August 16, 2017
There is a diaspore mine (10,000 sq. km area) on Ilbira Mountains located in Mugla in southwestern Turkey.
The location of the Diaspore mine (map source: Googlemaps.com)
In a very minor portion of this mine, about a few kilometer long, gem-quality material is extracted.
Photo provided by Murat Akgun
Mr. Murat Akgun bought the entire mine from ETI Bank, a government institution that owned and operated the mine at the time, in 2005, a government organization that previously mined in the area. Then, he founded ‘the Milenyum Mining’ company to operate this mine. He named the gemstones found in the mine ‘Sultanite’. After two different partnerships, Mr. Akgun lost the trademark rights of ‘Sultanite’ while he still holds the ownership of the mine. Then, he named the gemstones as CSARITE®. Due to financial issues, Mr. Akgun stopped mining on July 2016. He has been actively seeking a partner to reopen the mine.