16 | JNA July/August 2022 SPECIAL FEATURES display specific gemmological characteristics that are helpful for origin determination.” Though chemically similar to the cobalt-spinel material from sources in Vietnam, the Tanzanian stones come in 1 carat to 40 carats, and their colours have ranged from a neon electric blue to a denim blue. Cobalt blue spinels from Vietnam’s Luc Yen district are usually 1 carat and below. And while they are often described as a “neon, Windex-y blue,” they tend to be lighter and more pastel than the electric blues recently discovered in Mahenge. Some of the newfound cobalt blue spinels are also neon and pure blues with no trace of grey. Wez Barber, director of Mahenge Gems, said the Tanzanian cobalt spinels have caught the attention of collectors, investors and jewellery designers. “We are targeting primarily Japan, Europe and the US – mature markets that have a higher concentration of gemstone enthusiasts and professionals that understand the true rarity of this material,” he shared. The trade price for the natural cobalt blue spinels from Mahenge Gems starts from US$2,000 per carat to per-carat prices that rival that of Vietnam’s Luc Yen cobalt spinels. Completely untreated, the gems are certified by SSEF, GRS GemResearch Swisslab AG and ICA GemLab. Green option Peridot meanwhile is the primary focus of Fuli Gemstones. The company’s Yiqisong Nanshan mining project located in the foothills of the Changbai Mountains in China is slated to commence commercial production in 2024, with a ramp up over six years to full capacity production of 300,000 tonnes of ore per year from 2030. “Fuli Gemstones will be a dominant supplier of peridots in the global market once our mine reaches full capacity,” said Pia Tonna, the company’s chief marketing officer. “The sample testing during our mining exploration stage has suggested our mine can produce peridot in a variety of sizes. This will enable us to provide a consistent supply for the full spectrum of jewellery, from single, large gemstones for high jewellery suites through to stones below 1 carat for smaller calibrated goods.” According to Tonna, Fuli Gemstones has a fully integrated business model, from mining and sorting to grading, cutting and polishing all the way to sales and marketing. It does not deal in rough. Cut and polished peridots, peridot gem dots and rough peridot gemstones will be its principal products. Fuli’s stones range from pure green to yellowish green, greenish yellow, brownish green and brown. “Peridot is a truly natural gemstone. Unlikemany gems sold today, heat treatments are not typically associated with peridot. The beauty admired in gem-quality peridot Over the past few years, we have taken considerable strides in tailoring our portfolio to reflect our focus on the ‘Big Three’ coloured gemstones: Rubies, emeralds and sapphires, in our preferred origin of Africa. We remain keen to complete the ‘Big Three’ and are currently identifying suitable sapphire opportunities in Africa to complement our thriving ruby and emerald operations. – Sean Gilbertson, CEO, Gemfields Cobalt spinels fromMahenge, Tanzania 坦桑尼亚马亨盖地区的钴尖晶石
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