Out Of East Africa - A Gemstone Celebration

18th November 2019 | 3 min read Share This Story:

The gem rich soils of the eastern African nations are home to some of the finest gemstones ever discovered. To celebrate this remarkable part of the world as we bring you news of the many sweeping changes taking place in the region, we're holding our week-long Out Of East Africa event from Friday, November 22nd to Thursday, November 28th.

From the beautiful greens of Kenyan Tsavorite, through the Spinels, Rubies and Tourmalines of Tanzania to the Sphenes, Sapphires and Apatites of Madagascar, this part of our incredible planet is undoubtedly home to some of the most beautiful gemstones ever discovered. Then there's Tanzanite, the deep indigo stone of the Merelani Hills of Tanzania, which has climbed to the very peak of gemstone popularity in just 52 years since it was first discovered.

Kilimanjaro

But there are significant changes afoot for some of our favourite East African gemstones. Many of the mines are running dry, and as mine owners hope to find new seams and undiscovered deposits, they're finding themselves in a race against the clock as their businesses struggle to cover their costs.

Many mines have already closed, with the only availability of certain gemstones being parcels of 'old-mined' stones - those that were discovered years or even decades ago but have been kept hidden and secure in safes across the industry. Even these supplies are now beginning to dwindle, so we wanted to raid our vaults and bring you this extraordinary seven-day event filled with our favourite stones of which we're struggling to find further supplies.

East African Gemstones

Even Tanzanite isn't immune to the sweeping changes, with the biggest Tanzanite mine having been temporarily closed down by the Tanzanian government earlier in 2019, while the army began building a security wall around the entire mining area. Look out for some incredible Tanzanite surprises during the event, in spite of the difficulty in obtaining the stone.

We've been speaking to Dr John Saul, along with his son Mark Saul and granddaughter Nora Saul, in preparation for this event. Dr Saul was the first geologist on the scene when Tanzanite was discovered in 1967, and he and his family have spent their lives in the gemstone and jewellery world. The Sauls will be bringing their phenomenal first-hand tales and endless knowledge of these beautiful gemstones to your screens throughout the event.

Map of East Africa

As a souvenir, anybody who orders during the event will receive a very special edition of our 'Gemstone Stories' booklets (while stocks last), bringing news of the changes in this area and what the future will hold for gemstones sourcing in East Africa. The booklet will only be available during this event and will never be reprinted.

So do please join us at your leisure between Friday, November 22nd and Thursday, November 28th for beautiful gemstones, knowledgeable guests and more than a few surprises along the way - only on Gemporia.