New RUBY MINE DISCOVERY in Madagascar 2014 John Darbellay GGGems.com




		NEW RUBY MINE DISCOVERY IN MADAGASCAR

		News from the front... John sees red !



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	10am, accompanied by two guides, John decides to undertake a risky
	trek towards the forest. A new ruby mine having supposedly been
	unearthed.




	On the road, near the small village of Behorefo, they encounter malasos
	(highway bandits) to which they ask directions for their path.




	Relieved from a gold signet ring and of John’s camera, the small team follows the
	malasos who lead them on a winding trail through the hills to Befelatanana.
	(Fortunately, John had brought his backup camera, the one with which he took the
	pictures you’re seeing.)




	Bushfires ravaged the forest. Started by farmers in order to offer new cultures areas.


















	Arriving at a clearing, John’s guides are hungry, so, the
	malasos hunt a rodent, a Tsandraka.


	After a three hour walk, they cross a river infested with crocodiles. The malasos
	abandon them. Several hours into and through the undergrowth will follow next,
	the deposit is reached at 5pm.




	Forty men are working there, they are Nosymboahangy and
	they prohibit photography.




	In a makeshift hut, the team spends a very cool night during which one of the
	guides catches a cold and a headache.













But in the morning, surprise! The first rubies are presented. They are not
very big, but their quality is outstanding. Thus it’s in Didy where small sapphires came out of
the forest, sporadically, for over a year. Here, some rubies display a red colour that makes one
want to bite into them !




















Often buried shallow, rubies are extracted using crowbars and shovels from
alluvial conglomerates, these having served them as shrouds over millions
of years.




Artisanal sieve used to separate gems from alluvial conglomerates.
The holes are made by using a nail.






Sivany, sifting gemmiferous gravel in river.


















	In the morning, the makeshift tents huddled under a sky laden with moisture
	see their occupants emerge from their dreams. As fog at treetops, these
	draming brackets will remain clinging to the miners’soul until they find what
	they were looking for.


















	The bottom of the air remains fresh at this hour. One try to warm hands,
	either in his pockets, or close to a fire.
	The sosoa, wet rice usually served at breakfast, has been absorbed without
	restraint. Sated and bulging belly, men are ready to resume their mission.







		Mixture of gravel and pebbles,
		alluvial conglomerates attest
		to the painstaking work done
		by miners.

	Rubies from this region have been found in alluvium,
	but probably come from endomorpheous feldspatic
	rocks. In fact, we frequently found corundums
	showing flat faces in feldspatic rocks in Madagascar.



	Mixture of gravel and pebbles, alluvial conglomerates
	attest to the painstaking work done by miners.



	Near the tents, gemmiferous sand is stored waiting to be screened ...
	This sandbox is the real safety deposit box of miners, a safety deposit box
	that contains perhaps one or more lottery tickets.

	Corundums / Visual Catalog / Safari
Geological references: A. Lacroix, P. Brenon, R.Dormois, H.Bessairies,
H. de la Roche, A Poldervaart.		Your guide to GGGems

		A. Darbellay


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