What a horror night, all night large trucks continuously going past the hotel, and regardless of the time blowing their horns. I was thinking of this hotel for the tour but will have to find another. If I had more time and my gemmologist with me I’d go out to the mines but the roads are horrors and accommodation very limited. I have bought my first Moramanga sapphire and it’s a colour change variety, green and blue in natural light, which changes to red and blue under incandescent light.
Found the perfect place to stay, Vakona Forest Lodge, right on the edge of a national park. They have their own guides for walks to see lemurs and other animals and it’s very nice. I have lunch here sitting next to a large central fireplace.
I’ve bought a couple of bags of specimen crystals, rubies, sapphires and some others. I’ve spoken to my gemmologist partner and he is going work to get dealers/miners to come from the various mines with their stone for my next trip and the tour.
When I check out the ruby crystals later, I find that one has a large area of facet rough about 10cts in size. What a bonus for the $2 it cost me per crystal. I haven’t seen any good ruby rough above about 1.5cts that hasn’t been glassed filled in Thailand and then brought back to be sold to unsuspecting buyers. It’s illegal to bring rough gemstone into Madagascar, so this with all the tumbled synthetic ruby and sapphire around is being smuggled in.
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