in transit, three continents and approximately ten time zones behind me, I arrived in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia.
The purpose of my visit was business. I had travelled with my father to source Colombian emeralds and learn more about one of the world's most important emerald industries. But over the course of a week, the trip became about much more than sourcing stones. It gave me my first real experience of how the emerald trade works — the people, the negotiations, the judgement required and, sometimes, the things you simply cannot learn from a textbook.
Despite the long journey and the jet lag, Bogotá made an immediate impression. Surrounded by mountains, the city has a character of its own — a mix of history, colour and everyday chaos. Once we had settled in, I spent time exploring the city, tasting fresh fruits, drinking Colombian coffee and simply observing the rhythm of life around me. I was thousands of kilometres away from home, but I was struck by how warm and welcoming the people were.
Inside Colombia's Emerald Trade
A major part of my visit involved working alongside my father to source Colombian emeralds. Every day, we would meet brokers and traders and examine hundreds of stones.
We were working out of an office in a large building, sitting in a small cabin within someone else's office. It was a simple setup, but for me, it became a classroom.
I began to understand the journey of an emerald — from the mine to the final polished stone — and how many factors influence its value. Colour, clarity, cut, origin and overall quality all matter. But understanding those factors in theory and sitting in front of hundreds of emeralds, trying to apply them, are two very different things.
It was fascinating to see how certain shades of green are associated with specific mining regions, including the famous Muzo mines. But the biggest lesson for me was that there is no easy way to put a price on a stone.
Unlike many other businesses, there are no fixed prices in the emerald trade. Often, the seller asks you to make the first offer. That sounds simple until you are actually sitting across the table, looking at a stone and trying to decide what it is worth.
The challenge is that you do not always know the right price. If your assessment is wrong, you could end up paying far more than the stone is actually worth. Brokers can also quote unexpectedly high prices, so you have to remain alert and not take everything at face value.
That was one of my biggest takeaways from the trip. You have to be patient. You have to observe. And eventually, you have to trust your own assessment.
The three Cs — colour, clarity and cut — became much more meaningful to me during that week. But I also learnt that even the conditions around you can affect how you assess a stone.
Bogotá's weather is pleasant, but unpredictable. It can rain at any time, and once the sky turns grey and the natural light disappears, assessing an emerald becomes much more difficult. The stone can look different depending on the light, and its colour and overall appearance can change.
When you are selecting stones, that can become a real challenge. You could make the wrong choice simply because you have not seen the stone in the right conditions.
It was one of the most practical lessons I learnt in Bogotá: sometimes, even the weather can affect a buying decision.
Learning From the People
The experience also taught me things that no textbook could have explained.
Meeting traders, brokers and other people from the industry allowed me to see how business actually works. Relationships, trust and negotiation skills play a significant role, but so does experience. Every conversation became an opportunity to learn something new.
I found myself learning not only from what people told me, but from watching how they worked.
The people I met were also incredibly friendly and welcoming. I learnt something from almost everyone I interacted with, whether it was about the stones, the trade or simply the way business was conducted.
Working alongside my father made the experience even more valuable. I was able to watch how he assessed a stone, how he approached negotiations and what he noticed that I might have missed. It made me realise how much experience goes into what can sometimes look like a very quick decision.
From the outside, sourcing a gemstone might seem straightforward: you see a stone, you like it, you agree on a price. But sitting there and watching the process unfold made me understand how much judgement is involved.
Beyond the Emeralds
One of my favourite parts of the trip was experiencing Colombia's coffee culture. Knowing that I was drinking coffee in a country famous for producing some of the world's finest beans made every cup feel a little more special.
The fresh fruits, juices and salads were also exceptional.
Food, however, came with its own challenges. As a vegetarian, finding proper meals was not always easy. There were good places to eat, but vegetarian options were limited, so I ended up relying on ready-to-eat and frozen meals that I had packed from India.
It was not what I had imagined, but it became another part of the experience. When you are travelling internationally, you learn to adapt to situations you may not have planned for.
Beyond business, I also had the opportunity to explore Bogotá.
One of the highlights was visiting Monserrate, the mountain that overlooks the city. Travelling up by cable car offered spectacular views of Bogotá and the landscape around it. I visited historic churches and cathedrals, explored different parts of the city and experienced its local culture firsthand.
Bogotá is colourful, lively and full of character. Even a simple walk through the streets revealed something interesting — the architecture, the street life and the way old and new exist side by side.
The language barrier was another challenge. Many people we met primarily spoke Spanish, so communication could sometimes be difficult. We often used translation tools to understand one another, and during my stay, I also picked up a few basic Spanish words and phrases.
But the experience made me realise that communication extends beyond words.
Gestures, facial expressions, patience and the willingness to understand each other often helped bridge the gap. There were times when we could not communicate fluently, but we still found a way to understand one another.
That was another unexpected lesson from the trip: non-verbal communication can sometimes be just as important as language.
I also noticed a difference in workplace culture. Compared to what I am accustomed to, offices felt more informal and relaxed. People interacted comfortably with colleagues and even senior professionals, creating an environment that felt friendly and approachable.
It gave me a different perspective on how business can be conducted successfully while still feeling relaxed and people-oriented.
The Other Side of the City
While Colombia was beautiful and welcoming, I also learnt the importance of staying alert.
Like many large cities, there were security concerns. During our stay, we were accompanied by a bodyguard throughout the day, even when our hotel was just across the street from where we needed to go. Whenever we travelled further, we used bulletproof cars.
That was something I had never experienced before.
I was also surprised to see how seriously some people approached personal safety. I saw locals carrying guns or keeping weapons in their offices because they felt it was necessary for their security.
It was a sharp contrast to the warmth and friendliness I experienced everywhere else, but it was also a reminder that travelling for business means understanding the realities of the place you are in, not just the industry you have come to explore.
What I Took Back From Bogotá
Although my trip lasted only a week, the lessons and memories have stayed with me.
Even now, writing about Bogotá makes me nostalgic. I remember the mountains surrounding the city, the aroma of Colombian coffee, the people I met and the countless conversations that taught me something new.
But more than anything, I remember the emeralds.
I remember sitting in that office and looking at stone after stone, slowly beginning to understand how much there is to see beyond a beautiful green colour. I remember the pressure of trying to assess a stone and make the right offer without always being completely sure whether I had got the price right.
I went to Bogotá to source emeralds and learn more about the trade. I came back with a far better understanding of how much there is still to learn.
The trip taught me about colour, clarity and cut. But it also taught me about judgement, observation, negotiation and adaptability. I learnt that experience in this industry is not just about knowing the technical factors that make a stone valuable. It is also about learning to read the stone, the person selling it and the situation around you.
For me, that was what made Bogotá memorable.
Nandini Balduwa is a BBA student at O.P. Jindal Global University and is gaining firsthand experience in the gemstone trade through M.B. Exports.