Coloured Gemstones
The diamond rushes of recent and previous years have to some extent eclipsed exploration, mine development and investment opportunities in coloured gemstones, the value of which, in some varieties such as emerald and ruby, can equal or exceed diamond.
The coloured gemstones of greatest commercial interest are the big three: emeralds, rubies and blue sapphires, but also several other gemstones are also of commercial interest, such as other beryls, benitoite, chrysoberyls, garnets, opals, tanzanite, jade, other corundum gems, peridot, amethyst, spinels, spodumenes, topaz, tourmaline and zircon. TV promotions and internet shopping have enlarged or created markets for many gemstones including fire opal, peridot, blue and white topaz, citrine, amethyst, rhodolite garnet, iolite, morganite, kunzite, white sapphire, and other stones.
Coloured gemstones occur in a wide spectrum of geological environments and are produced from hard rock, residual and alluvial resources which are worked by open pit, dredge and underground mining methods, at artisanal and industrial scales. Previously, coloured gemstone production was almost exclusively owned and controlled by private and family-owned businesses.
Since the 1980s, a number of stock market listed companies have developed and expanded known mines and prospects and we expect this sector to grow, in the medium term. Our personnel have been involved with coloured gem projects, both private and public, worldwide, for more than 25 years, including exploration, mining, resource estimation and independent reporting in support of stock market listings. We have developed contacts in cutting and marketing which enable us to manage fully integrated projects.
Our work in coloured gemstones includes the following projects:
Emerald
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- Comprehensive geological and mining studies, bulk sampling, core drilling, reserve assessment and development of exploration and production plans and independent reporting for an operating emerald mine in South Africa for a successful stock exchange listing. This was followed by a three month period of mine geological services to ensure monthly production of 30 kilograms of saleable rough
- CPR for successful AIM listing of an emerald mining and exploration company in Zambia
- Field and office investigations of an emerald and chrysoberyl property in Brazil
- Technical report on a Russian emerald and chrysoberyl deposit with a view to a stock market listing
- Field assessment of geology and resource potential of a number Zambian emerald mining and exploration projects and independent geological and technical reporting with the ultimate view to list on the stock market
Sapphire and Ruby
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- Historical review, geological and preliminary financial evaluation of a lode sapphire deposit in USA
- Evaluation of eluvial and hard rock gem corundum deposits in Malawi
- Due diligence field visits, compilation, analysis and reporting of resource potential and exploration targets of an alluvial sapphire licence portfolio in Madagascar
Tanzanite and Tsavorite
- Field assessment of the controls of gem mineralisation within graphitic gneisses in Tanzania