Description
Aquamarine is a blue variety of beryl that has long been prized as a precious stone and has been utilized in jewelry for thousands of years by numerous ancient civilizations including the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. It derives its name from the Roman term for “water of the sea” and was believed to be a treasure of the mermaids that would protect sailors during their journeys.
Fine aquamarine specimens are primarily recovered from mines in Pakistan and Brazil. Although Brazil typically produces the highest quality aquamarine itself, specimens tend to be aesthetically limited due to the fact they are almost always single crystals that have detached from their matrices. This is a large aquamarine from the Nagar mine in Pakistan. It is grown upon a matrix of silvery, bladed muscovite and hearty albite crystals.
Sumayar Nagar in Gilgit-Baltistan has gained a central position in international market for supply of variety of gemstones and minerals. There are varieties of precious and semi-precious minerals and gemstones in Sumayar valley, which has the capability to enhance the poor economic condition of the country through international market orientations for gaining foreign exchange. Most of the gemstones are having large crystals related (pegmatite) as you can see with the Aquamarine species
Sumayar is well known in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan for its precious stones, in large quantity, in its best quality, unique in size. Many people of the area are the professional businessmen of Gem stones and nearly 50% of the inhabitants of Sumayar are associated with Gems Business and mining. Chumarbakor in Sumayar valley is house of huge deposits of high quality Aquamarines. Chumarbakor is world`s heights human working area for gems mining.
The mining of gemstones on the common land of Sumayar plays a decisive role for the local livelihoods. About five to six hours walking distance up the steep Mamubarnalla, at an altitude of about 4800m, a variety of gemstones are mined. The semi-precious gemstones present here include Aquamarin, Apatite, Morgnite, Flourite, Tourmaline, Topaz and Quartz. The mining and trade of the stones has brought significant wealth to some families and has had a substantial impact on the economic development of the village since the discovery of the deposits. Almost every household sends at least one male member to the mines during the mining season, which usually lasts from late July to October. At the height of the season, more than 400 men work there. On the way to the mines lies the summer settlement of Sumayar, called Ter. Due to its close proximity just one hour walking distance away from the village’s nucleus, only shepherds herding their animals on the lands lying above it usually stay here overnight.
