Africa’s rich and colourful soil is home to gemstones
More so than ever, Africa today is producing abundant gemstones and comprises of roughly 19 000 gem variations…that’s 50% of the world’s gem turn over.
Southern and Eastern Africa are regions with the most amount of gems; Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania to Kenya. One of Africa’s most beautiful and big islands, Madagascar, is geologically part of this gemstone-rich zone, known as the Neoproterozoic Mozambique Belt.
Significant producers lately are said to Tanzania, Mozambique and Madagascar. Most of all Madagascar has received recent attention for the abundant discoveries of ruby and sapphire. Further findings in this island have been tourmaline, aquamarine, chrysoberyl, andalusite, apatite, citrine, iolite and kyanite. Tanzania has enormous potential and gemstone mining, employing more than 500 000 miners all over the region. Tanzania is particularly well-known for tanzanite.
Mozambique is producing excellent tourmaline in a wide range of colors, and we have also bought fine spessartite and red garnets in impressive sizes. Mozambique has recently become famous for its high quality paraiba tourmaline, and most of the world supply of paraiba is now coming from Mozambique since the Brazilian supply is so limited.
The big country forming party of West Africa, Nigeria, is a highly significant producer of gems that is not part of Mozambique Belt. Well-reputable blue sapphire has been the main gemstone produced in this country and also abundant tourmaline. Nigeria is also known for pyrope and almandine garnet, aquamarine and topaz.
African-gemstone-observers, aka gem researchers and experts, have noted and disclosed their predictions stating that African gemstone production will most likely heavily increase in the near future.
