*Professional Gem Hunter: "It is well known that knowledge is best obtained at the source. Nowhere is this more true than gemology, where verified source material is essential both for country-of-origin reports and accurate treatment determination. For such work, samples of known origin are vital. Far too often, gemologists rely on specimens provided by dealers, leaving open the possibility of both mistake and fraud. Only by personally visiting the source can one be absolutely sure of a specimen's origin. Thus accurate gemological reports require personal visits to important localities.* Now that's what I call a professional gem hunter
So let's kick off this thread with one from some of my favorite "Indiana Joneses" of the gem world, Richard Hughes and Vincent Pardieu, and let them whisk us away as we peek into their travel log and join them on their quest for gems in Tajikistan. Got your passport?
Moon Over the Pamirs: Chasing Ruby and Spinel in Tajikistan
by Richard W. Hughes and Vincent Pardieu, with Guillaume Soubiraa and Dana Schorr
In our business, travel should be de rigueur. But the headlines frighten so many away. Boo! Earth is one giant pool of war, disease and pestilence. Boo! International travel is undertaken only by the clinically insane or those with Special Ops experience. Boo! If the pox or pollution don't gettcha, al Qaeda is close behind. As Lou Reed sang: "You've got a black .38 and a gravity knife. You still have to ride the train."
Lou was singing about the New York subways. Having braved Manhattan's dangerous tunnels, we feel qualified to discuss what some might regard as an even greater peril: travel to Tajikistan...."
Pick up our guides here and go on a fascinating and thrilling adventure with them:
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/tajikistan ... spinel.htm
Enjoy!!
