Single Source Gems May No Longer Be Single Source

cindylynn · Post by **cindylynn** » Sun May 06, 2018 9:20 pm

http://aglgemlab.com/origin-determinations/

States that, "Those (stones) occurring from only one location:
Some gem varieties/materials are only known from one source.
As a result, we indicate the origin without an additional charge.

Tanzanite (Tanzania)
Benitoite (USA – California)
Red Beryl (Bixbite: USA - Utah)
Tsavorite (East Africa)
Pezzottaite (Madagascar)"

Pezzottaite has also been mined in Afghanistan.
Have they been listing all pezzottaite as Madagascar?

Barbra Voltaire, FGG · Tue May 08, 2018 2:49 pm

I'm only finding a record of 2 localities for pezzottaite in GIA's literature: Madagascar and a trapiche crystal found along the Thai-Myanmar border.
Perhaps you should direct this question to Chris Smith at AGL.
And if you have any links to Pakistani locations, please submit.
Report back.

dchallener · Post by **dchallener** » Tue May 08, 2018 4:35 pm

https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... fghanistan

Stephen Challener · Post by **Stephen Challener** » Tue May 08, 2018 5:20 pm

The find in Afghanistan was tiny if I remember right, and never hit the open market. But tsavorite has been found in Madagascar as well, and to a lesser extent tanzanite in Kenya. Unless you play tautological games about the names and origin which would be a bit self defeating.

Barbra Voltaire, FGG · Tue May 08, 2018 7:47 pm

Interesting. Good find , David. Seems right Stephen, the find wasn't commercially distributed.

I'd still run it by Chris Smith. He is extremely forthright and helpful to the trade.

1bwana1 · Post by **1bwana1** » Tue May 08, 2018 8:17 pm

Tsavorite is now being found in Ethiopia also. Nice colored tones, mostly small sizes. It is a little too dark in large sizes, but makes as good small calibrated as I have seen from any of the traditional sources. Ethiopia is still East Africa, geologically so is Madagascar.
All part of the Mozambique belt. Origin is problematic in my opinion, and ripe for mistakes.

cindylynn · Post by **cindylynn** » Tue May 08, 2018 9:16 pm

The second site link on this page is about the find in Afghanistan, I bought a few when they were being touted as red Beryl. Sold a couple and kept a couple.

cindylynn · Post by **cindylynn** » Tue May 08, 2018 9:47 pm

Hi Barbra, I emailed AGL via their site before posting this here, but had not received a reply yet (since last I checked my mail). It may have been an oversite. Difficult to remember every piece of info on one's site, and think to update when new information is available.
A few years ago, I had noticed that some sellers were listing it as red beryl.

Barbra Voltaire, FGG · Tue May 08, 2018 11:47 pm

Hi Cindylynn.
Did you use this email form?
http://aglgemlab.com/contact/

Try calling. Your question is a good one.

Report back.

arglthesheep · Post by **arglthesheep** » Wed May 09, 2018 1:50 am

tsavorite is also found in Canada and Afghanistan...

Barbra Voltaire, FGG · Wed May 09, 2018 12:34 pm

I'm skeptical about that?
Pics? References?

arglthesheep · Post by **arglthesheep** » Wed May 09, 2018 4:05 pm

@barbra
you ment my post?

From Canada they are found at Jeffrey Mine/Asbestos.
Grossulars from orange/pink to deep green, what I would call tsavorite.
Here are some specimen, though its a german site:

https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/ ... ge=english

or also here: https://www.minfind.com/mineral-555918.html
you can scroll down to see more of them.

Also known for the greendot grossulars.

From Afghanistan, there are some dealers selling stones.
E.G: Multicolor i think everybody knows as a reliable seller:
http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/det ... ts13011aa/
https://www.minedirect.com/EnlargedPage ... t-284.html

Also here is a thai lab who got some stones from Farooq Hashmi who bought the stones from Kunar province Afghanistan in 2008 as he stated.

You also see it in the G&G Summer 2010 on page 154 in the bottom right corner.

http://www.rongvanglab.com/tin-tuc-su-k ... ang-082011

Also my dealers there offer occasional single stones next to Demantoids from Pakistan and Iran.

Stephen Challener · Post by **Stephen Challener** » Wed May 09, 2018 6:19 pm

Yeah, specimen grade tsavorite from Afghanistan isn't too hard to source, and it apparently does come in facet grade sometimes. I've never picked any up but I've seen it for sale several times. I think we already had a conversation in a recent thread about whether chromian grossular like the Canadian material counts as well (imo yes, assuming adequate color, just like emerald).

dchallener · Post by **dchallener** » Wed May 09, 2018 9:43 pm

Origin: Afganistan [Only known operational deposit]

for sale on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/292320154138?rmvSB=true

dchallener · Post by **dchallener** » Wed May 09, 2018 9:57 pm

From mindat localities of pezzottaite:

Afghanistan

Konar Province (Kunar Province; Konarh Province; Konarha Province; Nuristan)
Chapa Dara District
ⓘ Dara-i-Pech pegmatite field (Darra-i-Pech; Darra-e-Pech; Pech; Peech; Page)
Herb Obodda
Nuristan Province (Nurestan Province; Nooristan Province; Nuristan)
Wama District (Vama District)
Parun (Paroon; Parown) pegmatite field
ⓘ Dewa Mine (Deva Mine)

GemologyOnline.com