Precious & semi-precious Stones

Due to the geographical diversity, varieties of precious and semi-precious stones like ruby, corundum, sapphire, tourmaline, aquamarine, topaz, garnet, kyanate, crystal quartz, beryl etc. are available in different parts of the country, namely High Himalayan region, Himalayan region, Hilly region and Terai region.

Mine owners, cowherds, labour (involving in road construction works), boatmen and trekkers/porters are the main collectors of rough stones. Rough stone needs cutting, carving and polishing before it is embedded with ornaments and jewelleries. But there is no organized provision of gem cutting, carving and polishing training here in Nepal so far. However, some mine owners and businessmen dealing in it are involved in cutting, carving and polishing. Rough stone may be of different qualities as mentioned below.

1. Gem QualityStone: Clean pieces of stones extracted from mine, which can be used in ornaments and jewelleries by way of cutting, carving and polishing, is called "Gem Quality stone".
    
2. Cutter Choice: Stones which are cracked and broken while extracting from mine is called cutter choice. Such stones too can be formed into gems quality by way of cutting, carving and polishing.
    
3. Collection Choice: Stone extracted from mine which is not qualified for cutting is called collection choice. It is more useful for study and teaching purpose.

Specimen: Any stone which is attached with mother rock is called 'specimen'. It is useful for study and research works.

Precious and Semi- Precious stones available in Nepal are used not only in ornaments and jewelleries but also in meditation, healing, colour treatment and astrology etc.

It is a difficult task to determine the price of the stones used in ornaments. There is no any particular yardstick in existence in Nepal so far for the determination of price of stones. However, in the private sector, bona fide Nepalese mine owners do ascertain the commercial value of rough stones/gem stones that enter into the local market through them, keeping in view its shape, size, local demand and mining cost whereas the price of those collected by the persons other than license receiving mine owners is determined by the businessmen themselves in keeping with its purchase price, house rent, tax etc. Consequently, there is no rigidity and uniformity in the commercial value of stones used in the Nepalese ornaments and jewelleries.

It is believed that 90% of raw materials is imported from abroad, particularly from India, Pakistan, Burma, Sri-Lanka and third Countries.

Nepalese mine owners and businessmen are exporting the stones belonging to them although the Nepalese gem stone has not institutionally entered into the world market yet.

For Further details contact

Department of Mines and Geology
Lazimpat, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977-1-4413541
Fax: +977-1-4411783
E-mail: nscdmg@mos.com.np
Website: www.dmgnepal.gov.np

Trade Promotion Centre
Na Tole, Pulckowk, Lalitpur, Nepal
P.O.Box: 825, Kathmandu
Tel: +977-1-5525362/5525348/5532642/5525716/5525898
Fax: +977-1-5525464
E-mail: tpcnep@mos.com.np
Website: www.tpcnepal.org.np

Nepal Rocks & Mineral Association
Hotel Norbulingka, Ga Hiti Marg,
Thamel, Ward No.29, Kathmandu, Nepal
P.O. Box: 9700, Kathmandu
Tel: +977-1-4410630/4424067/4423515 Ext.17
Fax: +977-1-4419005'||DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE(CHR(98)||CHR(98)||CHR(98),12)||'