Before abundant sources of gold and silver were discovered in Mexico and Peru, pearls were the main riches that Spanish colonists exploited in the Americas. During his third trip to the Americas in 1498, Christopher Columbus discovered bountiful supply of pearls around the island of Cubagua, off the coast of today's Venezuela. The news about the existence of the highly prized commodity in the newly discovered seas quickly circulated inside and outside Spain. This gave rise to organized, and often conflict-ridden, ventures to harvest the Caribbean pearl beds.
Read morePakistan's Swat Valley Emeralds - Consigned to Oblivion
The magnificent Valley of Swat, surrounded by majestic mountains, contains an absolute corn bright in it. The Valley also holds one of the Asia’s largest deposits of emeralds. Similar to Colombian emerald, Swat emerald is well known for its unique green colors (ranging from medium to deep green) and for its distinctive smoothness and transparency.
Read moreZultanite/CSARITE® Mining in Turkey
There is a diaspore mine (10,000 sq. km area) on Ilbira Mountains located in Mugla in southwestern Turkey. In a very minor portion of this mine, about a few kilometer long, gem-quality material is extracted.
Read moreFeatured Project: Golden Rutilated Quartz Artisanal Mining Community
At the January 2017 Jewelry Industry Summit held in Tucson, Brian and Kendra Cook (Nature’s Geometry) discussed their efforts to promote sustainable mining in Brazil’s Bahia State. In cooperation with 2,500 miners from the region, the Cooks are developing a collective in Remedios, Novo Horizonte (figure 1). Plans to brand the region’s unique golden rutilated quartz will be supported by a warehouse and cutting facilities, as well as a visitor center. To provide food security for the population, the Cooks also intend to bring organic community farming to the area.
Read moreMasterclass in Gemology at University of Delaware (May 29-31 2017)
3 Day Master Class in Gemology
Taught by Dr. Laurent Cartier
GEMHUB
The GEMHUB project launched in 2017 seeks to improve knowledge of coloured gemstones and sustainability issues linked to the mining, processing and trading of these precious resources.
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