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Buying Gemstones in Africa - continued
Lusaka, Zambia May 1996
Marc is looking at a parcel of aquamarine that was just brought into a local buying office. Buying gems is always a feast or famine proposition. Sometimes Marc can't buy a single gem of good quality. But every now and then a discovery of a new mine, such as the Lundazi tourmaline deposit will allow him to buy many kilos of fine material at a very reasonable price.
Arusha, Tanzania January 1995
Marc is looking over a large (2,000ct) parcel of very fine quality Tanzanite. In some places in Africa, such as Arusha Tanzania, a local cutting industry has developed. The local dealers cut and polish the gems rather than sell them in the rough which allows them to get a higher price. Although Marc prefers to buy the raw material, sometimes only cut stones are available. Marc will buy them and recut them in Los Angeles.
Arusha, Tanzania October 1994
Marc in Arusha Tanzania buying a very large parcel of cut Tanzanites and Tsavorites, and a perfect 120 gram gem Tanzanite crystal! Most of the gem buying in Arusha consists of tanzanite and tsavorites, but many other interesting gems are sometimes available like sapphire, color change garnets, grossulars, and zircons. This gem tanzanite crystal was eventually cut into 6 gems ranging in size from 6 carats to 40 carats.
Neu Schwaben, Namibia March 1996
Marc evaluating a piece of Blue-green Tourmaline at the mine site. Buying from the miners is advantageous in terms of price but not quantity. As soon as a miner finds a few gems he goes to town to sell them to local dealers. These local dealers collect the gems piece by piece to make up a large parcel. Marc prefers to buy from the dealers as it allows me to buy quantity and reject the stones of inferior quality.
