Here is an interesting documentary about Afghan Emeralds and how they can impact the Afghanistan economy. The documentary goes into the politics of the the mines/ownership, the money and the lives of the actual miners and how they extract the stones by hand. An enlightening window into the hard work and business dealings that go on behind the scenes to get these gorgeous green stones out into the world.
Some of the worlds most beautiful,clear and high quality Emeralds come from Afghanistan but many jewellers rarely know more than the name of a supplier or the mine and general location of where their stones come from. Here is an interesting documentary about Afghan Emeralds and how they can impact the Afghanistan economy. The documentary goes into the politics of the the mines/ownership, the money and the lives of the actual miners and how they extract the stones by hand. An enlightening window into the hard work and business dealings that go on behind the scenes to get these gorgeous green stones out into the world. nb: I think this video isn't showing in some parts of the world, apologies if yours is one of them.
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Wanted to share some of my recent crystal/mineral purchases! These lovely stones were purchased from an Etsy store called Ssstoned. Karen, the owner, was amazingly helpful and so generous with her items and knowledge, I recommend checking out her store, she has a great range of unique and eclectic items as well as some beautiful natural stones and gems. :) These links will take you to more information about each type of stone:
Fluorite (Fluorspar) - CaF2 - Moh's of 4-5 so relatively easy to fracture. Looks lovely for jewellery but use with care. Herkimer Diamonds - SiO2 - Doubly terminated quartz crystals named for Herkimer County, New York. Moh's 7. Watermelon Tourmaline - silicate (a complex one!) - The pink-centred, green version of Tourmaline. Moh's 7-7.5 |
I am Vee.Artist, Jeweller, Designer, jack of many useless trades, mental archive of many useless facts. Archives
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