Jungle-Gems.com June Newsletter

Newsletter for June

Hello from Ariquemes Rondonia, Brasil. We hope our gemtrade related news has merited a return visit by you, our readers and valued clients.

We are now operating out of our new offices here in Ariquemes Rondonia, in the heart of Topaz and Amazon Opal territory. We are still getting the office set-up (Avenida J-K 1660, set 02), but the phone is working (55-69-536-1776) and our first saws are cutting topaz rough for export. We are supplying 100% sawn clean topaz priced by size, 1-3g / 3-6g / 6-9g / and >9g in KG lots. All goods are sawn for cutting, no chips or flats in our goods. We are also brokering sawn topaz production from many local suppliers, and buying rough topaz from some small miners working new claims. I’ve watched this continuous topaz production since 1987, and it is still available in quantity. It appears the supply will not be exhausted for many years to come. If you are interested in a direct source for topaz, contact us for further information.

The Anahi Bolivia Ametrine mines, as well as some neighboring ametrine mining operations, have been in touch with us and we are awaiting more samples of ametrine from a 60,000kg pile of rough. We have already seen some hand-size points (see photos below), and are told that this big lot has terminated ametrine points ranging from 1kg up to 12kg. There is a wide variety of quality, including amethyst and citrine as a by-product. These goods are only available in larger quantities, but they are very competitively priced. Contact us for further info regarding direct access to ametrine for your business.

Our Amazon Opal Mine is back to work after a long “wet spell”. We are currently setting up for more drilling of core samples to completely map the deposit. We expect to finish the mapping project this month, and begin moving dirt based on our results. With some luck, and a lot of hard work, we will soon have more Amazon Opal available for the world market.

We continue to hear rumors of tourmaline production here in Rondonia. But as I tell the gossips, tourmaline doesn’t come from Rondonia until I see it in my hand. As yet, it is still rumor… but here at Jungle Gems we like to pass on the rumors !

While we’re in the rumor mill… we continue to hear from credible sources of large areas of Amazon Forrest Petrified Wood. We will continue to follow up on this as we feel this might be more than rumor. It is likely that we will have photos of samples on next month’s newsletter. However, we have never dealt in petrified wood and have no client base for what might turn out to be a nice product. If anyone out there might be interested in helping us find a market, please contact us.

Our office in Teofilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, has been looking at some top quality tourmaline from the famous Cruzeiro Mine, as well as a lot of andalucite rough. The Teofilo Otoni Gemshow is set to roll again this year in August, and we are hoping for a fine international turnout. Contact us for further info if you would like to visit the show.

Illegal Diamond mining operations going on in the Aripuana Indian Reservation, near a town called “Espigao do Oeste”, here in the State of Rondonia, have taken a turn for the worse. Local newspapers are reporting that a makeshift graveyard with over 40 bodies of garimpeiros (miners) has been uncovered. Supposedly victims of the local Indians killed while attempting to extract diamonds. The federal police campaign to deter further illegal exploitation has also curbed production. We do not expect to report any good news from this area in the coming months.

To end on a brighter note, the weather here is great if you like it HOT.

Hope to see you again next month ~ Kirk “Tomas” Bond