Miner hits jackpot finding largest-ever tanzanite gems
One Tanzanian miner’s day just got a lot brighter after finding the largest Tanzanite gems in history. The finding has now made him US$3.35 million richer, and he plans to share his newfound wealth with those around him.
Saniniu Laizer, the small-scale subsistence miner who made the discovery, said he will first have a party and then work on plans to build a school and shopping mall with the money from the gems.
Laizer said, “There are many poor people around here who can’t afford to take their children to school.”
The Bank of Tanzania bought the two gemstones, which weigh 9.3 kilograms and 5.1 kilograms, and are about the size of a forearm. The small East African country last year set up trading centres around the country to allow artisanal miners to sell their gems and gold to the government.
In 2018, officials built a wall around tanzanite mining concessions in northern Tanzania in an attempt to control illegal mining and trading activities. At that time, 40% of tanzanite produced there was reportedly being lost to cross-border smuggling. The rare gems are only found in a small northern region of Tanzania.
SOURCE: The Guardian
