Mine owner Uncle Samran introduces his coloured gemstone mine outside Chanthaburi in eastern Thailand
By David Brough
CHANTHABURI, Thailand – A visit to a Thai coloured gemstone mine highlighted scarcity of supply and unpredictable working conditions at the height of the rainy season.
Artisanal small-scale miners rent parcels of land at the so-called Uncle Samran mine near Chanthaburi in eastern Thailand, and use ageing equipment to hunt for gemstones.
Occasionally they find a blue or yellow sapphire, or a garnet, using decades-old equipment such as a “yak”, a term used locally to refer to machinery that supports sifting of minerals from rock.
Uncle Samran atop his “yak”
On a recent visit by a reporter, a sudden violent rainstorm halted work at the mine.
Later, the mine’s owner, “Uncle Samran” resumed his work sifting through heavy loads of rock and mud, and identified a star sapphire amidst the rubble.
Discoveries such as the star sapphire remain rare. The mine is almost disused, as its commercial operations halted some 40 years ago. These days the mine mainly serves as a learning centre for gemmologists and students.
During the rainy season, work is hampered by frequent interruptions caused by heavy downpours.
The Uncle Samran mine is typical of many coloured gemstone mines around the world where remote conditions, unpredictable weather, old machinery, a lack of power, and unstable working conditions, hamper productivity.
Uncle Samran was pleased to welcome a visiting group on a recent afternoon, including representatives from the Thai state-backed lab GIT (Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand), and was delighted to have uncovered a rare star sapphire.
Uncle Samran reveals some of the gemstones he has uncovered at the mine
