Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
I agree with your sentiment Alberto, but I think that train left the station many years ago when Bridges made his marketing deal with Tiffany. If I recall correctly, Bridges was instrumental in choosing the name that honored Tsavo National Park near the place of the garnet's discovery. Tiffany then popularized the stone with its enormous advertising/branding clout.
Hi Rom, In fact tsavorite was not first discovered in Tsavo in Kenya: It was discovered near Komolo village in Tanzania at Lemshuku in the south of Merelani around 1968. (Note: I just posted a blog about Lemshuku on fieldgemology.org: http://www.fieldgemology.org/blog_display.php?id=55) Campbell Bridges discovered later a second deposit in 1970 near Tsavo in Kenya. Then later in 1973 Henry B. Platt, then President of Tiffany & Co., who was interested in Campbell Bridges discoveries, decided that it was time to give this gem a trade name: It was chosen to give the gem a trade name associated with Tsavo National Park in Kenya as Tanzania had already Tanzanite and also as Tanzania was turning into a socialist state (with nationalization of all mines) while then most of the production of the gem was coming from the Tsavo area (not only from Campbell Bridges mine, as many deposits were found around the place he first found the stone in Kenya)
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 1:20 am Posts: 2756 Location: Southern California, U.S.A.
Hi Vincent, I actually knew that but had a momentary memory blip re: the Tsavo name. Bridges wasn't able to develop his TZ discovery due to the country's political/economic policies, and he later located the Kenyan deposits. Sadly, in the long run Kenya was much less friendly to him.
Hi Vincent, I actually knew that but had a momentary memory blip re: the Tsavo name. Bridges wasn't able to develop his TZ discovery due to the country's political/economic policies, and he later located the Kenyan deposits. Sadly, in the long run Kenya was much less friendly to him.
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
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