Our gemstone expeditions always come with interesting backstories about our journeys to mines and interactions with local gemstone miners. Here is an inside look.
Sapphire – Septembers Birthstone Part 2
Saturday, 07 September 2019
How To Evaluate Clarity In A Blue Sapphire Part 2 (Judging Clarity For Non-Scientific People) Hi, and welcome to this simple guide, on how to understand blue sapphire. Buying sapphires, especially blue sapphires, can be quite tricky. In my previous blog I discussed the basics
- Published in Gem Hunter Blog
Sapphire – Septembers Birthstone Part 1
Friday, 30 August 2019
How To Buy, (Or Sell), A Blue Sapphire Part 1 (Selecting Color For Non-Scientific People) Hi, and welcome to this simple guide, on how to understand blue sapphire. Buying sapphires, especially blue sapphires, can be quite tricky. In this discussion I will emphasize on how
- Published in Gem Hunter Blog
The Nigerian Gem Hunt (Part 5)
Wednesday, 17 May 2017
(continued from part 4) The next day yielded very little in gems, however I did go to a clinic for a malaria test. I was beginning to feel excessively fatigued. So while we waited for the results, we visited my friends new home construction site.
- Published in Gem Hunter Blog, Gem Knowledge, Gem News
Nigerian Gem Hunt, The Sapphire Mines (Part 4)
Monday, 15 May 2017
(Continued from part 3) After a couple of hours driving along a fairly smooth road, we arrived at the village. After a brief stop to look at a few parcels of Sapphire under the shade of a mango tree, we jumped on motor bikes to
- Published in Gem Hunter Blog, Gem Knowledge, Gem News
Nigerian Gem Hunt, Jos City (Part 3)
Monday, 15 May 2017
(continued from part 2) Finally, after several more hours of driving along desolate roads, punctuated about every 2 miles by various military, police and other law enforcement checkpoints, we arrived in Jos and found a hotel. My room was a large upstairs space with a nice
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The Nigerian Gem Hunt, On The Ground (Part 2)
Saturday, 13 May 2017
(continued from part 1) After about 23 hours of travel including a plane change in France, I arrived in Nigeria and the gem hunt began. The first stop was Abuja, Nigerian’s, fairly new and vibrant, capital city. After clearing customs, an official stopped me at the exit. She grabbed my
- Published in Gem Hunter Blog, Gem Knowledge, Gem News