Important Note: The author: Vincent Pardieu is an employee of GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Laboratory Bangkok since Dec 2008. Any views expressed on this website - and in particular any views expressed by Vincent Pardieu - are the authors' opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GIA or GIA Laboratory Bangkok . GIA takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content on this website nor is GIA liable for any mistakes or omissions you may encounter. GIA is in particular not screening, editing or monitoring the content on this website and has no possibility to remove, screen or edit any content.
We are gemologists (gemmologists) sharing a passion for gemstones, gemolology (gemmology), gem people and traveling.
You will find in this website gemological expedition reports and some studies of gemological interest.
Visiting many gem mining areas we saw that people in remote mining and trading areas have difficulties to access to gemological publications. As today the Internet can be accessed in most of these gem mining areas and trading centers, the author started to build this website to give gem people living there the opportunity to see the result of the gemological expeditions they were associated in. It is a way to thanks them for their time and collaboration and to help them to get access to more gemological information.
At the same time the author hope that these expedition reports will please the people from consuming countries interested in gemstones and fascinated by their mysterious origins. Our purpose here is to help people facing difficulties to get quality first hand information about gems and their origins to get the information they need through this website and its links.
With our field expeditions to gemstone mines and gem markets around the world, we intend also here to share our passion for photography, gems and our fascination for the work of the "Gem People" bringing gemstones from the ground to magnificent jewelry.
From the gems external beauty to the intimate beauty of gemstone inclusions, from gem lore to the mines, the people and the landscapes gems origin from, we expect to share with you our passion for gemstone beauty.
We also invite you to join us on some gemological forums we are active in as they are convenient tools to get rapid answers to your questions as they are regularly visited by many other passionate gemologists, jewelers, hobbyists and professionals willing to learn more and share their knowledge about gemstones.
Website Map
Index page: Vincent Pardieu's Blog
About the Author
About me : How did a countryside Frenchman became a "Shameless travel addicted gemologist"? ( Under construction)
October 2007: Gemological expedition to East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) with Richard W. Hughes, Mike Rogers, Guillaume Soubiraa, Warne and Monty Chitty and Philippe Bruno:
Sep. 2005: Madagascar with Richard W. Hughes and Dana Schorr (Will be available one of these days...)
Summer 2005: Gemological expeditions to South East Asia (Vietnam) South Asia (Sri Lanka) and East Africa (Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania) with J.B. Senoble and Tanguy Lagache with the support of the AIGS, the ICA and the Gubelin Gem Lab:
- Introduction to AIGS/ICA/Gubelin Gem lab 2005 Expeditions
Special THANKS for their support for our field expeditions since 2005:
Any QUESTIONS?
about gems, gemology, field expeditions, studying gemology, minerals, jade, pearls or jewelry? We recommend these FORUMS where the author is contributing:
Do you want to STUDY GEMOLOGY?
Here are some recommended institutes where the author studied gemology in Thailand ... and was happy about his investment!
For those willing to go further after their gemological studies: Recommended Advanced Gemological Courses:
To finish here are some BOOKS about gemology the author have read and appreciated and would like to recommend to people willing to learn more about gemstones, gemology and the places where gemstones are found:
The "Mberili" and "Nadan" Tsavorite Mines, Kuranze area, Tsavo, Kenya
Text by Vincent Pardieu (Gubelin Gem Lab, Lucerne, Switzerland)
Photos by Vincent Pardieu, Jean Baptiste Senoble (Nomad's, Bangkok, Thailand)
The 2005 and 2007 expeditions were supported by the Gubelin Gem Lab located in Luzern, Switzerland, as the 2005 expedition was financed by the Gubelin Gem Lab and the AIGS Gemological Laboratory in Bangkok, Thailand and, because at the time of the 2007 expedition the author was working at the Gubelin Gem Lab as a gemologist.
The Kuranze Tsavorite mining area, Kenya
During summer 2005 we visited the Kuranze area where we were reported eight mining companies are working tsavorite deposits. We visited three mining operations near the village: The first located at (04° 7'57.67"S 38°41'13.51"E) was mostly an underground mining operation. The second was the largest one we visited in the area: It was operated by the "Nadan" company is run by ICA Member Danson Makau. He was working first at the Mugongoni area, inside the Kasigau Ranch until 1995 when the mining stopped due to problems between the miners and the owners of the Kasigau ranch over the mining rights (1993 - 2002). The Nadan company started to work in 1995 in the Kuranze area where we met Mr Makau in Summer 2005. They were then working a long trench (04° 9'20.34"S 38°41'51.83"E). We were lucky to see a large piece of tsavorite he just found. The third mining operation we visited was the Mberili mining operation, a small underground operation on a long trench located at (04° 8'49.22"S 38°41'39.07"E) near the Kuranze village.
In 2007 when we returned to tsavo we were not able to visit again the Kuranze area as it is far away and such an expedition would have taken the whole day starting from the John Saul Mine area. Nevertheless we met again Mr Makau in 2007 he was starting again his operation at Mugongoni (03°57'2.00"S 38°37'17.00"E) in the Kasigau ranch area.
The first mining area we visited in Kuraze area was a small underground mining operation located at (04° 7'57.67"S 38°41'13.51"E)
The second tsavorite mine we visited in Kurase area was the Nadan mining operation where we met Mr Makau who just hit a tsavorite pocket.
A view at the mining trench at the Nadan mine in Kurase area, Kenya. We can see here the reef followed by the miners searching for tsavorite pockets in the contact zone where graphite gneiss is associated with marbles.
The author checking a large piece of tsavorite mr Makau just found at Kuraze. On the next photo, Kennedy Khamwathi and Mr Makau are posing with the tsavorite piece.
Details on the piece of tsavorite found on July 14th 2005.
Details on the piece of tsavorite found on July 14th 2005.
Gemologist Jean Baptiste Senoble enjoying a good goat stew at Kuraze village.
Jean Baptiste Senoble checking a parcel of low quality Tsavorite at the Mberili mining camp, Kuraze area, Kenya.
Jean Baptiste Senoble checking a parcel of low quality Tsavorite at the Mberili mining camp, Kuraze area, Kenya.
Walking along the tsavorite mining mining trench at the Mberili mining operation, Kurzae area, Kenya.
A Tsavorite miner from the Mberili mine, Kuraze area, Kenya is resting near his tools.
A Tsavorite miner from the Mberili mine, Kuraze area, Kenya is presenting us a small piece of tsavorite collected from the ground in a prospection trench.
A Tsavorite miner from the Mberili mine, Kuraze area, Kenya is looking at a small piece of tsavorite collected from the ground in a prospection trench.
The 2005 and 2007 expeditions were supported by the Gubelin Gem Lab located in Luzern, Switzerland, as the 2005 expedition was financed by the Gubelin Gem Lab and the AIGS Gemological Laboratory (Bangkok, Thailand) and, because at the time of the 2007 expedition the author was working at the Gubelin Gem Lab as a gemologist.
Notes about the Kenya gemstone mines pages:
This series of web pages presents the result of the two gemological expeditions to East Africa in Jul. and Aug. 2005 and Oct. 2007 with the support of ICA embassador to Kenya Suzie Kennedy and her husband Kennedy Khamwati. The Jul and Aug 2005 expedition was a join expedition by the AIGS gemological Laboratory in Bangkok, Thailand (where I was then the Laboratory Director) and the Gubelin Gem Lab. I was then traveling with Jean Baptiste Senoble, one of my former AIGS gemology student, working as I write these words for Nomad's Co Ltd, a Bangkok based gem dealer.. The Oct 2007 expedition was part of a larger expedition to East Africa I lead in collaboration with Richard W. Hughes. I was then working for the Gubelin Gem Lab as gemologist. Two other youn gemologist and former AIGS students: Guillaume Soubiraa and Michael Rogers joined me in this expedition as well as One of Guillaume Soubiraa friends from Madagascar: Philippe Brunot .
The purpose of these expeditions was to visit ruby, sapphire, alexandrite, emerald, tsavorite, tanzanite and tourmaline mines for gemological research purpose. Origin determination of gemstones is an important part of our work at the Gubelin Gem Lab and it is important to collect data directly at the source in order keep our knowledge of the world gemstone mining areas updated.
"Man eaters of Tsavo": on the Chicago field Museum website where the two famous Tsavo man eaters are visible today. "Tsavo National Park": on the Kenya Wildlife Serive website. A very informative website for those willing to visit the area. "Earthwatch, Lions of Tsavo":
To translate this page into your language: click on your language flag on the Babel fish icon Nevertheless please understand that the translation might be incorrect as this translation tool is far to be perfect:
Important Note: Vincent Pardieu is an employee of GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Laboratory Bangkok since Dec 2008. Any views expressed on this website - and in particular any views expressed by Vincent Pardieu - are the authors' opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GIA or GIA Laboratory Bangkok. GIA takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content on this website nor is GIA liable for any mistakes or omissions you may encounter. GIA is in particular not screening, editing or monitoring the content on this website and has no possibility to remove, screen or edit any content.
