VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Dubai-based precious gem producer Fura Gems has recovered a 25.97 ct rough emerald at its Coscuez Colombian emerald mine.
Fura said in a statement on Tuesday that it believes the emerald to be rare and exceptional owing to its size, colour saturation and clarity.
The discovery was made as part of an ongoing bulk sampling programme that started in late March.
The 25.97 ct emerald has been named the ‘ÄRE Emerald’, named after a figure in ancient Colombian mythology responsible for the creation of the primary sources of emeralds in Colombia’s Boyacá region: the Fura and Tena mountains, as well as the Rio Minero river.
“We are thrilled with the discovery of this exceptional emerald in these very early stages of our bulk sampling programme. The results of this programme so far have well exceeded the expectations of our highly qualified management team,” president and CEO Dev Shetty stated in a news release.
“The quality of the ÄRE Emerald truly represents the opportunity and prestige of the Colombian Emerald [mine], which are the most sought-after emeralds in the world.”
Work has also already started on a maiden mineral resource at Coscuez, and Fura is hopeful to have this completed by the fourth quarter this year.
Fura is also looking towards producing rubies in Mozambique, where it has acquired an 80% effective interest in four ruby licences. It has also submitted an application for a further ruby mining licence.
Fura has set up a one-stop gem stone shop in Dubai’s world-class Almas Tower, from where it operates a central hub to create a platform from grading to selling of rough gemstones. Fura also intends to open its first treatment facility for rough rubies in Dubai, which helps to improve the quality of the red precious gems.