Emerald shopping

[copi2boys]

We will be in Cartagena in January!  Looking to shop for emeralds.... Is there one better store than others to shop for emeralds?  Is the tour (Celebrity) that includes emerald history and shopping worth it?  What would be the cost of a taxi and is it negotiable?  How far are the stores/travel time in case we want to do old town, if it's doable to do both.  Thank you!

[hrhdhd]

I just returned from a cruise and took the "Romancing the Stone" excursion. We had a stop at the fort and a bit of sightseeing from the bus, then we stopped at an emerald store. We had a LONG "lecture" about emeralds and then a chance to buy. I did buy a couple of pieces that caught my eye.

 

I'd say spend your money on a taxi to get to a store rather than on the excursion to get to the store.