Madagascar Gemstones
Madagascar has recently stirred a lot of the excitement in the international gem trade. Since 1990, small gem deposits have been discovered throughout the gem-rich island. In the last 10 years alone, many new gem deposits have been discovered throughout Madagascar, including fine sapphire and ruby. The size and scope of Madagascar's gem deposits is still not fully understood, but many experts believe that some of the richest untapped gemstone sources in the world lie somewhere on the island of Madagascar. Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world, located in about 400 kilometers off the coast of Southeast Africa in the Indian Ocean.
To date, a wide range of colored gemstones have been discovered, not only sapphire and ruby. Some of the many other gemstone discoveries include aquamarine, emerald, garnet, chrysoberyl, color-change alexandrite, topaz, andalusite, apatite, kyanite, tourmaline, zircon, amethyst quartz and citrine quartz. Thus far, most of the Malagasy gemstones, as well as other African gems, are exported in rough form to Asia, where they are cut, processed and traded on to the world's international gem market. A significant percentage of this material passes through Chanthaburi, Thailand, the world's center for international colored gemstone trading. All experts agree that a great deal of more gemstone discoveries will be coming from Madagascar in the years to come, as many areas of the gem-rich lands remain unexplored.
Certified Customer Reviews
Overall Rating -> 10
the site is great and the merchandise looks awesome
GemSelect has a great selection of smaller cabochons. Many other retailers do not. Plus, the photo of the stone is the one you are purchasing. Shipping from Thailand is nearly as fast as from within the US. Stones are tightly and neatly packaged.
