Find of Olmec blue jadeite, Río El Tambor

The only place in the world where is found blue jadeite. This stone was the most valuable material for the Olmec civilization.

Finds of cobalt blue spinel in Lục Yên, Vietnam

The best-known find of the extremely rare cobalt blue spinel is Lục Yên in Vietnam. Local gemstone mines provide also sapphires and rubies.

The old Persian turquoise mines near Nishapur

Ancient, more than 2000 years old mines of turquoise, considered to provide the best quality turquoise in the world. Mine is closed now.

Kashmir sapphire mines: source of the best blue sapphire

Now legendary, abandoned sapphire mines where the best sapphire in the world was mined.

Maxixe Mine – unique blue beryl find

The first find of deep blue beryl – maxixe, discovered in 1917. Stones quickly discolored and lost their value, thus the mine was abandoned.

Sar-i Sang lapis lazuli mines

For several millenia here is mined the best lapis lazuli in the world.

Benitoite Gem Mine (California State Gem Mine)

The only find of benitoite of gem quality.

Merelani Hills – the only find of tanzanite

World’s only find of tanzanite – unusual, deep blue gemstone.

Blue garnets of Bekily

The only commercial find of blue garnets in the world, a pyrope-spessartine with vanadium content. Some of these stones have a color change effect – from blue in daylight to red in artificial light.

Palo Quemado blue amber mine

The richest finds of the fluorescent Dominican blue amber- a stone that changes its color according to lighting conditions. Dominican amber (but not the blue one) is found also in many other mines in three regions – La Cordillera Septentrional, Bayaguana and Sabana de la Mer.