Job scarcity and the hope of striking it rich are driving women to pursue mining despite the grueling conditions. Colombian emeralds are highly valued globally, with the potential for significant ...

Nubia Galeano slips the short-handled pick into her left rubber boot and turns on her headlamp as she enters a steaming, cramped tunnel, one of thousands that crisscross the vast Coscuez emerald mine.

COSCUEZ, Colombia (AP) — Deep inside mountain tunnels where the heat is so intense it causes headaches, women with power tools are chipping away at boulders in search of gems. They have opened a ...