Earth-Science Reviews, 17 (1981) 207--219 207

Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

Brazilian Gemstones

RUI RIBEIRO FRANCO

Instituto Energia AtSmica, Universidade de SEo Paulo, SEo Paulo SP (Brazil)

ABSTRACT

Franco, R.R., 1981. Brazilian gemstones. Earth-Sci. Rev., 17: 207--218.

Brazil counts as a gemmologieal province because of the variety of gem minerals

present in the country. Most Brazilian states and territories produce gemstones, the State
of Minas Gerais being the most important producer both in volume and in number of
species.
Diamonds are chiefly derived by panning from alluvial deposits in Minas Gerais, Mato
Grosso and Goi~s. Among other gemstones, the most important are aquamarines, beryls,
chrysoberyls, topazes, amethysts, tourmalines, emeralds and agates, and their respective
varieties. The occurrences of these gemstones, as well as of a great number of others, are
described for each state in which they are found.

INTRODUCTION

Before concentrating on the characteristics of the gemstones produced in

Brazil, it seems necessary to make some brief comments a b o u t the terms
"precious" and "semiprecious", both widely employed n o t only in Brazil
but also in most other countries. In fact, to most people the precious stones
are only the diamond, r u b y and sapphire (both varieties of the mineral
corundum) and emerald (grass-green variety of the mineral beryl); all other
stones are considered as semiprecious. According to some authorities, the
number can be increased to seven by including besides the four above-men-
tioned stones, the chrysoberyl in the variety called "cats"~eye", the black
opal and the pearl.
Since a short time, in both the gemmological institutes of many countries
as well as in the commerce, a movement has started to modify this ancient
point of view. The modification would be to abolish the terms precious and
semiprecious, substituting for them the term: gem{stone ) . In this way, the
inconveniences of a subjective and, in a certain way, depreciatory and unjust
classification would be eliminated. In fact, to consider an imperial topaz of
Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais State) or a sea-blue aquamarine from some
Brazilian open pit as a semiprecious stone, is neither just nor acceptable. A
few other examples are added to reinforce this point of view e.g., the
universally accepted morganites (pink beryls); the yeUowish-green chryso-

0012-8252/81/0000--O000/$ 03.00 1981 Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company

208

beryls and the highly appreciated alexandrites; the much sought for noble
spinels from the region of Mogok (Burma), Ceylon, Thailand and Afghani-
stan; the tourmalines from Brazil and the Urals, and those found in Ceylon,
Burma, the Malagasy Republic and the United States of America; the zir-
cons of Ceylon, Burma, France, Vietnam and Thailand; the spodumene varie-
ties kunzite and hiddenite; the always prestigious garnets of commercial
interest; the olivines and their varieties; the moonstone; the velvet-like ame-
thyst of deep-violet colour found in some countries, Brazil included; the Bur-
mese jade which looks like emerald due to its grass-green colour, the tur-
quoises, the lapis-lazuli, etc.
Thus, from now on no further reference will be made in this paper to
precious and semiprecious stones but only to gemstones.
Gemstones are found in specific areas of the Earth's crust, generally asso-
ciated with typical rocks. A considerable quantity of gemstones of the most
diverse minerals is provided by: (1) the gemmiferous metamorphosed lime-
stones of the north of Burma, responsible for the world production of
rubies, sapphires and spinels, near the town of Mogok and much visited by
the world's gemmologists; (2) the alluvial deposits of Ceylon, derived from
schists, gneisses and metamorphosed limestones, yielding highly appreciated
gems; (3) the alluvial deposits of Vietnam and Thailand that produce rubies,
sapphires and zircons; (4) the pegmatites of Malagasy, providing a great num-
ber of gems among which beryls, tourmalines, garnets, spinels, topazes,
spodumenes (kunzite), iolites and feldspars (moon-stones); (5) the lithium-
bearing pegmatites from the Pala district, San Diego, California, responsible
for kunzites, tourmalines and pink beryls; (6) the pegmatites and alluvial
deposits of Russia which provide that nation with a distinctive position as a
source of gems in the world commerce; (7) the gemstone belts of India; (8)
the pegmatites and alluvial deposits of Brazil.
These outstanding areas constitute what is conveniently called the gemmo-
logical provinces. These are areas which produce large quantities and a great
number of varieties of gemstones. Colombia, where the world's most impor-
tant emerald mines occur, known by the names of Muzo, Cosquez, E1
Chivor (Somondoco) and Gachalei, does not have the characteristics of a
gemmological province because there is no variety. The same can be said of
South Africa, Namibia, Zaire, Angola, Ghana, Botswana, Sierra Leone,
Liberia, Ivory Coast, Lesotho, Tanzania, Central-African Republic, Indo-
nesia, Venezuela and Guyana, since they are countries with a production
within the gemstone field of almost only diamonds. The region of Badakshan
in Afghanistan, from whence the most perfect lapis-lazuli come and which
has been known for 6000 years, can also not be included in the definition of
province because there is no variety in the stones.
Brazil is a privileged country with respect to gemstones. Nearly all its
states and territories possess gemmiferous formations, and there is an intense
exploitation in this sector (Franco and Souza Campos, 1965; FrSes e Abreu,
1973). In order to make the description of this activity more effective, and
 209

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h4ATO GROSSO .e BAHIA

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Fig, 1. Principal areas and localities o f gem mineral o c c u r r e n c e s in Brazil.

to permit of a better orientation, each state will be dealt with separately.

Fig. 1 presents the m o s t important areas of occurrence, the numbers on the
map are those referred to in the text.

RIO G R A N D E D O S U L

The State of Rio Grande do Sul was and still is a large producer of the
cryptocrystalline varieties o f silica. In fact, there exists a substantial produc-
tion of coloured, mammiUary, botryoidal and stalactitic chalcedonies, which
occur covering and filling cavities existing in basaltic rocks. One can men-
210

tion, among others, those called carnelian (reddish chalcedony), sardo

(brown), chrysoprase (apple~reen due to the presence of nickel oxides),
heliotrope or blood-stone (green with small red spots), onyx (banded with
contrasting colours) and sard-onyx (onyx in which the sardo variety alter-
nates with white or black bands). Well known and appreciated in the whole
world are the chalcedony varieties called agates which occur abundantly in
Rio Grande do Sul and serve for commercial purposes. The agates are usually
composed of alternating bands of chalcedony and opal or cryptocrystalline
granular quartz. The different colours generally appear as parallel, thin, fine,
always curved strips; in many specimens these strips are concentric. The
moss-agate, a variety less frequent in Rio Grande do Sul, owes its name to
impurities of manganese and iron oxides which form moss-like figures and
patterns in its inner part.
Many geodes of chalcedony and agate contain appreciable quantities of
water which may become visible when part of the geode is cut and polished.
Many agate fragments are artificially coloured.
Rio Grande do Sul State also produces crystalline varieties of coarse grain
size, called quartz. Among these the most common and appreciated is the
purple to violet variety, known as amethyst. Nearly always, in the same
cavities where the chalcedony is found, there occur well-developed quartz-
amethyst crystals. They project from the wall of the cavity (geode) towards
the centre, leaving some empty space. When thermically treated, the
amethysts from Rio Grande do Sul, become yellow to yellowish red. These
colours may sometimes recall those of the topazes found in the region of
Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais); for this reason these "burned" amethysts are
frequently sold under the incorrect name of "Rio Grande topaz"

SANTA CATARINA

The State of Santa Catarina does not produce gemstones. The beds of
some of its rivers, chiefly the Paran~, contain pebbles of some cryptocrystal-
line varieties of silica (chalcedony and agate).
In 1955, when Putzer made a geological survey in the area of Tubar~o, he
first described the occurrence of fluorite in the state (Putzer, 1955). The
veins containing fluorite (over 70%) also include chalcedony (10--12%),
quartz (5--10%), pyrite and limonite. Part of the production (more than
70,000 tons per year) may serve for gemmological or ornamental purposes,
taking into consideration the variety of colours exhibited by this fluorite.

PARANA

The State of Paran~ is not an important gemstone centre. Some of its

rivers, similarly to those of Santa Catarina, contain pebbles of chalcedony
and agate. In the Paran~ River bed some rounded pebbles occur of jaspis and
heliotrope which can be lapidated.
 211

In the nineteenth century, the Baron of Eschwege referred to occurrences

of diamonds in the State of Paran~, chiefly in the rivers Tibagi, Peixe or
Laranginhas and Cinzas (area 1 on Fig. 1 ). In the Tibagi River downstream of
the town of the same name, for many years small quantities of this gemstone
have been obtained by divers. Derby (1878) and E. de Oliveira (1927) sup-
posed that these diamonds were derived from the nearby Furnas sandstone;
Oppenheim (1936) is of the opinion that the diamonds occur within the
conglomerates of the Carboniferous Itarar6 Group.

s~.o PAULO

S~o Paulo is also poor in gemstones, in the same way as Santa Catarina
and Paran~; many of its rivers, which cut through basaltic rocks, may con-
tain chalcedony and agate in their beds. In the Paran~ River pebbles of helio-
trope (blood-stone), jaspis and agate are n o t uncommon. In many areas with
"terra r o x a " (soils derived from decomposed basaltic rocks), c o m m o n in this
state, individual geodes coated with quartz crystals and spheroidal masses
of chalcedony and agate are found.
The copper ore of the municipality of I t a p e v a - of the oxidation type
(malachite and c u p r i t e ) - produced botryoidal, mammillary and stalactitic
masses of malachite which can be lapidated and serve as ornamental pieces.
The Canoas and Grande rivers between the states of S~o Paulo and Minas
Gerais as well as the Sapucai--Mirim River (area 2, Fig. 1) serve for diamond
panning. The town of Franca, in the north of the state, near the Canoas
River, is at present a rather important centre of diamond lapidation, absorb-
ing the local production and a great part of the diamonds produced in the
west of Minas Gerais, south of Goi~s and part of Mato Grosso states.

MINAS GERAIS

The State of Minas Gerais, as its name indicates, is the chief producer of
gemstones in Brazil, n o t only in relation to value b u t also to volume
produced. Bastos (1961), referring to the gemmological province of Minas
Gerais, says: "It seems that only on the islands of Ceylon and Madagascar,
and possibly in Burma, can such a wide variety of gem minerals be found. In
this area both primary and secondary deposits are gem sources. Ninety per-
cent of all gemstones are found in pegmatites, since the greatest concentra-
tion of pegmatite dykes in the world is located in Minas Gerais and the sur-
rounding states".
In fact, speaking of the gemstones of Minas Gerais is to run through a
large number of minerals suitable for the fabrication of gems and jewels, the
confection of ornamental pieces and the formation of collections. Although
Minas Gerais has always been the chief producer of gemstones in Brazil, this
production increased considerably during and after World War II due to the
necessity to produce ever more pegmatite minerals for the allied forces
212

(quartz, mica, beryl, columbite, tantalite, spodumene, amblygonite, cassiter-

ite and corundum). The intensification of the mining production for indus-
trial and technological purposes logically caused the establishment of a great
number of lapidation laboratories, located in Belo Horizonte, TeSfilo Otoni,
Rio de Janeiro and S~o Paulo. At almost the same time foreign artisans
became established at certain points in the country, for instance around S~o
Paulo, and engaged in the development of a parallel industry of ornamental
pieced carved and sculptured in minerals of great hardness.
The principal gem minerals produced in Minas Gerais are the following:
andalusite, beryl, brasilianite, corundum, chrysoberyl, diamond, chrome-
diopside, spinel, spodumene, euclase, feldspar, phenakite, fluorite, garnet,
hematite, olivine, pyrite, quartz, rutile, topaz and tourmaline.
Andalusite, a gemstone of great hardness (7.5), exhibits different colours
in the same crystal, caused by an accentuated pleochroism. This occurs in
wett<leveloped crystals in Barra de Salinas as well as in the coarse-grained
sands of the rivers of the Araquai Basin (area 5, Fig. 1).
The production of beryl gemstones in Minas Gerais is very great. The
mineral occurs with the colours green, grass-green (emerald), pink (morga-
nite), blue (aquamarine), yellow (heliodore), grey and sometimes reddish.
When colorless it takes the name goshenite. The green and yellow beryls, and
even the light-blue ones may take on the intense color of aquamarine
through thermic treatment; this is possibly the reason why these green and
yellow varieties rarely appear in the gem trade. The natural pink variety, the
morganite, does not always show an entirely appreciable color; usually it
tends towards a salmon-reddish color. Through thermic treatment, the mor-
ganites acquire a delicate pink color and are then much appreciated and
valuable. When adequately treated, morganites from the pegmatites of the
region of Barra de Salinas (area 5) take on blue colors of differing intensities
which make them similar or superior to the best aquamarines and even sap-
phires. As we know, this behavior of the Barra de Salinas morganite is
unique and typical, and is not reproduced in any other Brazilian morganite.
The production of aquamarine in Minas Gerais is also considerable. Many
stones became well known due to their color properties, purity and trans-
parency. One of them, the aquamarine "Marta Rocha" (homage to Miss
Brazil of that time), discovered in 1955 in the neighbourhood of TeSfilo
Otoni (area 5), had a weight of about 33,900 kg with over 60% having a
cleanness fit for lapidation; its color was sea-blue. In the Garajad pit, in
Governador Valadares (area 5), another aquamarine was found in 1955
which also became well known; it was given the name "Lucia" and weighed
61 kg. Though-of a rather weak color, it was considered capable of produc-
ing about 30 kg of gems.
Aquamarines of excellent quality are produced in the region of Pedra
Azul, a town formerly known as Fortaleza (area 5, Fig. 1). Nevertheless,
nearly all of them have to be treated thermicaUy, permitting the green color
nuance to become more blue. Even impure specimens with small fissures
 213

resist the treatment without breaking. Many other centres of aquamarine

occurrences are found in area 5.
The Brejauba mine, situated near S~o Jos~ de Brejauba, produces green
beryls.
The region of Santana dos Ferros (area 5) seems to be the only one which
provides a few emeralds.
The State of Minas Gerais produces tourmalines of all colors and sizes.
Barra de Salinas, known for its morganites which change color to blue, is the
most important production centre. The tourmalines of this region are green
and pink. Sometimes it has been possible to brighten up the green color by
thermic treatment. The brownish color within the pink tourmalines can be
eliminated b y the same process. The variety called rubelite, of red or purple
color, also occurs in Barra de Salinas and in other mines in the state. In most
of area 5 (Fig. 1), with Governador Valadares as the chief centre, many
towns have tourmaline production and in a few of these localities there are
lapidation laboratories.
In Minas Gerais there are some occurrences of garnet of gemmological im-
portance. They are situated in some localities of the before-mentioned area
5. With the exception of the rather rare varieties demantoid and hessonite,
nearly all others are met with in this state.
Well known are the topazes; those from the region of Ouro Preto (area 3,
Fig. 1) are yellow, pink and red. When thermically treated at a b o u t 450C,
the yellow topazes become pink. Lapidated in the form of drops, ovals and
rectangles, they are much appreciated and valuable gems. The blue topazes
f o u n d in the TeSfilo Otoni--Pedra Azul region (area 5} are also held in high
esteem. They occur as well-developed crystals which may become very large,
whereas they are always clean. When lapidated they may easily be confused
with aquamarines of the same color. The distinction is made b y weight,
because the specific gravity of topaz (3.54} is much higher than that of beryl
(2.6--2.8). At the same localities where the blue topazes are found, totally
colorless topazes, fit for collectors, are exploited.
In the region of Campo Belo there are deposits of citrine quartz of excel-
lent gemmological quality. When thermically treated they acquire red reflec-
tions, thereby increasing their value. Diamantina (area 4), Conselheiro Mota
and other towns (area 5) are also production centres of citrine quartz. In
many of these localities smoky quartz and morion occur.
The area of TeSfilo Otoni (area 5} is one of the production centres of
chrysoberyl, one of the most appreciated gems. It has long since been known
that in the Jequitinhonha River bed yellowish-green and greenish-yellow peb-
bles of crysoberyl occur associated with other chemically stable minerals
such as andalusite, p y r o p e (garnet), hessonite (garnet) and chrysolite
(olivine). In the same area of TeSfilo Otoni there is a certain abundance of
the cat's-eye variety of chrysoberyl. Many of these are yellow-colored, the
most appreciated and valuable sort. Lastly, in a region not far from TeSfilo
Otoni, occurrences of alexandrite, another variety of crysoberyl, have been
214

discovered. The specimens examined by the Brazilian Association of Gem-

mology and Mineralogy show an excellent quality although they do n o t
attain three carats. The new discoveries raise hopes that Brazil may become
an important producer of alexandrite, a rare and valuable gem, otherwise of
limited production in the world.
Euclase, a very rare gemmological mineral, has been produced in small
quantities in the region of Ouro Preto. It occurs in blue, green and yellow
colours as well as in entirely colorless crystals. These are nearly always well
developed, elongated and rich in facets. The very easy cleavage makes lapida-
tion rather difficult.

TABLE I
List of thirty major diamonds found in Minas Gerais

Name Locality Year Brute weight

(carats)

"Presidente Vargas" Sto. AntSnio River, 1938 726.60

Coromandel
"Darcy Vargas" Coromandel 1939 460.00
"Presidente Durra" Dourado River, 1949 407.68
Coromandel
"Coromandel" Coromandel 1940 400.00
"Di~rio de Minas" Sto. AntSnio River 1941 375.10
"VitSria" Abaet~ River 1945 375.00
"Tiros I " Abaet~ River 1940 354.00
" Pat o s " S~o Bento River ? 324.00
"Estrela do Sul" Bagagem River 1853 261.88
"Cruzeiro" Coromandel 1942 261.00
"Carmo do Paranaiba" Bebedouro River 1937 245.00
"Abaet~" Abaet~ River 1926 238.00
"Regente de Portugal" Abaet~ River 1732--35 215.00
"Coromandel I I I " Coromandel 1936 228.00
"Jo~o Neto de Campos" Paranaiba River 1947 201.00
"Tiros I I " Abaet4 River, Tiros 1935--37 198.00
"Tiros I I I " Abaet~ River, Tiros 1935--37 182.00
"Coromandel I V " Coromandel ? 180.00
"Estrela de Minas" Dourado River 1941 176.00
"Brasilia" Abadia de Dourados 1944 176.00
"Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira" Estrela do Sul 1954 174.50
"Tiros I V " Abaet~ River, Tiros 1937 172.90
"Minas Gerais" AntSnio Bonito creek 1937 171.30
"Coromandel V " Coromandel 1953 141.00
"Nova Estrela do Sul"- Abaet~ River 1937 140.00
"Dresden Branco" Estrela do Sul 1857 120.58
"Rosa do Abaet~" Bagagem River 1929 118.00
"Benedicto Valadares" Estrela do Sul 1940 108.00
"Independ~ncia" Ituiutuba 1941 106.82
"Abadia de Dourados" Abadia de Dourados ? 104.00
 215

Chrysolites (olivine) appear as rounded pebbles in some rivers in the north

of the state.
The region of Governador Valadares (area 5) became well known among
Brazilian gemmologists for its occurrences of spodumene. In the same way as
beryl, topaz, amethyst and tourmaline, spodumene also alters its color by
thermical treatment. Thus, the yellowish-brown colors turn to purple.
Among the colored varieties the most c o m m o n is kunzite, the rarest hidden-
ire. A n y w a y , it may be confirmed that the Brazilian kunzites are excep-
tionally well colored, clean and of large sizes. Lastly, in the northwest of
Minas Gerais, a large crystal of bicolored kunzite was found, weighing 7.41
kg of which a great part was usable. This specimen has been described in
various gemmological reviews. Occurrences of kunzite are known at various
localities in area 5 (Fig. 1). In Barra de Salinas a few lettuce-green hiddenites
have been produced.
Everything indicates that Minas Gerais remains the chief production
centre of diamonds of the country, with Diamantina (area 4) as the principal
region. The diamonds of this area are n o t large, b u t the color is of excellent
quality. Another area considered to be important is that of Piui, in the east
of the state (area 5), which produces high-quality gems. The diamonds listed
in Table I, classified in order of weight (carats), show the importance of this
gemstone for the State of Minas Gerais. Among the 41 major diamonds
found in Brazil which are of known source, 39 have been extracted from dia-
mond-bearing formations in this state.

ESPfRITO SANTO

The State of Espirito Santo is one of the principal Brazilian sources of

citrine quartz. This gemstone is produced in the region of Baixo Guandu
(area 6, Fig. 1), a small locality situated in the west of the state. Depending
on the original color of the quartz, the material is either thermically treated
or not.
The aquamarine of Itagua~u (area 6) is of excellent quality and competes
with the best stones produced in Minas Gerais.
In Santa Teresa (area 6), andalusites with an intense dicroism are produced
in a quartz pit. Besides these gemstones, there also occur perfect twinned
crystals of chrysoberyl in this same area, as well as a new occurrence of gem-
mological skapolite in Itaguaqu.

BAHIA

F o r a long time the State of Bahia was only k n o w n for the amethysts
produced in the pits situated in Bom Jesus dos Meiras (now Brumado, area 7
on Fig. 1) and nearby localities. At present the name of Bahia is better
known for the emeralds which are produced in the regions of Vit6ria da Con-
quista and Macafibas (areas 7 and 9}. Without any d o u b t , the best Brazilian
216

emeralds are at present those produced in Carnaiba. The crystals without

biotite inclusions are almost entirely transparent. The color is often of such
intensity that they can be compared with the best emeralds from Muzo and
E1 Chivor in Colombia. The lapidated crystals generally provide first-quality
gems.
Bahia also produces the following gemstone minerals: aquamarines (area
7), apatite (area 7), kyanite (area 7), citrine quartz (areas 7 and 9), chryso-
beryl (area 7), garnet (area 7), opal (area 7), pink quartz (area 7}, sodalite
(area 7), and tourmaline (area 7).
The diamond zone of Bahia extends through various municipalities of the
Diamantina Plateau (area 8). Besides the clean colorless diamond, there also
occurs in Bahia the carbonade or dark and opaque diamond, used for indus-
trial purposes. Between 1850 and 1860 the diamond exploitation reached its
peak, with a production of about 70,000 karats per year. Later, however, the
production decreased, becoming lower than that in Minas Gerais and Mato
Grosso. The pits in Bahia never produced diamonds that were known for
their large size. In 1905 the "Carbonado do S6rgio" of 3167 karats was
found in LenqSis (area 8), the major diamond known up to the present day,
even among the non-cuttable stones.

RIO GRANDE DO NORTE AND PARAIBA

The Borborema Plateau, comprising an area in both states, is rich in peg-

matites and eskarnites, and is of great gemmological interest. Aquamarines
(S~o Tom6, RN, near Currais Novos), chromiferous diopsides (Currais Novos,
RN), fluorites (Santa Luzia, PB) and garnet (Picui, PB and RN, also near
Currais Novos) are found.

CEARA

The State of Cear~ has pegmatite bodies responsible for some gemmologi-
cal materials. The following regions may be mentioned: SolonSpole (area 10:
aquamarine, amethyst, tourmaline and garnet), Russas (area 10: amethyst),
Quixeramobim (area 10: amethyst, tourmaline and garnet), Cratefis (opal),
Senador Pompeu (area 10: topaz, tourmaline, garnet) and Quixad~ (area
10: tourmaline and garnet).

PIAUi

In 1946, a diamond area was discovered in the municipality of Gilbu~s in

alluvial deposits, derived from the disintegration of Devonian sandstones
(Serra Grande Formation). Initially, there was a great intensity of pit
working, but later the production proved to be small and irregular. The dia-
monds are small, with predominance of the industrial type.
The State of Piaui is always remembered in relation with milky opals
 217

produced in the region of Pedro II and Piripiri. These opals exhibit internally
intense coloration and have been widely accepted not only in the internal
trade b u t also for export.

GOIAS

Goi~s, one of the largest states in area in the country, also produces some
gemstones. This production tends to increase as geological knowledge im-
proves. The production of colorless piezoelectric quartz at Cristalina {area
12} is well known.
The amethysts of Xamboi~ are valuable because of the intensity of their
color and their red reflections. The citrine quartz of Catal~o, Cristalina,
Santa Luzia and Serra dos Cristais (area 12) are also highly appreciated. In
Niquel~ndia, where the principal nickel deposits of the state occur, associ-
ated with large ultramafic bodies, apple-green chalcedonies (called chryso-
prase) suitable for gemmological use are found.
The State of Goi~s once was the scene of diamond exploitation during the
colonial period. Panning was preferably done in the Pil6es and Claro rivers,
in the south of the state (area 11). At present diamonds are exploited in the
Tocantins River near the t o w n of Imperatriz, in the Araguaia River down-
stream of the Bananal island; in the Manuel Alves Grande River and its afflu-
ents, and in the Sono River (since 1946). The Paranaiba River provided some
large diamonds and the Verissimo River ( a r e a l 1 ) has also long been
exploited.
Finally, special attention should be paid to the occurrence of emerald in
Itabera~t, which for some time was the only Brazilian source of this gem-
stone. Its color is characteristic and the crystals attain sizes of between 2 and
20 mm. The gemstones usually have inclusions of dolomite, rutile and talc.
MATO GROSSO

The State of Mato Grosso, with an area still larger than Goi~s, also
produced some gemstone minerals, b u t only few however. One may men-
tion: carnelian chalcedony (Cuiab~), heliotrope chalcedony (Gar~as River,
area 13), jaspis (Gar~as and Paran~ rivers), pyrite (Cuiab~), blue and yellow
sapphires (Coxim, Jauru and Coxip5 rivers, area 13).
Diamond was discovered in Mato Grosso at the end of the eighteenth cen-
tury, in the upstream part of the Paraguai River and its affluents (area 13).
Later, it was f o u n d more to the south in the Coxim and Jauru rivers; in the
beginning of this century the diamond areas of the Gar~as and Upper
Araguaia rivers were discovered and later those on the Bonito and Poxor~u
plateaus. Many rivers (Upper Paraguai, Cabaqal and Brumado) have been
dredged, but production remains essentially by panning. The diamonds of
Mato Grosso are generally small, b u t of high quality. In the upper Araguaia
region carbonade is found with a certain frequency; it was determined that
its density is higher than that of Bahia.
The diamonds of Mato Grosso are exploited in three main areas: centre-
north, centre~south and centre-west.
218

RORA~A

The Territory of Roraima provided a few diamonds in the alluvial deposits

of the Marl, Tacutu, Cotingo and Uraricoera river basins (area 14), in the
Tequ~m Mountains and on the slopes of the Paracaima Mountains. These
stones are usually small.

REFERENCES

Bastos, F.M., 1961. The gemstones of Brazil. Gems Gemmol., 10: 195--201.
Derby, O.A., 1878. Geologia da regi~o diamant~fera da Provincia do Paran~ no Brasil.
Arq. Mus. Nac. Rio de Janeiro, 3: 89--96.
Franco, R.R. and Souza Campos, J.E., 1965. As Pedras Preciosas. S~o Paulo Editora, S~o
Paulo.
FrSes e Abreu, S., 1973. Recursos Minerals do Brasil, 1. Edgard Bli]cher, S~o Paulo, pp.
267--311.
Oliveira, E., 1927. Geologia e recursos minerais de Estado do Paran~. Serv. Geol. Miner.
Brasil, Monogr., 6 : 1 7 2 pp.
Oppenheim, V., 1936. Sedimentos diamantiferos do Paran~. Dep. Nacl. Prod. Min., Serv.
F o m e n t o P r o d u ~ o Mineral, Avulso 5.
Putzer, H., 1955. Geologia da fSlha de Tubar~o, Sul de Sta. Catarina. Dep. Nacl. Prod.
Min., Div. F o m e n t o P r o d u ~ o Mineral, Bol. 9 6 : 9 4 pp.

ADDENDUM

As this paper describes chiefly the various occurrences of Brazilian gem-

stones, only few references could be cited. Most additional information can
be obtained from Franco et al. (1975) and from t.he papers published in the
review "Gemologia" of the Brazilian Association of Gemmology (since 1956,
actually only irregularly appearing). Recent studies on the subject, generally
dealing with one type of gemstone, or related to exploration and commer-
cialization have been summed up in the following list of references:

Barelli, N. and Leite, C.R., 1974. Signifieado geol6gieo da parag6nese p r i m ~ i a do dia-

mante do rio Tibagi, PR. Soc. Brasil. Geol., An. XXVIII C o n g . , Porto Alegre, RS.,
7: 209--214.
Branco, P.M., 1979. D i c i o n ~ i o de mineralogia. Promograf, Rio de Janeiro, 254 pp.
Cassedanne, J.P. and Cassedanne, J.O., 1973. As favas e suas possiveis utiliza~6~es em pros-
pecq$o diamantifera. Soc. Brasil. Geol., An. XXVII Congr., Aracaju, SE, 2: 495--498.
Cassedanne, J.P. and Cassedanne, J.O., 1976. Descri~$o da primeira jazida brasileira de
turquesa. Soc. Brasil. Geol., An. XIX C o n g . , Ouro Preto, MG, 3 : 133--140.
Castro, E.C., Ferreira, L.A.D. and Akinaga, R.M., 1974. Ametista no Brasil. Soc. Brasil.
Geol., An. XXVIII C o n g . , Porto Alegre, RS, 7 : 239--247.
E1-Awar,-K.K., 1974. Principals aspectos e a c o m e r c i a l i z a ~ o de crisoberilos. Soc. Brasil.
Geol., An. XXVIII C o n g . , Porto Alegre, RS, 7 : 219--222.
E1-Awar, S.M., 1974. C o m e r c i a l i z a ~ o das ~guas-marinhas. Soc. Brasil. Geol., An. XXVIII
Congr., Porto Alegre, RS, 7: 215--218.
Franco, R.R., Leprevost, A. and Bigarella, J.J., 1975. Minerals of Brazil. Edgard Bliicher,
S~o Paulo, 426 pp. (3 vols.)
 219

Glaser, I., Coelho, J.C. and Pinho, M.S., 1974. A indtistria de pedras preciosas. Financia-
mentos disponiveis. Soc. Brasil. Geol., An. XXVIII Congr., Porto Alegre, RS, 7 : 223--
232.
Mattos, L.E., 1974. /kgata no Brasil. Soc. Brasil. Geol. An. XXVIII Congr., Porto Alegre,
RS, 7: 249--259.
Mendes, M.H.P.T., 1974. Palestra de abertura do I SimpSsio de Gemologia. Soc. Brasil.
Geol., An. XXVIII Congr., Porto Alegre, RS, 7 : 199--203.
Raggi, J.P., 1974. Produq~o e comercializaCao nas indfistrias de pedras ornamentals. Soc.
Brasil. Geol., An. XXVIII Congr., Porto Alegre, RS, 7 : 233--237.

[Received September 4, 1980 ]