Our Story

Chimba Jewels started with a simple observation: the Colombian emerald supply chain is broken for independent jewelers.

By the time a Muzo emerald reaches a U.S. jewelry store, it has passed through a miner, a regional dealer, an exporter, a Colombian importer, a U.S. wholesaler, and sometimes a second domestic broker. Each step adds markup — and removes accountability. The retailer gets a stone with a vague "Colombian origin" claim and a price that has been marked up four or five times from the source.

Chimba Jewels cuts all of that out.

Founded in Medellín

Our founder, Matt Sewell, is based in Medellín, Colombia — the center of the Colombian emerald trade. He works directly with miners from the Muzo, Coscuez, and Chivor regions of Boyacá. Every stone Chimba sells was personally evaluated at origin before it entered our inventory.

Medellín is where the real Colombian emerald market happens. It's where miners bring their best material. Being here — not brokering remotely from New York or LA — is what makes direct-source pricing possible.

Why Independent Jewelers

Large chains buy at volume and have direct relationships. Small independents get squeezed by the same broker network that has run the U.S. emerald import market for decades. We built Chimba specifically for the independent store owner who wants a differentiated product, a real origin story, and pricing that lets them make a margin.

The Name

Chimba is Colombian slang — roughly, "something excellent, the best of its kind." It's what Colombians say when something is genuinely good. That's our standard for every stone we source.