[Gemstone] Bolivian Ametrine

Jewelry Discussion
1

The Anahi mine is a sophisticated operation which is vertically
integrated and, therefore, no longer markets its’ rough.

Boy,did I get a chuckle when I read this.You sure sugar coated
it.The rough has been out again since summer,I just came from
Brazil 2 days ago,but the rough still is not getting up to the
states,except what I am bringing in.Curious the up to date? I
even took photo’s of two huge cobbing operations in Belo
Horizonte,Brazil.They are processing multitonnage there every
month now,but it is all going to Gupta,STS,and Soni,former
partner of STS in the form of sawed flawless preforms. Bi-color
Amethyst does occur spotty from all mines,but there is no way to
make it by heating,or even irradiation.The heat needed to make
Citrine is 450C,how are you going to sheild the other half of
the stone? I could’nt.And irradiation reverberates,it is not
directional,so you can’t create it by irradiating.I tried that
too,lead shields on 1/2,everything.The Russians are growing it,I
forget the exact explanation of how,but it involves the
inducement or non-inducement of twinning,and stop and go
Hydrothermal process. “vertically intergrated”,great
description.In Brazil they call it “Grande Olho’s”,big eyes! Mark
Liccini http://www.LICCINI.com

2

Mark, I’ve always enjoyed your comments on gemstones and
treatments, not to mention your escapades abroad.( The one with
the Mayor’s daughter in Idar Oberstein was a real gas!) When I
referred to the vertically integrated operation at the Anahi mine
I probably oversimplified it, as you contend. Nonetheless, by
South American standards it is a model of enlightened operation.
You and I both know that when it comes to gemstone mining in S.A.
“when the cat is away the mouse will play”.Thus, no mine operator
ever has complete control over the output. ( I have even had this
happen to me with a variscite mine that I was operating in Nevada
was being highgraded by my own watchman!) Furthermore, it is
common practice for most mine operators to dump surpluses and low
end on the open market while hoarding high end for value added
product. Even De Beers does this! The history of gem mining in
South America has been one of rape and run wherein huge
quantities have been dumped on the market just as fast as it
could be mined. The Marabar amethyst mine might well have lasted
a hundred years if it had been operated in a more sophisticated
way. Ciao for now and have a boa
feijoada…Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.