emerald mining in colombia
gem inclusions – just for fun!
MOGOK – NOT ONLY A ‘RUBYLAND’
Mogok, Myanmar (Burma) is known to produce exceptional qualities of rubies, but it has much more to offer. The town of Mogok with numerous ‘pagodas’ throughout the valley. 
The Mogok town 
The Mogok Valley 
Gagan Choudhary with ‘Chan Thar Gyi’ Pagoda in the backdrop 
A misty Mogok valley 
Pagodas are built all over the Mogok valley as well as atop the hill 
Pagodas are built all over the Mogok valley as well as atop the hill 
And another one.. 
The ‘four faced’ Buddha temple overlooking Mogok Town 
Statues of monks ascending from foot to the top of the ‘Daw Nan Kyi Taung’ Pagoda hill 
‘Daw Nan Kyi Taung’ Pagoda 
‘Daw Nan Kyi Taung’ Pagoda against a blue sky and full-moon 
‘Daw Nan Kyi Taung’ Pagoda at dusk 
A dusk in Mogok 
Statue of Lord Buddha at ‘Phaung Taw Oo’ Pagoda 
‘Chan Thar Gyi’ Pagoda 
Exquisite architecture at the entrance of ‘Phaung Taw Oo’ Pagoda, with paintings depicting preaching of Lord Buddha 
A palanquin made of gold and studded with numerous gems resting in ‘Phaung Taw Oo’ Pagoda 
Hunt for gemstones in crushed marble 
Mogok’s Panchan Market, known locally as ‘Umbrella Market’ for its numerous trading tables covered with umbrellas 
Future of Mogok gem trade…these young kids are well versed with processing of rubies from the marble host rock 
A typical morning in the local market 
A typical scene at Mogok’s ‘Cinema Lane’ gem market 
A typical scene at Mogok’s ‘Cinema Lane’ gem market 
A typical scene at Mogok’s ‘Cinema Lane’ gem market 
Numerous gems are offered to the lord at ‘Chan Thar Gyi’ Pagoda….a section of the collection at the temple 
Collection of gems at a local market 
Collection of gems at a local market 
Collection of rich red spinel crystals 
The fabled ruby crystals from Mogok
gem mining in the ‘moontown’ – chanthaburi, thailand
The provincial seal of Chanthaburi….moon surrounded by aura, and inside is a rabbit. Such seals can be seen all over the town. 
The provincial seal of Chanthaburi….moon surrounded by aura, and inside is a rabbit. Such seals can be seen all over the town. 
‘Khao Ploi Waen’, Chanthaburi 
‘Khao Ploi Waen’, Chanthaburi 
Mining of brown-green-black sapphire in Chanthaburi typically involves the use of high-pressure water cannon to make the slurry from gem-bearing ground and washing it on seive / jig 
Use of high-pressure water jet 
A miner on the jig with flowing slurry and water 
Washed out slurry leaves larger pebbles on the sieve 
Gemstones in pebbles are hand-picked 
Gagan Choudhary with a miner 
A freshly unearthed green sapphire (appears brown here) 
Sapphire crystals unearthed earlier 
Use of flashlight reveals the green body colour of the freshly unearthed sapphire
gem mining in the town of ‘playing otter’ – pailin, cambodia
The town’s name “Pailin” is derived from “pey leng”, where ‘pey = otter’ and ‘leng = playing’. As per the Cambodian folklore, a magical lady, named ‘Yiey (=grandma) Yat told people if they stop killing her animals, she would reward them at a stream. When people went to the stream, they found an otter swam to them carrying a mouthful of gems 
Gagan Choudhary with the statue of ‘Yiey (=grandma) Yat’ at Phnom Yat, Pailin 
‘Phnom Yat’: Figurative depiction from the Buddhist hell….liars having their tongues pulled out….adulterers pierced on thorn tree… 
‘Phnom Yat’: Figurative depiction from the Buddhist hell….liars having their tongues pulled out….adulterers pierced on thorn tree… 
Use of high-pressure water jet to loosen the hard gem-bearing soil 
Overview of mining operation…..gem bearing slurry is passed through a washing plant with a jig and sieve 
A closer look of the washing plant 
Small stones and debris flow away with the water, while larger stones remain on the sieve 
A collection of blue sapphires from Pailin 
Collection of garnet, zircon, spinel and ruby from Pailin 
Several individual miners also look for gemstones at dried river beds by digging up the pits and washing gem-bearing gravel in nearby flowing river 
Several individual miners also look for gemstones at dried river beds by digging up the pits and washing gem-bearing gravel in nearby flowing river 
Washing of gem-bearing gravel in flowing water 
Washing of gem-bearing gravel in flowing water 
Many families, including kids are involved in mining activities 
Many families, including kids are involved in mining activities 
Many families, including kids are involved in mining activities 
A few hours’ collection..
gem mining in bo phloi, kanchanaburi, thailand
Mining operation involves the use of excavators to expose gem-bearing rock beds, formed as a result of alluvial activities. 
Mining operation involves the use of excavators to collect gem-bearing gravel and dumping in trucks for further process 
Excavated gem-bearing gravel is transported to the washing plant in trucks 
Gem-bearing gravel in washing plant 
Gem-bearing gravel being washed with high-pressure water flow 
Gem-bearing gravel being washed with high-pressure water flow in a rotatory jig 
A rotatory jig 
After passing through the rotatory jig, gravel passes through these vibratory jigs with sieves on top 
Washing plant 
Washing plant 
Washed gravel again passes through another washing plant for finer washing 
Washed gem gravel 
Washed gem gravel passes through a sorting table, where gemstones are hand-picked 
These cylindrical shaped lockers are used to store collected gemstones 
Security personnel keeps strict vigilance on sorters 
Faceted black spinel from Thailand 
The River Kwai Bridge was part of the Death Railway, constructed by the Japanese during World War 2 
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery 
Kanchanaburi War Cemetery
gem mines of pala gem district, california
Overview of the Stewart Mine in California, mainly known for producing tourmaline, spodumene, quartz and lepidolite 
Large boulders of lepidolite extracted at the time of tunneling 
Closer view of lepidolite boulder 
Entrance to one of the tunnels of Stewart Mine. The large yellow tube is used for air circulation within the tunnel 
Roof of the tunnel….black tourmaline crystals embedded in quartz-micaceous rock 
Pink tourmaline vein exposed on surface of tunnel wall 
Use of concrete column to prevent the walls to cave in 
Black tourmaline crystals embedded in quartz 
Parti-coloured spodumene crystal embedded in lithium-rich mother rock 
A freshly mined transparent crystals of kunzite 
Tourmaline with Quartz from Stewart mine 
Large quartz crystals from Stewart mine 
Morganite, green and pink tourmalines from Stewart mine 
Polished samples of pink tourmaline from Stewart
sapphires of the world
The World Sapphire Company in Chanthaburi (Thailand) has a gallery displaying some exotic and wonderful collection of sapphires from around the World 
Sapphire Rough from Myanmar (Burma) 
Sapphire Rough from China 
Sapphire Rough from Lao 
Sapphire Rough from Madagascar 
Sapphire Rough from Madagascar 
Sapphire Rough from Montana 
Sapphire Rough from Nigeria 
Sapphire Rough from Pailin, Cambodia 
Sapphire Rough from Sri Lanka 
A magnificent suite of Sapphires from Sri Lanka 
Sapphire Rough from Bangkaja (Chanthaburi), Thailand 
Rough and Star Sapphires from Bangkaja (Chanthaburi), Thailand 
Sapphire Rough from Tanzania 
Sapphire Rough from Vietnam 
Spinel crystals in Marble 
Petrified Wood 
Tourmaline crystals in matrix