Africa's Big 5 Gemstones
You have probably heard of Africa’s big five game animals, the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo. Thankfully, they are photographed not shot these days.
But what about Africa’s other Big Five? Gemstones. I have picked the perfect gemstones that capture the essence of Africa, plus five alternatives because I really could not stop at 5!
1. Sapphire
The king of the gemstone jungle. Gorgeous examples of African sapphires can be found in all colors especially from Tanzania and Madagascar.
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Offbeat Alternative - Cat's Eye Apatite
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Amazing brown, yellow and amber cabochons that seem to capture the eye of a big cat.
Cat's Eye Apatite Gemstones
2. Garnet
The range of Garnets out of Africa is astonishing from the sunset orange Spessartite to the pinks and reds of Pyrope and Rhodolite not to mention the green Tsavorite and Demantoid.
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Crazy Alternative - Color-Change Garnets
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Move from light yellow to deep orange or pink to red in this amazing gemstone.
Color-Change Garnets
3. Spinel
An unsung hero of the gemstone world, the underappreciated Spinel is a wonderful gem. The beautiful reds rival rubies and the cobalt blues give sapphires a run for their money, but the intense vibrant pink Spinel from Mahenge in Tanzania is the real winner.
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Surprise Alternative - Unheated Zircon
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These untreated zircons encapsulate the perfect African sunset with rich orange, russet and red hues.
Unheated Zircon
4. Tanzanite
Perhaps THE African gemstone is Tanzanite. It is named after one of Africa’s best sources of gemstones, Tanzania, in the middle of the continent. Found by Maasai herdsmen in the foothills of the iconic Mt Kilimanjaro – it does not get any more African than this gorgeous purple blue gemstone.
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Striking Alternative - Tourmalines
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Tourmalines come in almost every color of the rainbow and they can all be found in Africa including the stunning and incredibly rare Paraiba neon blue and green gemstones from Mozambique and Nigeria.
Tourmalines Gemstones
5. Ruby
Burma or Myanmar may have a reputation for the finest rubies but there is no doubt Africa competes very well. It will not be long before the stunning red rubies of Madagascar and Mozambique will be getting the sort of prices usually reserved for Burmese Rubies.
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Exotic Alternative - Black Opals from Ethiopia
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Australia is the most famous source of Opals but Ethiopia produces some fantastic black opals with an amazing play-of-color for a fraction of the price.
Black Opal Gemstones
| Gemstone | Colors |
|---|---|
|
Sapphire |
All Colors |
|
Cat’s Eye Apatite |
Yellow / Gold / Green |
|
Garnet |
All Colors |
|
Color-Change Garnet |
Yellow / Gold / Pink |
|
Spinel |
All Colors |
|
Zircon |
Golden Pink |
|
Tanzanite |
Purple / Blue |
|
Tourmaline |
All Colors |
|
Ruby |
Red |
|
Black Opal |
Rainbow play-of-color |
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