Finds of cobalt blue spinel in Lục Yên, Vietnam
The best-known find of the extremely rare cobalt blue spinel is Lục Yên in Vietnam. Local gemstone mines provide also sapphires and rubies.
The old Persian turquoise mines near Nishapur
Ancient, more than 2000 years old mines of turquoise, considered to provide the best quality turquoise in the world. Mine is closed now.
Kashmir sapphire mines: source of the best blue sapphire
Now legendary, abandoned sapphire mines where the best sapphire in the world was mined.
Maxixe Mine – unique blue beryl find
The first find of deep blue beryl – maxixe, discovered in 1917. Stones quickly discolored and lost their value, thus the mine was abandoned.
Sar-i Sang lapis lazuli mines
For several millenia here is mined the best lapis lazuli in the world.
Benitoite Gem Mine (California State Gem Mine)
The only find of benitoite of gem quality.
Merelani Hills – the only find of tanzanite
World’s only find of tanzanite – unusual, deep blue gemstone.
Sireneviy Kamen – the only find of charoite
The only find of beautiful, pink mineral – charoite. In this locality are found numerous other very rare and unique minerals.
Blue garnets of Bekily
The only commercial find of blue garnets in the world, a pyrope-spessartine with vanadium content. Some of these stones have a color change effect – from blue in daylight to red in artificial light.
Ikaite tufa columns in Ikka Fjord
Almost unique phenomenon – submarine tufa columns created by cold seeps from submarine springs. Columns are formed of ikaite – an unstable mineral that disintegrates in temperatures above 6 – 7 ° C. In total there are more than 600 such columns up to 18 m tall.
