Many gemstones are mined in countries with a tropical climate, but some come from extremely cold and remote places, making their retrieval from the ground and journey to the marketplace much more challenging. We're taking a look at six stone cold gems that we can only enjoy because of the dedication of the miners and traders who brave these extreme conditions.
Many gemstones are mined in countries with a tropical climate, but some come from extremely cold and remote places, making their retrieval from the ground and journey to the marketplace much more challenging. We're taking a look at six stone cold gems that we can only enjoy because of the dedication of the miners and traders who brave these extreme conditions.
SIBERIAN DENDRITE
The snow-white body colour of Dendrite from Siberia is permeated with manganese and iron inclusions that have formed into tree-like patterns, bringing to mind the beauty of a vast winter snowscape. Different patterns and variances in colour are evident in every piece, uniquely telling the story of the formation of each gem.
Explore Siberian Dendrite here
SIBERIAN EMERALD
The Ural Mountains sit north to south where the European side of Russia meets the Asian side. It’s also where we source this breathtaking Emerald, which are among the finest we've ever seen. Its phenomenal clarity is paired with a perfect tone and saturation of colour. This deposit, near Yekaterinburg, was discovered in 1830.
Explore Siberian Emerald here
CHAROITE
Charoite is only found in one location in the world, which is along the River Chara near the gold-mining town of Aldan in Russia. Its lavender to purple colours make it very pleasing to the eye, while its unusual swirling, fibrous appearance coupled with its translucency give it a striking appearance unmatched by any other gem.
Explore Charoite here
LABRADORITE
The graceful play of light that dances across the face of Labradorite brings to mind the spectacular Northern Lights. The natural wonder can be seen in the skies above the Labrador Peninsula in Canada, where the gem was first found and from where it takes its name. The gem is still mined here, in an area that is frost free for less than 100 days a year.
Explore Labradorite here
KYANITE
The intense, bright blues of Kyanite have long been compared to the most beautiful Sapphires of Sri Lanka and Kashmir. A very high quality variety of the gem was found in Nepal in 1995, around villages in the Daha area in the northwest of the country. The summers here are short, and the winters are long. Even with favourable weather, getting here is an arduous task.
Explore Kyanite here
CHROME DIOPSIDE
The Chrome Diopside source in southern Siberia was only discovered in 1988, and the gem very quickly gained popularity. Due to the snow and freezing conditions, it can only be mined for between two and three months during the summer. The dark bottle greens of this stone mixed with its enviable sparkle and brilliance have earned it the nickname ‘the Russian Emerald’.
Explore Chrome Diopside here
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