An uneventful trip back to the Tana Plaza. A quick call to my customs broker, Madam Didi, to set up an appointment for tomorrow morning, and then I buy some nice aquamarine from a dealer that has turned up and 100 grams of very clean, good colour hessonite (I thought they were spessitite at first) all around two grams in size.
Rufin is off to pick up some aqua and will be back tomorrow afternoon and we are still hoping that some parcels of yellow chrysoberyl, green apatite and spinels (blue, lilac and pink) arrive from the south before I leave. If not Rufin will sort a parcel of the quality I want and send them to me. It’s taken me most of the trip but he finally realizes that I only want the best, in my sizes and that I’m willing to pay higher for them. Not only is he a gemmologist but he also cuts so that helps. He uses a raytect, as that is what they train on at the institute, but he needs some parts that I will source for him and get sent to him. I will be employing him from now on, both to send me parcels and come with me when I come over. He is also going to coordinate all the dealers and mine visits for the tours.
Speaking of getting him parts, that’s with all the other bits and pieces I’ve promised to various cutters, miners and dealers. Dremel core drills bits, rock clippers, a book on opal cutting and setting as they get a type of jelly opal here, plastic zipp lock bags as the Chinese ones here rip very easily, a set of aluminium sieves (I don’t know how I’ll carry them here) because the local ones are made of iron and rust, torches, scales and the list goes on. Also one of the jewellers wants some nice opal he can use for jewellery.
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