That Gemstone Came From Far Away
Working at a store that sells gemstones and minerals, I have come to realize something: those rocks sure do like to travel! It would be very interesting to know to what extent, much like the “Where’s George” dollar bill tracking system, however with stones one can only imagine.
Here’s what I’ve observed: many minerals are mined from well-known sources like Hunan Province in China, or Minas Gerais, Brazil. After being recovered from the ground a stone may follow many different paths, depending on whether it will be sold as a mineral specimen, or made into jewelry.
Specimens can be sold in their country of origin, but more often travel to gem and mineral trade shows far from home. Their first stop may include Tucson, Denver, or Las Vegas. From the shows they are sold to wholesalers or retailers who usually live elsewhere in the country, or the world. A stone in The Fossil Cartel could have traveled a great distance to find it’s human companion, but the adventure doesn’t always stop there! Rock shop enthusiasts from out of town frequently buy gemstones on vacation or business trips, then take them to another city or country altogether. This is especially entertaining if someone is taking the rock back to its source. I once sold a piece of rainbow fluorite from China to a customer that was sending it to China as a gift. If no other detours were involved, that fluorite went from China to Tucson, From Tucson to Portland, and then back to China!
Where Do the Gemstones Go?
A gemstone in a piece of Jewelry usually has more stops on the world tour. A facet-grade clear topaz from Brazil may go to Thailand for heat treatment as well as cutting and polishing. From there, the gemstone could travel to another country to be put into a ring or pendant setting. Likewise, a ruby from Mogok, Myanmar may make its way to a Swiss auction by way of Germany. By the time the gemstone makes it to a retail store, they have often traveled thousands of miles.
Sometimes you come across a gemstone that is obviously from somewhere else, but you found it far from its source with no idea how it got there. For example, I was agate hunting on a beach in California a few years ago and found a star sapphire cabochon. Needless to say I was delighted! Being harder than the other rocks on the beach, it had only a few minor abrasions. I still wonder how long it sat there, covered by sand and pebbles, before I picked it up. I could venture a guess that it was mined in Sri Lanka and had been lost by its previous owner, but the rest is a mystery.
I also think about all of the stones native to Oregon that are taken home by tourists visiting Portland. I get to see sunstones, opal, thundereggs, and petrified wood start their own journey from The Fossil Cartel…perhaps around the world!
