Blog Aim. Let's Go On A Trip!

I have been fascinated by Cambodia's gemstones since the late 1990's. Rubies, sapphires in blues and greens and yellows, brilliant zircon in white, yellow, orange and blue. Spinel and garnets too. Brilliant clear and smoky topaz has more recently been found as the ruby and sapphire mines of Pailin, like their Thai neighbors, across the border has played out. Lots of amethyst and citrine; smoky and rocky quartz too.

Cambodia is no Sri Lanka whose magnificent and varied mines are matched only by Madagascar (which makes sense since they were once conjoined twins, torn apart by drifting tectonic plates). But it is rich in possibilities, little of it is commercially mined, so visiting mine sites is a different way to get close to the Cambodian people, of connecting with them in their varied contexts as they struggle to make a living and raise their children, while you dig into one of nature's wonders.

Gemstones! Gemstones are a gift, no matter how common. The deep purples that amethysts naturally take on, the stunning deep peacock blues that heated zircon sometimes show. And how about the wonderful grass green of peridot, the hardness and flash of a well cut topaz? They are just so much fun. And there are surprises also as I hope a series of posts on this blog will show.

We will start our tour of Cambodia's gem mines with a visit to Takeo Province and the Topaz mines there near the mountain, Phnom Den. Thanks for coming along!