Zambia is the world's second biggest producer of emeralds. The Kafubu River deposits; namely the Kagem Mines, currently contain six emerald belts, located in the Copperbelt Province of northern Zambia. Over the past five years Kagem Mine has produced over 25 million carats of emeralds of which only 0.4% represent premium gem quality stones. This mine is responsible for as much as 30% of the world's production of gem-quality emeralds today, yielding stones which often have an attractive and distinctive underlying blue hue.

Emeralds found in East Africa are geologically much older than emeralds from other origins, having been formed some 450 million years ago. They differ in their chemical composition typically having a higher iron content when compared to some other emeralds. Their method of formation results in Zambian emeralds having less fissures, meaning they often require less enhancement, if any, to produce bright stones of superior clarity.