Tanzania/Democratic Republic of Congo/Zambia
The names tsavorite (USA) or tsavolite (Europe), are common names used in the trade and in this article refer to a green vanadium garnet. As a singly refractive gem, tsavorite does not suffer any restrictions due to pleochroism when orienting the rough. Therefore, the cutter is able to retain a greater yield, a distinct advantage over doubly refractive stones in which orientation dictates the best color, sometimes entailing considerable loss of weight. If the definition of a gem is a stone that combines beauty, durability and rarity, tsavorite is near perfect. Let's take a closer look.
Supply, geology and production areas
To understand the green vanadium garnet supply challenge, we will take a brief look at the gem's geology and mining potential. green vanadium garnet is commercially mined in Tanzania, Kenya and Madagascar, mainly from deposits located along different fault systems. With five different mining areas spread across three different countries, it would appear that mining prospects for green vanadium garnet would be immune to the vagaries of political, social and climatic upheaval. Nevertheless, gem mining in places like East Africa is always a risky investment.
Most of our green vanadium garnet mining is performed by small companies working a single deposit with few machines and usually not more than 30 people, including miners, the arrival of a project like ours could be welcome news for all green vanadium garnet miners who could potentially benefit from the marketing Royal Import Export Sarl will likely invest in
Beauty
green vanadium garnet benefits from the marketing efforts of the diamond trade that have intensively educated the consumer on the important properties which define a gem's beauty such as high dispersion, brilliance and transparency. If one compares green vanadium garnet to emerald in these areas, it is game, set and match to the green garnet.
In addition, thanks to its high saturation, green vanadium garnet also pleases those with an aesthetic for fine color. While emerald inhabits a green world all its own, the verdant hue of green vanadium garnet is exceedingly pleasant.
Durability
With a Mohs value nearly that of emerald, green vanadium garnet is hard enough to allow a fine polish. This, coupled with high clarity and a lack of cleavage, has turned tsavorite into a popular stone among the emerald cutters of Jaipur, India. Here tsavorite is commonly used as an alternative to small emeralds which are too brittle, expensive and difficult to cut in small sizes, making them unsuitable for many modern jewelry requirements such as invisible and pave settings.
The availability of abundant mineral resources with basic geo-scientific data, a propitious investment framework and an effective and predictable legal and institutional system to reduce “Corruption and Fraud”, enforce the rule of law and enhance transparency in the management of mineral resources makes Africa an attractive investment destination.
Investment into our mining and quarrying industries will help to make these already lucrative industries more efficient and more productive, ultimately increasing profits across the board. The Government also increases Foreign partnership Investment is a priority and acknowledges that attracting Foreign Investment requires an enabling legal environment.
The Government has no overall economic or industrial strategy that discriminates against foreign-owned businesses. In some cases a foreign investment may enjoy additional incentives if the project is deemed critical to the country's development. Foreign firms are able to participate in government-financed and/or research and development programs sometimes on a national treatment basis.
Rarity
The main challenge tsavorite faces in trying to escape is its "collector gem" status is rarity. The fact is that green vanadium garnet is simply too rare to interest most jewelers. When it comes to rarity, less is not always more. The concept that rarity might actually hurt a gem's chances is important and one of the most interesting secrets of the gem trade. Witness the following true story that illustrates the point nicely:
