More Photos from Brazil: Amazing Aquamarine

Hello, everyone!

As promised, more cool photos of our gemstone travels through Brazil. And I've got some exciting information on a rare find that I will share with you next time. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the following photos of some stunning aquamarine.

Enjoy!

- George

Just driving through the Brazilian countryside


Amazing aquamarine specimen

Huge!


Really huge!


Extreme closeup of this beautiful specimen


Picturesque Brazil


What a beautiful country!

George in Padre Paraiso, Aquamarine Capital of Brazil

Hello, everyone.

I drove to Padre Paraiso, a quaint and colorful township and the capital of aquamarine in Brazil. The mines surround it. 

Padre Paraiso, Minas Gerais, Brazil

One can only buy rough here but it is all natural--the way it comes out of the ground. The sawing, preforming and heating is all done in Teofilo Otoni, an hour and a half south of here. 

Unheated aquamarine crystals

The statue of a miner, shovel in one hand while inspecting his aqua against the sun in the other, stands on the church lawn in the center of town and wordlessly tells the story of why this township is here.

We looked at quite a bit of rough with the natural and beautiful green and greenish blue shades that are the tell tale signs of an unheated beryl. Clean large stones were scarce but we found some nice large crystals with inclusions. Rather than cut smaller clean stones and then heat them to take out the greenish hue we thought that we would try for larger stones with some inclusions that would show off these rare natural colors. We did the same with a rather nice lot of a natural powder blue color (with good crystal) and can’t wait to show you the results.

Buying rough is far more difficult than purchasing already faceted stones and I am always grateful that I learned how to saw, preform and facet many years ago. The diverse experience of our buying team allows JTV to find unusual or rare items not available to most gemstone lovers.

I have many more photos of this part of the journey that I will post next time. Wait until you see the size of some of this stunning aquamarine material!

Ciao,

 

George

George Shares Some History of Brazilian Emerald Mining

Hello!I thought you might be interested in some of the fascinating history behind the Itabira emerald mines, specifically Belmont, where I've spent some of my time while here in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Around 1938, Mauro Ribeiro, a local farmer in Itabira, began trucking diesel fuel from Belo Horizonte to the area for the iron ore mine. By 1948 he had a fleet of trucks and was selling iron ore to a huge mining concern. The story goes that the company bullied him into selling the mine on his property to them by canceling all purchases. They built a railway to the area and the township flourished.

 

Truck and crew members in Ribeiro's operation

 

Wall of historical photos of the Itabira township

Mauro expanded his farm and it became the transfer point for the trains coming in and out. He excavated an area on his property to build a lake and one day a train driver waiting at the switch point paused to have a drink of water. The guy was familiar with gemstones and when he spotted emerald in the lake he told Mauro what it was and said he would have it checked out by a specialist and let him know if his hunch was correct--and it was. 

 

Beautiful

Mauro applied for the mineral rights on his farm which was a slow process and it wasn’t long before he had an invasion of garimpeiros (prospectors or miners) on his property. They were so many and such a tough bunch that he could do nothing about it even though he was given the mineral rights. So he decided to let them continue in that particular area until it was exhausted if they agreed not to go anywhere else on the property.

The following year there were big floods and the mines were under water. The garimpeiros left and Mauro went to work building a fence. He then created a militia made up of family and other farmers in the area to protect themselves from invasion. His son, Paulo Ribeiro, became famous worldwide as a rough emerald supplier expanding into other areas.

 

At Belmont, trees on the property are restored or replanted; water used is reclaimed and recycled; even earth extracted from the mines gets washed and recycled.

Mauro’s grandson Marcelo went to the University of Belo Horizonte and became a mining engineer. He has since built Belmont, the most modern and efficient emerald mine in the world today. It is a perfect example of proper environmental and safety practices--the best I have seen in a country where the economy is still growing rapidly.

 

The road to Belmont emerald mine

 

Sophisticated mining operations

Off to an aquamarine mine in a couple of days--looking for unheated aqua. More on that in the next post!

- George 

News from Brazil: Emeralds, anyone?

Hello, everyone. George here, checking in from the Nova Era township where there has very recently been a big emerald strike from the nearby “Rocha” mine. A lot of emerald was taken out and we were here to buy it!

 

In the mining area

 

Working with the miners

We bought several kilos of rough and are having it sawed and preformed here locally where they understand the material best. The finer quality will be faceted here and the rest in India.

 

Examining emerald

Our team of buyers has many years of experience buying directly from the mines--as well as strong relationships we have built with expert slicers, preformers and cutters. JTV has the "know how" to bring the real gemstone values directly to you.  

 

Gorgeous emerald crystal

Keeping our customers supplied with these incredible gemstone deals is no easy task! In most cases we buy small productions that must build up for many months before we have enough material to offer on television. All of this work and then these wonderful gems will often be gone in one or two showings! This is mainly because our customers understand gemstones better than the general public and know good value and rarity when they see it.

Tonight, in the mountains of Brazil, looking up at the Southern Cross in the sky, l realize we must continue buying rough directly from the mouth of the mine and spend the time it takes for us to continue bringing such exceptional offers to our JTV family.   

If all goes well I will have some good stuff on unheated aquamarine soon. In the meantime we have a lot of preforming and cutting to oversee!

Um abraco,

- George

p.s. Just a pretty shot of the Brazilian countryside.

 

Beautiful Brazil!

George Checks In From Brazil: Down In the Mines

Hi, everybody!

Jay is winging his way home and I am back in the gemstone rough buying mode which keeps me in Brazil for another two weeks. Yesterday I went to a mining site about two and a half hours drive outside of Governador Valadares. Once off the highway, we traversed a mountain on dirt roads that were cratered and cracked by rain wash. 

Mooooove.

The jarring journey paid off immediately as I walked into this great “salon” supported by a few pillars within the expanse of the mine.  I was with with the new owner, who is a true garimpiero. At forty three he has already been mining for twenty five years, along the way producing a large variety of gems.

George down in the mines

The vast majority of these miners put all their profit back into digging with the hope of striking it rich. Mining is in their blood and I am thankful this is the case. It is the small independent miner that keeps the gemstone business going and makes most of the new discoveries all over the world. In this case all the workers--including the camp cook--have some small share in the production.

 

Lunchtime!

We bought this camp's first production of dendritic quartz and the money from the sale will be enough to keep them digging for a while. Our lot includes some interesting colors that we have never seen--including a very pretty greenish yellow.

 

George and miner examining dendritic quartz in the mine

 

Another view of this interesting material

This mine produces other gems including morganite, aquamarine, spessartite, moonstone and a few other feldspars, so that is part of the reason we purchased this first production. We hope to keep this mutually beneficial relationship going. I guess we have the gemstone fever in our blood as well!

- George

Notes from Brazil: Where there's Dendritic Quartz....

Hello, everyone!

George and I heard of a local miner who had just hit a big vein of dendritic quartz. So we visited his house where we saw several hundred kilos of this newly dug rough. We considered purchasing all of it but settled on a smaller sample that we will preform and cut to estimate our yield--how many carats of beautiful, calibrated dendritic quartz will X Kilos cut?

 

Spectacular Dendritic Quartz Rough

This is an especially interesting find because there will be other pockets of unique gemstones that will be found among this quartz vein. We expect to see spessartite, morganite and maybe some rutilated quartz, too!

 

George checks out the lot of dendritic quartz

We also bought some very fine Brazilian fire opal in calibrated sizes. There's a percentage of some super color that we negotiated for over four hours before we got our price--but we did get our price!

George (left) and Jay doing what they do best

We will be seeing another Brazilian dealer that is actually mining in Mozambique and Madagascar. Many of the Brazilians have experience in mining and rough buying and have established operations in Africa. So strangely enough, we may be buying some gemstones from Africa in Brazil!

 

Wow. Just wow.

After this, we are off to Teofilo Otoni, another mining town area for more of the what I am now calling "The Great Brazilian Gemstone Adventure." For me, it is truly that!

- Jay

p.s. Hey, it's me--Dana, Community Manager for JTV.com. I thought you would get a kick out of these pics from Brazil. Enjoy!

 

Incredible! 

Hey, Jay. Who's your friend? - Jay with huge amethyst geode

 

George is on the top of the world in Brazil!

 

Jay catching some sleep while while he's got the chance. Ah, the glamorous life of a gem buyer!

 

Beautiful Brazil

Jay and George Check in From Brazil: Emeralds!

Greetings, everyone!

Jay here reporting from Brazil! George and I spent yesterday looking at emerald rough in a cinder block shack that the miners use to show their recent digs to local buyers.

Where the miners show their rough to prospective buyers

There was a new find recently in which hundreds of garimpeiros (local diggers) participated. This dig brought many kilos of rough emerald to the local markets and we were lucky enough to be there soon after it was found!

Emerald rough from a new find in Brazil

George and I bought several different qualities of emerald. We have to have them preformed and then cut, but this buy should be a winner! I really enjoyed working at this level with the miners.

George and a miner share a joke

After the emerald negotiations we drove several hours from Nova Era to Valadares, a city of around 250,000, which sits on the left bank of the Doce River. Rising above the town is a massive stone mountain at the top of which is Ibituruna Peak, a notable destination for hang gliders around the globe. 

Valadares has many mines in the area and there are a number of dealers here who regularly buy rough gems from the surrounding mining areas.We stayed at a cool little boutique hotel-- an old style resting place, Minas Gerias style. It is on an island which sits in the middle of the river. Very special place. 

Jay viewing the Doce River - Valaderes, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I've got more news for the next post. Dendritic quartz, fire opal and even gems from Africa--right here in Brazil. Like we're always saying...the gem business is truly international!

- Jay

 

World Tour: Jay and George, First Day in Brazil

Hi, everyone!

It's me again (Dana) with the latest on our guys first full day in Brazil. Connectivity is still problematic for them so I'll be filling you in until the guys can blog for themselves again.

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Jay and George had an amazing first day buying in Brazil. They knew they would do good there, negotiating the best prices ever on rough, preforms and cut gems.

George checks out some gemstone rough

There were several warehouses to  walk through with loads of gemstone rough--kunzite, morganite, and many colors of quartz (including some killer Madeira citrine).

Jay and George examine some exquisite Madeira citrine

Jay and George have been making offers that seem to shock the vendors and cutters, but that's the way our guys do business. They are committed to getting unimaginable deals to bring home to our JTV family.

It was fun to hear about the interesting lunch Jay and George had at a churrascaria, an authentic Brazilian style barbecue. They said the food was very good with lots of local fresh food, veggies and fruits.  

But Brazilian barbecues are famous for their meats, which they continuously bring to the table and slice to order. Some of the meats they were offered are quite exotic, like cobra (yes--the snake!), jacare (crocodile) and capivara (a large semi-aquatic rodent). I think I would have chosen the picanha (beef)! Looks like Jay probably chose the picanha, too.

 

Jay looks a little concerned about this particular offering

Exotic gemstones come from exotic locales and we want to share all the fun of each location with you! So keep checking the blog for more thrills (and chills) as Jay and George travel around the world searching out the next great gemstone deal.

- Dana

p.s. Tune in to Jewelry Fest, our once-a-year jewelry and gemstone extravaganza! Beginning tonight at 6pm Eastern. Or watch us live at jtv.com/live.

Jay Checks In from Brazil: The World Tour Continues...

Hi, everyone.

Dana here--Community Manager for JTV.com. I'm doing my best to keep you up to speed with where in the world Jay and George are now! Due to trouble with Jay's connection to our network, he sent me this update via Facebook. (Become a fan of JTV on Facebook for the latest on everything JTV!)

Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Jay writes: "Hi Dana, Flew all Monday night from Chicago to Sao Paolo, Brazil; connected to Belo Horizonte. Met with a local contact of George's and checked into hotel in Belo. IN the state of Minas Gerais, the gem rich state of Brazil with many mines and gemstones rough, cut and specimen. Minas Gerais= 'General Mines'. Dinner tonight with an important gemstone rough cutter who we met in Hong Kong. The trip is started."

And a later post on Facebook reveals:

"Traveled all night and arrived Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sunny day, cool weather (winter is about to start) and adequate hotel. Dinner tonight to begin planning gemstone productions: the World Tour continues."

Jay (left) and George in their element

We'll be hearing more from Jay and George soon as they continue their world tour. We can't wait to see what they find in Brazil! Keep checking the blog for the latest updates.

On Another Note

I've got two words for you: JEWELRY FEST! That's right--it's that time of the year when JTV pulls out all the stops to offer crazy-good deals on fine jewelry and gemstones.

Beginning June 11th, you'll see first hand that this year's lineup is nothing short of spectacular! Loads of product featured in our updates from the 2009 JCK Show in Las Vegas will hit the airwaves (and the website too, of course!) We're talking HUGE Tahitian pearls; rich pigeon blood fissure-filled rubies; chrome diopside so green it makes the emeralds jealous; and mouthwatering kunzite! Did I forget to mention tanzanite? My bad--we've got the tanzanite that Jay was so thrilled about in Vegas!

And if you just can't wait until tomorrow, our broadcast will have sneak peeks of some of the amazing Jewelry Fest product on air tonight. Tune in or watch us live on the web at jtv.com/live. 

Happy Jewelry Fest! 

- Dana

Dana Sebby, Community Manager, JTV.com

George Williams Recap of 2009 JCK Show in Las Vegas

Hi, everyone!

It was touch and go with the pearl deal, but we finally closed the deal! Look for them soon on air and on jtv.com!

At any show, the biggest gems deals often happen in hotel rooms outside of the show. We were fortunate enough to hear about a very special lot of opals and Jay and I were quick to leave the show floor to search these gems out!

These opal miners from Mexico had some material that is completely new to the market. (Of course I was in my element again with the gemstone that started my gem career in Australia--opal! And I know a winner when I see it--and this material is a winner in a big way!)

George exams Mexican opal rough

They call this material Leopard Opal and what a perfect name for this gem! It has fiery spots appearing as a constellation of vibrant colors--as strong and various as fine black opal--that sit upon a dark background. Think of a leopard that has been colored with a box of magic crayons--simply stunning!

 

Another view of this new material

The miner's had brought most of a year’s production with them and I selected 25 kilos of the best rough and expect about a 15% recovery in calibrated stones! As with the Tahitian pearls, we are keeping our fingers crossed and will let you know if we get the deal. If all goes well, it will take a couple of months to get sliced, cut and on air exclusively for you!

Wow!

I have more to tell you later about rubies, blue diamonds and amethyst in my next post. Keep checking the blog for more updates as more news develops and the product starts rolling in!

- George