A test dig, during my visit in March 2007, produced the following gemstones.
![](images/testdig09s.jpg) Two square meters where dug up. The digging was done with hand tools. |
![](images/testdig10s.jpg) The sapphire gravel layer is 15 cm thick and 40 cm below the surface, running from the left bottom corner to the middle right in the image. |
![](images/testdig11s.jpg) This is the pile of sapphire and garnet contaning gravel. |
![](images/testdig12s.jpg) Ivan Robert and a local miner sorting trough the gravel. |
![](images/testdig01s.jpg) A mix of different stones, photographed before cleaning, while we where still sorting trough the pile of gravel. |
![](images/testdig02s.jpg) These 6 sapphires where the result of one day of digging in a team of two. |
![](images/testdig03s.jpg) The biggest sapphire had a weight of 5.1 gram. Transmitted light. |
![](images/testdig04s.jpg) These two sapphires where found in the same mine, although not by our team. The big one was about 10 gram. |
![](images/testdig05s.jpg) The second day we tried a different spot and found a serie of garnets. |
![](images/testdig06s.jpg) Garnet in transmitted light. |
![](images/testdig07s.jpg) Garnet in transmitted light. |
![](images/testdig08s.jpg) Garnet in transmitted light. |
![](images/testdig13s.jpg) This is me. Guess what? I am tired. |
![](images/testdig14s.jpg) Lilian was our cook and translator. She did a fine job. |
![](images/testdig15s.jpg) Ivan Robert taking a bath after work in the Umba river. |
We had a double room with toilet, shower and air condition. A total of 2 rooms where available in March. Five rooms will be available at the mine in September 2007. And a total of 6 double rooms are available since August 2009. |
In the morning we got up before sunrise to visite the game reserve near by. |
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