At all times, precious stones, due to their rarity, have retained their attractiveness for humans. In ancient times, they were credited with witchcraft and mystical powers, but they attract us with their beauty, the joy that the unusual transparency of the crystals and the splendor of their colors give us. Many gemstones are formed in the depths of rocks during the process of primary crystallization (for example, diamonds) or filling cracks in newly formed rocks (for example, beryl and topaz). Opals are a sedimentary type of rock.
Place of Birth precious stones are often secondary, formed due to the weathering of rocks. Thanks to the weathering processes of primary (root) deposits, precious stones - more stable than rock-forming minerals - accumulate in loose sediments of rivers and coastal strips of oceans and seas - in the so-called placers, from where they can be relatively extracted by washing. In primary bedrock deposits, stones must be artificially separated from the host rock. Because their density is generally higher than that of quartz and other rocks, they are deposited and concentrated in certain layers. Since antiquity, the unit of mass of precious stones has been the carat. Currently, the carat weight is standardized throughout the world, and 1 metric carat is 200 mg. The mass of less valuable jewelry and ornamental stones - for example, such as quartz group minerals - is measured in grams, ornamental jasper - in kilograms.
Precious and ornamental stones are found in many areas of the globe, either in the form of individual finds or in larger quantities. Accumulations of precious stones suitable for development are called deposits, and the places where single finds were made are called manifestations or points of mineralization. Based on the origin of the source rocks, they distinguish between igneous (having a magmatic source), sedimentary (formed during the process of sedimentation) and metamorphogenic (arising through the transformation of other rocks) stone deposits.
Often, especially from a practical point of view, it is more expedient to subdivide deposits and occurrences of precious stones into primary (localized in the place of their formation) and secondary (redeposited in another place). In primary deposits(bedrock) gemstones retain their original connection with the parent rock. Their crystals are well preserved. The productivity of such deposits, however, is not very high: during their development it is necessary to remove a lot of waste rock, which sharply increases the cost of production. This is how diamonds are mined today from indigenous kimberlite pipes - with the loss of cement, clay, and terracotta.
In the process of formation secondary deposits gemstones are transported from their place of formation to another place where they are deposited again. At the same time, hard and durable crystals are rounded, less durable ones are crushed into pieces or even completely worn out. According to the method of transportation and the agents of material transfer, river (alluvial), marine and aeolian (wind) deposits are distinguished.
Rivers are capable of transporting rock containing precious stones for hundreds of kilometers. When the water flow - and thus the load-bearing force - weakens, the relatively high-density gemstones are deposited first, ahead of the lighter quartz sand, resulting in localized rich clusters of gemstones. As a result, the development of secondary deposits turns out to be much easier and more productive than primary ones. The photo from the mid-20th century shows diamonds being washed in basins (exploration work in Angola).
Accumulations of precious stones washed by water are called placers (they talk about diamond placers, placers of other precious stones) or alluvial deposits. In a similar way, placers of precious stones can form in the wave zone along the sea coast. In Namibia, diamonds are very successfully extracted from such deposits. And even the wind is able to move small precious stones; This “aeolian” sorting of sediments leads to the formation of their accumulations in favorable areas.
An intermediate position between primary and secondary deposits is occupied genetically by weathering deposits, or eluvial deposits. Placers form at the foot of steep cliffs and high mountains. Precious stones accumulate in such areas in fine crushed stones of weathered rocks, the lighter components of which are carried away by rain or snow water and wind, while the precious stones remain in place and can be rolled into silt, clay, cement, kimberlite.
The most dangerous hallucinations on kimberlites and color distortions perception of the color range of precious stones
Example - blue "Atomic tornado", brain death (left) and the final palette of nerves, electric shocks (right)
GOK is colorographically modeled - excavation of the upper level of kimberlite, stalactite remover (color model)
The full palette is an imitation of human biological perception, modern. 32-bit PC computer, author's algorithms
palettes of biological perception different colors
human senses (author, 2014)
Specifics and problems of Ukraine
In Ukraine and the CIS, the extraction of precious and jewelry stones is carried out both by specialized mining and processing plants and by small enterprises; Often production is combined with geological exploration and is carried out directly by geological exploration parties. Some deposits still use the labor of miners, who are paid based on the final result. In some cases, precious stones are mined as a by-product during the development of deposits of other types of mineral raw materials.
The main task in Ukraine today should be the impossibility of illegal export, leakage and illegal entry of especially valuable stones from the domestic market of Ukraine to the world market - this applies primarily to both Ukrainian amber (burshtin), beryl (heliodors) and topazes, as well as valuable stones and rare mineralogical samples brought to Ukraine (sapithras, rubies , topazes, emeralds, diamonds, etc.). The issue falls within the competence of customs, law enforcement agencies and state security agencies. Collecting rare specimens of minerals and especially valuable stones by citizens within the country should be encouraged by the state, as this contributes to the well-being of citizens and the nation as a whole - and therefore to the enrichment of the Ukrainian state. Careful attitude towards natural resources, many of which are irreplaceable, secondary development of dumps, suppression of nature-destructive “black” mining of stones and rocks (agates, burshtin, sand, etc.), ensuring real associated extraction of valuable samples and minerals from own and imported raw materials.
An equally important problem for Ukraine is the selection, revision and pre-processing of mineral raw materials supplied to factories and enterprises for processing, in order to identify samples that are particularly valuable from a mineralogical point of view. For example, fluorite from Mongolia arrives in Ukraine by railcars for the needs of the steelmaking industry. Carloads of fluorite are carefully guarded and poured into smelting furnaces without prior inspection. Rare valuable samples of jewelry and ornamental fluorite, which are occasionally found in the general fluorite mass, also end up in the smelting. Their volume is small enough to affect the smelting process, so the removal of valuable fluorite cannot cause economic harm to the enterprise. But melting down this jewelry fluorite makes our state poorer and the steel worse. This phenomenon is absolutely unacceptable, since the value of the samples is high. In Asia, jewelry fluorite is used to make beads, jewelry and crafts, balls and eggs sold by the gram, jewelry fluorite raw materials are sold by the kilogram, and industrial fluorite is sold by the ton.
No less ugly is the disregard for one’s own natural resources. In the Krivoy Rog basin, during the extraction of iron ore, such valuable minerals as rock crystal, jespyllite (red banded quartzite), citrine of jewelry quality, unique examples of the Ukrainian tiger eye and even the rare gray-golden quartz cat's eye, overgrown with asbestos fibers, can be sent for processing and smelting . In the melting furnace, all this turns into slag and does not at all contribute to improving the quality of smelting.
When mining coal, such a valuable mineral as jet is not really developed - and it is good if the jet goes into dumps and is then extracted manually, and not into the furnace. The state must practically regulate and ensure solving issues of ACCESSENTIAL production valuable mineralogical samples from our own deposits and imported foreign raw materials for their subsequent separate processing.
An example of a successful by-product solution is the recovery of rare fossils from the mining and processing of limestone and other sedimentary rocks. Since all rocks are actually examined, especially rare and valuable fossils can be noticed in time and removed from the total mass of the rock. Rare fossils are valued much higher than the rocks around them. When unique and particularly large specimens are identified, paleontologists are invited. That is, the main in this case is the so-called “human factor” - enthusiasts and professionals. An example of the predatory disposal of valuable resources is the mining of limestone, abundant with fossils, in the south of France, where valuable rocks are sold not only in slabs and blocks, but literally entire rocks.
Potentially valuable mineralogical rocks should be screened first. In the event that isolated finds are identified that are not of value to the state, this will make it possible to preserve and use rare and valuable mineralogical species. It is not economically feasible to pursue small, isolated finds. Unique finds should be adequately rewarded on the one hand, and criminally prosecuted in case of attempted destruction or export abroad on the other hand. Massive incidental mining can be legally paid for as artisanal labor - based on the final result. In Ukraine there are enthusiasts and professionals who are ready to legally engage in this type of activity (including seasonally), which will allow us to bring “black” and “underground” geology “out of the shadows”, legalize it, support Ukrainian folk craftsmen, preserve and increase valuable mineralogical riches of our country.
Extraction methods
Deposits of precious stones are distributed unevenly around the globe. Some regions, such as South Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Brazil, the Urals, Transbaikalia, Australia and the mountain belts of the USA are especially rich in them. But the main world mining of precious stones today is carried out in the so-called POOR countries (they steal a lot). Stones are bought for virtually nothing, and most often they are simply stolen - with fights and carnage, after which they are supplied to the "black" jewelry markets of the world without chemical analysis, dosimeter and examination at excessively inflated prices. This leads to an uneven distribution of profits from the final sale of precious stones in a number of rich countries of the world and a very high price for them, maintained completely artificially. The exception today is the expensive extraction of diamonds from bedrock deposits, which requires high costs and modern technologies (often chemical exploration and modern dosimetry). These are modern kimberlite technologies of three levels of danger.
The photo shows not only the work of benches for the complex extraction of kimberlite, but also three levels of danger to which a person exposes himself. Upper - red level (heavy earth and clay, terracotta). Average level - white, potassium (explodes if it is moistened abundantly), and the lower level is the release of radioactive kimberlite karst waters. Therefore, such a development exposes a person to three levels of danger - mechanical injuries (upper red level), chemical poisoning (white potassium layer) and radiation injuries (blue level - radioactive uranium and diamonds). Production rates are limited (unless, of course, you are slaves of the Spanish Crown).
Many deposits of precious stones were discovered by accident (the owners stumbled). Even today, systematic searches in most areas are limited mainly to diamonds alone. As for other precious stones, the search for their deposits is usually carried out using the simplest means, without the use of modern technology and in the absence of an appropriate scientific base. Nevertheless, it is still worthy of surprise with what success local search engines are identifying more and more new deposits. Mining enterprises that exploit deposits of precious stones are called mines, mines or mines.
The methods of extracting precious stones, with the exception of diamonds, are very primitive in most countries; in some areas they are essentially the same as at the dawn of our era and earlier. The easiest way is to collect precious stones located directly on the surface (including kimberlite - with the conservation of the mine for 10-12 years). This is possible in a dry river valley or in rock crevices. Crystals that have grown on the rock are broken off using a hammer and chisel, a pick or a crowbar, as well as pneumatic jackhammers or an explosive method. Consult with the owners - they are criminally responsible for this.
The extraction of precious stones from young placers is relatively simple. First of all, the overlying sediments are removed. If the placers lie deep from the surface, then there are pits and shafts, sometimes up to 10 or more meters deep. Simple ceilings protect the mouth of the mine from rain; groundwater seeping from below is scooped out with buckets or pumped out with mechanical pumps. From the bottom of the mine, horizontal underground workings run through the layer of sands carrying precious stones. In the largest production shafts, temporary support is installed.
Sometimes precious stones are even mined directly from the river bed (not before a tsunami - rogue waves). To do this, the river is artificially dammed in some places so that its waters flow faster. Workers, standing waist-deep in such water, stir up the bottom soil with long poles and rakes. Clay-sand components of the soil, which have a lower density, are carried away with the flow of water, and heavier precious stones remain at the bottom.
Further enrichment of sands extracted from mines or rivers with precious stones is carried out by washing them. Workers fill special baskets with loose rock containing gemstones and shake them in wash pits filled with water. This removes the clay and sand, leaving the heavier gemstones to accumulate in concentrate. Light stones like beryl, feldspar, quartz and tourmalines are, of course, lost with this mining method - they are extracted from primary deposits, above-ground and underground placers.
In some countries, hydraulic methods of placer mining are practiced, when loose clastic material is washed off the slopes by strong water jets. There is also open-pit mining. The greatest costs are required for underground mining, in which adits pass through hard rock. They resort to it only in those places where the presence of a vein with precious stones is firmly established.
Finsch diamond mine, developed in terraces, and processing plants (South Africa).
Diamond mining on the Namibian coast is expensive.
Regarding the rights to exploration and mining of precious stones, and the payment of workers, each country has its own rules. In general it can be said that in most countries of the world, work in the extraction of precious stones and mines is the fate of slaves (dangerous). The exception is economically and industrially more developed countries, but they have the problem of “black geology” and “black exports”, which are engaged in by both poor and rich people.
Theft is a particular problem when mining precious stones. They are dangerous for the mining enterprise primarily because they drive down the price of stones to a lower level, depriving monopolies and jewelry lobbies of super-profits and causing harm to the state. The ingenuity of thieves in the ways and techniques of stealing precious stones from mines and mines seems inexhaustible. But measures to combat theft are becoming more and more sophisticated, dangerous (including for others) and not always moral and legal. In Ukraine, this is how amber is protected in sand deposits near the Dnieper. Diamond mines are the most securely protected in the world.
Only a very few gemstones are completely “clean”, that is, completely devoid of optically (under a 10x magnifying glass) recognizable internal inclusions. Stones such as rubies and emeralds are extremely rarely defect-free, without cracks or inclusions. The so-called purity of diamonds plays a particularly important role. Their best grades should not reveal any flaws, even under a 10x magnifying glass.
Back in the middle of the 20th century, any violations of the correct structure of the crystal were called defects. But, since they do not always reduce the value of jewelry stones, gemmological specialists now prefer to call them inclusions. Moreover, CHARACTERISTIC small defects and inclusions, visible only under a magnifying glass or even with the naked eye, today emphasize the NATURAL origin of the stone.
Recently, it has been repeatedly possible to observe how buyers refuse to buy very expensive large transparent and defect-free blue sapphires, because they doubt their natural origin (and, unfortunately, in many cases, not without reason). The same applies to bright green, fairly large, defect-free emeralds, most often today also synthetic.
Inclusions of minerals of both the same type (for example, diamond in diamond) and foreign ones (for example, zircon in sapphire) are relatively common. Although inclusions are small, they still provide a lot of insight into the growth conditions of the crystal that hosts them (called the host crystal).
Inclusion minerals may be earlier than the host crystal, which simply captures them during growth (fouling), for example, rutile inclusions in quartz.
But they can also form from the melt simultaneously with the host crystal, which captures them due to faster growth. In addition, there are mineral inclusions that are more recent than the host crystal. They are formed from solutions or fluids (gases) that penetrated into the crystal through cracks.
Organic inclusions are found unchanged only in amber. The plant remains and insects preserved in it give us direct evidence of life on Earth 50 million years before us. All other fossils are formed by metamorphism and replacement of the original flora and fauna that lived on our planet and in the ancient ocean millions of years ago.
Inclusions also include distortions of the crystal structure, signs of growth and crystallization phases, and color stripes. They arise due to the uneven growth of the mineral with the changing nature of the solutions from which crystallization occurred. Voids filled with liquids (water, liquid carbon dioxide) and gases (carbon dioxide and monoxide) are also considered among the inclusions. When liquid and gas are present simultaneously, inclusions are called two-phase, and if they also contain small crystals, they are called three-phase. Air bubbles are often found in obsidians, glass imitations and synthetic jewelry stones, unlike natural stones (minerals).
Even clusters of small breaks and cracks (the so-called “tails” or “clouds”), whether they arose as a result of internal stresses or as a result of external mechanical influences, are considered inclusions by experts. They are found inside rocks and sometimes reach their surface. Through such cracks, air and solutions can penetrate into the stone, causing color changes. When the cracks are “healed,” all foreign substances are forced out again, but the “scars” along such cracks reveal the old seam. In most cases, both amateurs and specialists believe that inclusions reduce the value of gemstones, as they have a detrimental effect on their color, optical effects and mechanical strength, but increase the value of mineralogical specimens. The cracks could contain uranium (blue diamonds), cinnabar (red), gold (yellow). It's poison and dangerous.
However, some mineral inclusions, as well as parallel-oriented hollow channels, give rise to light effects that are among the most valuable qualities of a gemstone: the effect cat eye, light patterns (“stars”) and a silky sheen, as well as the formation of dendrites. Golden inclusions of rutile in rock crystal or smoky quartz are very impressive, especially in cases where needle-shaped rutile crystals are collected in star-shaped intergrowths. This gives additional value to the stone.
Recently, inclusions, along with optical properties, have become increasingly important in the diagnosis of natural and synthetic gemstones. Many types of inclusions are so characteristic that thanks to them it is possible to recognize fakes and synthetic stones, and sometimes even determine the deposits from which they come. natural stones. But we must remember that the presence of defects does not guarantee the natural origin of the stone!!
Volcanic (effusive) rocks formed during an eruption
Large and important groups of minerals in many types of activities include precious stones or gems. Groups of such stones even today do not have clear differences and accepted common names, so the concept of gems is very vague and can be applied to many stones, minerals or rocks that can be used in the manufacture jewelry or in other industries. And yet, gems are classified into precious, semi-precious and ornamental minerals and rocks. All of them are transparent and colored and have such qualities as:
- greater strength
- transparency
- unusual color (drawing)
- shine and shine
- high light scattering
- Possibility of cutting, grinding and polishing.
Transparent minerals are used mainly for cutting, while colored stones are used for various decorations and in jewelry. And, of course, all gem minerals are valued for their beauty, rarity and durability.
Methods for extracting stones
Mining of precious stones has begun since time immemorial. We can safely say that the first mining occurred at the moment when a pebble of unusual shape or beauty was found on the ground, on the sea coast or in the mountains.
At the moment, all stones are carefully studied: rocks are determined, their origin and composition are analyzed. Then the found deposits are explored, wells are drilled and special samples are taken. Sometimes the deposit is still being explored, but production work is already underway. However, the deposits found become explored only when it is possible to determine how many gems can be mined.
The method used to mine jewelry is determined depending on where it is found. Quite rarely, but it happens that deep veins of stone are located directly in the parent rock, and here mining, of course, is difficult. But basically the locations of gems are placers. They contain empty nodules, inside of which there are crystals called geodes. They look like an ordinary boulder, but if you open it, you can find extraordinary sparkling crystals: purple amethysts, yellow citrines and other minerals. But stones such as opals, chalcedony or agate can be in bubbles of gas formed from basalt and andesite lava. The parent rock is affected by the environment, weathering, erosion, as a result of which an accumulation of minerals occurs, the so-called eluvial placer, or stones with the help of rain streams end up in rivers (alluvial placer) or belong to the seas (coastal-marine placer). For example, on the island of Sri Lanka, precious stones such as sapphires, rubies and spinels were found in pebble deposits. And on the coastal-ocean placers, which are located in western Africa, diamonds have been discovered, which are extracted by washing several tons of coastal sand. Almost the same situation is with amber, which is rich in the Baltic coast. After all, gems, unlike minerals, are denser and the process of sedimentation in them occurs faster as soon as the flow carrying them weakens.
This so-called “natural washing” produces good deposits, sometimes just ordinary primitive washing of the soil is enough. But it is worth noting that such scatterings of stones usually contain not very high-quality samples, because during such a journey all kinds of damage or crushing into small parts occur. Therefore, to extract valuable minerals, you have to get to the bedrock deposits by crushing hard rock. This is hard, long and expensive work, because you need to get rid of low-quality raw materials, including waste rock. And the cost of gems with such mining is higher.
Currently, diamonds are mined using kimberlite pipes - these are pipe-shaped bodies of different sizes that were formed as a result of gas breakthrough. There are more than one and a half thousand such pipes, but less than a dozen are used for industrial production. As a rule, the clusters found are not large; they are mostly single crystals. The largest find was discovered in South Africa; the Cullinan diamond weighed just over three thousand carats. Russian diamonds are mostly of Yakut origin, only a small part was discovered near Arkhangelsk. But the use of kimberlite pipes is no longer possible everywhere; in some places it is necessary to use underground mining, which is very expensive.
To extract gem minerals, you can use underground work (mining) or open methods (quarry). It was mentioned above that a distinctive feature of underground work is its high cost, therefore this method is used to accurately determine the mineral body saturated with gems. Basically, these are, of course, diamonds, the real price of which can recoup the necessary costs.
It is worth noting that in many countries, this applies primarily to Africa and Asia, they mainly use primitive extraction methods. As a rule, they simply collect gems from various surfaces of the earth. With the help of river dams, soil is washed. It should be noted that there is a loss of gems such as beryl, tourmaline or quartz. Minerals with a density of less than three Mohs scale units are also extracted from placers, which can be located both inside and outside the earth's surface. When covering the placer with soil, it is removed or otherwise opened mechanically or simply by hand. So, for example, amateur enthusiasts mined celestine gemstone in Turkmenistan, a now practically abandoned deposit. And on the Kola Peninsula, near the Keiva mountain range, the largest deposits of such a mineral as amazonite were found. It has an amazing color and its layers are very close. Helicopter technology is used to extract it, because it is not possible to deliver it in any other way. Kyanite, garnet, and staurolite were also found in the same places. But the work is carried out by the hands of enthusiasts and small work teams.
Peculiarities of production in different countries
Standards for mining and exploration of gem minerals are set differently in all countries. For example, in the United States there is a famous topaz valley and topaz mining can be carried out there a common person, but only using hand tools. And if in some countries the law requires additional permission to mine certain precious stones, then in Africa there are villages that exist only due to gold placers found nearby. Quartz, emeralds, aquamarines, and colored tourmaline were also found here. Villagers mine the placers with their hands, and then resell them to a buyer, receiving a pittance for it. However, these finds then end up on jewelry markets at an artificially high price. The same applies to the deposits of Guinea, where the extraction of diamond deposits does not require any special costs, and there is no state control or customs strictness. As a result, there is no real estimate of the volume of mined gemstones.
Peculiarities of production in Russia
As for Russia, the effect of legislative norms and rules is not observed here either. The Federal Law only covers diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, alexandrite, pearls and amber. However, on Russian market There are over a thousand different gem minerals, and most of the deposits have already been explored.
Many gems are unique and their cost is very high, for example, this is Yakut charoite. The lilac-colored stone lends itself well to polishing and is used for making elegant jewelry and various decors. No more than one hundred tons are mined annually, otherwise, if production is exceeded, reserves may be depleted. This rare gem, even when unprocessed, can cost over one hundred dollars per kilogram.
Let us give an example of the situation with jasper. Back in the USSR, work was carried out at the largest deposit near Orenburg, then almost three hundred tons of variegated jasper were mined per year. The stone was used for the construction of the Moscow metro and was used to decorate the Kremlin. However, since the 90s, the deposit was abandoned, although there was still a reserve of about seven thousand tons. Currently, work is being restored, at least a mining license has been issued, but for some reason a St. Petersburg company took on this, and not local prospectors.
Mining precious gems is rightfully considered a labor-intensive and troublesome task, and there are many good reasons for this. First of all, geological exploration is not being carried out properly. The last successful discovery occurred in the mid-90s. Then black jasper was discovered in the Republic of Tyva. The gem is not particularly beautiful, but has amazing strength. A preliminary assessment showed that the deposit found is over five hundred thousand tons. And this is perhaps the only luck for last years. The remaining deposits, as a rule, are mostly poorly explored or have already been depleted.
As for non-precious gems, in general, as a rule, they are an accidental discovery due to the discovery of other fossils in the neighborhood. In addition, if the extraction of precious stones is somehow taken into account by the state, a special license is issued, and so on, then as for other minerals, they are completely devoid of any accounting. For example, Buryatia is famous for its jade deposits. There is also green, black and even valuable white jade. According to official statistics, production amounts to over two hundred tons annually, and almost seven hundred tons of stone are mined illegally. Most of the minerals are unprocessed and shipped to China, which values this stone very much and uses it in many industries. In Chinese markets, the price of jade reaches almost two hundred dollars per kilogram, and if it is some kind of product, it is ten times higher. And in Russia the price of a stone is ten to fifteen dollars a kilogram. Thus, the budget of Buryatia experiences an annual loss of huge funds.
And while the authorities are deciding the issue with gems at the legislative level, you should not despair, but rather visit such extraordinary places where you have the opportunity to relax and replenish your own collection of gem minerals. This includes Adygea, where the Belorechenskoye deposit contains quartz, calcite and other minerals, and the White Sea coast with amethyst deposits and other magnificent places. After all, what is income for the state authorities is a happy opportunity for ordinary people to enjoy natural wonders and feel the energy of extraordinary fairy-tale gems.
The initial use of stone by man was limited to domestic use only. This is a solid material that, at the dawn of civilization, helped to obtain food, keep warm and shelter from bad weather. Jasper, agate, rock crystal, and flint were used to make sharp objects in the human household during the Mesolithic. During the Neolithic, man began an active search for rocks and the extraction of stones. These were shallow developments in which both silicas and other hard minerals that had a sharp edge when chipped (nephrite, jadeite) were mined. Then man began to deify stones, endowing them with magical properties. A logical connection has emerged between the deification of objects inanimate nature and the desire to carry at least a small piece of the deity.
Over time, having appreciated the beauty of individual minerals, man began searching for the most beautiful of them. Later, a person will learn to process stones and make jewelry from them. And demand creates supply. Jewelers needed material for their masterpieces, court ladies competed in the beauty of their jewelry, so the extraction of stones and minerals in different countries became more and more active. Indians are considered the first miners of precious stones. In 2000 BC. people already valued emeralds and organized their active mining in the territory of Ancient India and Ancient Egypt. Rubies and sapphires have been known since 600 AD. BC, bringing glory to Sri Lanka. Around the same time, the diamond mines of India became famous throughout the world. In the burials of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, jewelry made of gems was found, which confirms the fact that people have been mining stones and processing them for a long time. At the same time, the calling card of each region was its own gem. If merchants from the East brought diamonds, rubies, and emeralds to Europe, then amber spread in the opposite direction from the territory of the Baltic coast. The whole world learned about the malachite deposits of the Urals in the 18th century.
How were gems mined?
What methods of extracting stones exist? The yield of rocks containing precious and semiprecious stones, on or closer to the earth's surface allowed the development of the mining industry. By chipping, blocks of stones are separated from the main rock and delivered to the surface. For this, picks were first used, then jackhammers and explosives. The places where minerals are mined in this way are quarries and mines. If earlier diamonds were mined intuitively, taking into account the experience of finds, now, to find a diamond deposit, they use special equipment and geological exploration. If we are talking about placer deposits, then stones that had already broken off from the main rock (weathered) fell into the rivers with other fragments. To find them, they used the washing method, and they also did this with the help of dredges - special equipment for washing.
More than 100 of the most famous gem deposits are not quite evenly distributed, but are still dispersed around the world. The East is most famous for its mining of precious stones. If we correlate the stones and their deposits, we get the following: India - diamonds, Myanmar - rubies, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka - sapphires, China and Myanmar - jade, Myanmar, Thailand - spinel, Afghanistan, Chile - lapis lazuli, Iran - turquoise , Australia - opals, pearls, sapphires, Madagascar - beryl, Brazil - diamonds, Colombia - emeralds. Russia also has something to be proud of. In the eastern part of the country, diamond, topaz, jade, aquamarine, lapis lazuli and other gems are mined. The Ural Mountains are famous throughout the world for their deposits of emeralds, chrysoberyl, amethyst, rock crystal, jasper and, of course, malachite.
Deposits of precious stones are not bottomless, which is why a scientific approach is used to further search for diamond deposits. So in 1955, the Mir kimberlite pipe was found and the Yakutsk diamond deposit was founded. The city of Mirny, which arose on that site, is called the modern diamond capital of Russia. Now it is home to more than 35 thousand people, most of whom are employed at diamond mining enterprises. The quarry in which precious stones - diamonds are mined - has a depth of 525 m. Such industrial methods are much more more effective methods our ancestors. But at the same time, they are depleting the world’s reserves of stones and minerals at an industrial pace.
Russian gems are known all over the world. Many deposits are unique in volume and content. The main occurrence area is the central and northeastern parts of the country. The most famous and developed deposits are located in the Urals, in the Yamalo-Nenets District, Chelyabinsk Region (Norilsk). Ekaterinburg and other cities of the Sverdlovsk region, the Baikal region (Irkutsk and Chita regions, Buryatia) are famous for their precious stones.
The first Russian diamonds were found in the Urals in 1829. Mining was carried out using artisanal methods; very often, precious stones were found by accident while washing gold-bearing sand. In less than 100 years, 250 diamonds weighing up to 25 carats were mined in the Urals. Ural diamonds have amazing purity and transparency. Later, deposits were discovered in the western regions of the Urals.
Diamond mining in Siberia began only in the 50s of the twentieth century. The largest kimberlite pipes were discovered in Yakutia. This made Russia one of the world leaders in diamond mining.
Yekaterinburg and the cities of the Sverdlovsk region amaze with the variety of minerals. What semi-precious and precious stones are mined here? Ekaterinburg is part of the so-called Ural region. The variety of minerals mined here is simply amazing: garnets (red jewelry and grossulars), malachite, rauchtopaz. Ural topazes are very famous - red, blue and purple. Ekaterinburg values wine-yellow stone most of all.
The regional center and surrounding areas are famous for deposits of rare minerals. Verdelite and rhodonite are mined in the Urals. Yekaterinburg is the center of one of the oldest mining regions in the country. The whole world knows photographs depicting Ural gems. At the same time, only part of the explored mineral reserves is currently being developed. The emeralds supplied by Ekaterinburg have a rich green and high transparency.
Recently the news was announced that a new gemstone had been found in the Sverdlovsk region - Mariinskite. The mineral is slightly inferior to diamond in hardness and brilliance.
Besides, Yekaterinburg supplies the world with amethysts and aquamarines. Red and black jaspers are mined in the Sverdlovsk region. Black tourmalines - schorls - have been explored and actively mined.
The territory of the Urals is huge and rich in minerals. Bazhov sang the Ural gems in his works. No photo can convey the full brilliance of the precious stones mined in the Urals. Minerals are highly valued by jewelers all over the world. 
The largest deposits of emeralds and alexandrites are being developed in the Urals. The richest occurrence of high-quality charoite is also located in the Urals. Moonstone is mined in the Chelyabinsk region. Adularia from the Urals often contains inclusions of gold sand. Almost transparent moonstone was found on the Kola Peninsula and in the Subpolar Urals.
The area around Lake Baikal is known for deposits of well-formed topaz. Almost all Russian jade is mined in Buryatia. Its main deposits are located relatively close to Lake Baikal. Therefore, stone mining is carried out with care so as not to harm the lake’s ecosystem. Russian jade has a variety of colors; there are even black specimens.
A little to the west of Baikal, bright red garnets - pyropes - are mined from deposits of the Bartoy group. The deposits of the Irkutsk region in the Baikal region provide the country with amethysts, light blue lapis lazuli, aquamarines and pink-red rhodonites. Tourmaline mining is carried out not far from Lake Baikal. In the Baikal region, pearl-colored moonstone is mined.
Norilsk is famous, first of all, for its vast areas of iron ore, natural gas and oil. In addition, Norilsk is famous for precious and semi-precious stones. In the vicinity of the city and surrounding areas, jadeite is mined. Norilsk has deposits of high quality greenish-yellow olivine.
Jewelers know Norilsk as a place where very rare stones are mined. Thanks to large reserves of aluminum and iron ore, Norilsk and the Krasnoyarsk Territory are the owners of pumpellyite deposits. Among other collectible minerals that Norilsk mines is moyukite. Norilsk is known for its large amount of zeolites. Prehnite stands out among them. The mineral is believed to have medicinal properties.
Norilsk is one of the places where rare light yellow stilbite was discovered. As for the name, it is Greek and means “brilliance”. The stone has an increased shine that cannot be conveyed in the photo. Recently, Norilsk began supplying the market with new semi-precious stones - xonotlites. They are white in color with black or gray streaks.
Nizhny Novgorod is not particularly rich in mineral resources. On an industrial scale, Novgorod mines dolomite, clay and sand. The surprising news is that Nizhny Novgorod can extract diamonds from the ground. The regional governor announced this. The area with a diamond-bearing pipe owned by Nizhny Novgorod is small. But geological exploration continues. Perhaps in the future the city will become one of the centers for the production of industrial diamonds. Nizhny Novgorod maintains the glory of the homeland of magnificent stone carvers. The products of local craftsmen are known throughout the world. 
Makhachkala and the entire Dagestan region are known for deposits of iron ore and oil. Precious stones are quite rare here. But Makhachkala has some reserves of rock crystal, chalcedony, agate and carnelian. Jewelry art is very developed in the region. Kubachi, Makhachkala, Derbent are famous for their masters of glyptics - artistic stone cutting.
No significant deposits of precious stones have been discovered in the Oryol region, but there are large reserves of raw materials for building materials. Far beyond the borders of the Oryol region, the healing stones of the village of Andreevka are known. Large boulders have bizarre shapes. Each stone has special properties: it treats diseases, helps in personal life or study.
The Volgograd region also cannot boast of gems. But there are famous mounds in Surovikino. These are accumulations of large blocks of sandstone that retain heat all year round. Many tourists come to Surovikino, having heard about the healing properties of local stones.
Crimea
Many regions of Crimea (Kerch, Bakhchisarai, Feodosia) have deposits of precious and ornamental stones. Crimea is characterized by limestone and shale rocks. Carnelian, amethyst (pink and purple), onyx and opal are extracted from the depths of Crimea.
The variety of colors of Crimean agates is surprising. Black and white stones with stripes of pink, blue, red, brown and gray colors. Bakhchisaray and the Kerch region of Crimea are famous for their large reserves of jet. These are black petrified branches and tree trunks that look like stone. Many Crimean souvenirs are made from this gem.
On the territory of Kara-Dag there are deposits of rock crystal, heliotrope, opal, chalcedony and jasper. But this part of Crimea is a protected area, so stone mining is not carried out. Rare milky opals are found on the peninsula (Kara-Dag, Bakhchisaray, Sudak). Citrines are often found in rocks.
Researchers of Crimea found in its lands minerals unique to this region. The most famous - kerchenite, mithridatite, alushtite and bosporite - were named according to the places of discovery. Bakhchisarai, Fiolent, Karadag are rich in jaspers of various colors. The most typical for Crimea is red and yellow jasper with colored inclusions.
The whole world knows the decorative stones of Crimea - Black Sea traces, marble, diabase. Feodosia, Sevastopol, Bakhchisaray have deposits of rock crystal. Large-scale mining of semi-precious raw materials on the peninsula is limited, since most of Crimea belongs to protected and reserved areas.
Precious stones ultimately adorn almost every successful person. Undoubtedly, this is the best proof of love for your woman, or just a wonderful gift for your family. But have you ever wondered how gemstones are mined? The history of precious metals is very informative and interesting, which will be discussed in our article.
Precious stones are mined: underground; in open pits; in mountainous areas. The crystals are hidden under numerous soil layers. Cleaned using technology, a strong stream of water, less often by hand (applies to African and Asian countries). Experts make preliminary calculations of how much material can be extracted, what territory to cover, and then work can begin. A primitive mining method is used in gem-studded Sri Lanka. They dig in the rice fields, then use pumps to pump out the water. Basic tools: shovels and picks, buckets, ropes. People then sift through the excess soil material, extracting valuable minerals. Don't forget about the license (it costs $5,000 per year). Working simple people, poor people, regardless of the cost and importance of their profession. Sometimes whole families: some mine the gems, others process them to increase the price at delivery. In developed countries, modern equipment is used, which saves time and effort. In our country, a significant part of the work in searching for precious minerals is performed by experts. The main source of occurrence of valuable stones is in the central part of Russia. There are several main unique regions of our country:
- In the Urals (first in 1829);
- Siberia (mid-twentieth century);
- Yakutia;
- Take care of Baikal;
- Among the cities: Yekaterinburg, Norilsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Irkutsk region.
Now let's take a closer look. The Urals can safely be called the diamond region, because after the discovery, more than 250 transparent diamonds weighing up to 25 carats were discovered here. At first, jewelry was found by handicraft methods, or by washing gold-bearing sand. The Urals are also known for useful red and blue topaz and malachite. After the discovery of diamonds in Siberia, Russia took a leading position in the extraction of these expensive metals. Yekaterinburg is famous for its deposits of rare stones: malachite, rhodonite, red and blue topazes. Ural gems can be recognized by their shiny transparent stone. The rare emerald and the world-famous expensive alexandrite are also extracted here. Demantoids, jades and opals are mined in small quantities.
Yekaterinburg is also famous in the world for the extraction of unique aquamarines and amethysts. The city is one of the original areas where gem mining began. Nizhny Novgorod is also among the main diamond cities. The deposit area is small, but jewelers rely on perspective. It became known about the discovery of Mariinskite - a hard and shiny mineral, visually close to diamond, in the Sverdlovsk region. The Ural Mountains are rich in black tourmalines and red jaspers. Many Russian classics mentioned the precious wealth of the Ural region in their works.
Pearl-colored moonstones are mainly found in the Chelyabinsk region, where high-quality charoite is also mined. Buryatia is the main mining area for multi-colored jade. The Baikal zone is overflowing with topaz, but work here is carried out carefully so as not to harm the lake’s ecosystem. Irkutsk is famous for its deposits of aquamarines, amethysts, and red rhodonites. Norilsk can be classified as a separate region, since not only a variety of valuable stones are mined here, but also huge sources of oil, natural gas and ore. The list of precious metals includes: high-quality olivine, jadeite, moiukite. Minerals used for medicinal purposes (zeolites, prehnite). Yellow stilbite (translated as “brilliant”) is also valued - a very rare and special mineral, because not a single photograph can convey the real silky shine of the jewelry.
Petroleum raw materials from the Dagestan region are used in industry, and rock crystal and carnelian are also extracted here. Magic stones with medicinal properties are found in the village of Andreevka. According to locals, it helps in love and improves health. For the same reasons, Surovikino is also considered a tourist destination. Krim is the main deposit of carnelian, slate rocks, and amethyst. The peninsula is rich in reserves of crystal, black and white stones, and chalcedony. Unique minerals are extracted here: kerchenite, bosporite, red jasper. In protected areas, mining of precious stones is prohibited.
Visually, diamonds and other valuable stones look luxurious and amazing. Jewelers devote days and nights to make a unique masterpiece, valuable all over the world, from an ordinary mined mineral.
