How is aquamarine extracted?

The beautiful bright aquamarine has the color that resembles the waters of the ocean. By the name aqua, it is commonly misinterpreted as originating from the sea. No, it’s not. It is a land jewel found in the rocks.

Adorable aquamarine is commonly found in granite and metamorphic rocks. It is obtained from nature through the mining process.

Open pit mining by hand, the predominant practice of collecting gemstones from nature, is open pit mining. In South Africa, mining of aquamarine gems is easily accomplished using just hands with no complex machinery involved.

To make the rocks containing the rough aquamarine open, bonfires are lit next to giant rocks. The rocks are seldom set off with dynamite. Once the mineral-rich rock is split open, labor is used to collect the valuable gems. Using hammers, chisels, picks, and axes, aquamarine is collected as crystals that break rocks.

Aquamarine Mining – The Complete Process Geological site investigation is the first step in the gemstone extraction process. The EIA environmental impact assessment is the next step. These two steps are first performed in sequence in the mines believed to contain these gemstones. Using Geomorphology, a highly advanced technical process, the shape of the earth is defined by gently moving the surface and raising it above sea level. This process decreases the depth and facilitates the extraction process.

The area thus identified above is rich in Precambrian metamorphic rocks. These rocks contain crystals rich in minerals such as quartz, garnet, mica, feldspar, biotite, etc. And not to mention the other priceless and precious gemstones. The light blue stone ‘Gem del Mar’-Aquamarine is one of them.

Aquamarines are housed in pegmatite, the veins present in metamorphic rocks. These veins are generally cut and vary in thickness from 10 m to 40 m. The center of the pegmatite is usually solid. So it has to be fractured and banded. Using the open pit mining method, the veins are fractured with pneumatic tools.

Some of the tools that are used in the extraction of aquamarine gems are compressors, hammer drills, ladders, shovels, etc. Excavators are also used to aid in the extraction process of these gems. After the gemstones are released from the rock, they are cleaned and washed with water.

Aquamarine Mining – Aquamarine mining is truly an environmentally friendly process. It is devoid of the use of any toxic materials like cyanide and mercury that are commonly used in gold and silver mining. So all hearts that wish for a green planet can wear aquamarine jewelry without the guilt of spoiling the purity of mother nature.

The extraction of this particular gem is a simple and harmless process in which metamorphic rocks containing aquamarine are first broken into pieces by inserting air / gas pressure into the rocks.

Also, even after depleting, the mines are not sterile. A layer of soil 2 to 4 m thick is placed over the filled and closed mine shafts. Therefore, grass and trees can always be cultivated on that surface and the area returns to its natural appearance.

This precious blue aquamarine gemstone is mined using a simple, harmless and environmentally friendly process.