IN THE FABULOUS KINGDOM OF AMETHYSTS in RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Between Christmas and New Year my wife and I decided to travel to the State of Rio Grande do Sul, world-wide known as "the Kingdom of Amethysts". In fact, under an enormous area, are spread the "pedreiras" (mines) where this really suggestive and beautiful gem is found in quantity, and is quality number one in the planet.

We hired a van and a driver (Luiz Pedro Krul, tel: 3253 5960 - R$ 150,00/day), and with some friends, we arrived to IRAÍ, Rio Grande do Sul, 620 km south-west of Curitiba (Curitiba, Lapa, São Mateus do Sul, União da Vitoria, General Carneiro, Concordia, Chapeco, São Carlos and south to Iraí): an enchanting little city, a thermal water station in the middle of a subtropical well preserved nature. There we lodged in the HOTEL IRAÍ, a modern and comfortable hotel with a large swimming pool at a very reasonable price:

HOTEL IRAÍ Av. Flores da Cunha, 431, 98.460-000 IRAÍ - RS Fone/FAX: 0xx55/ 745- 1111; e-mail: hotelirai@fesau.psi.br Price: R$ 50,00/person (inclusive meals)

We contacted an old friend of ours, Mr. Alziro Bortoluzzi, a pioneer who started searching and digging for Amethysts more than 40 years ago and has now turned into the most important dealer of the region. The gems he showed us in his display rooms were breath-taking and several specimens (mostly geodes) were of a deep violet colour, known as "velvet purple colour," a thing of beauty. Other fantastic specimens were of Calcite formation in different sizes, some of them which have never appeared before.

On the following day, Mr. Bortoluzzi accompanied us to an interesting visit to the caves (30 km south to Ametista do Sul) where this very hard and compact rock, which is basalt - a volcanic lava - the matrix of Amethyst, with the help of dynamite is blown up into galleries. There is an incredibly high quantity of geodes and druses waiting to be excavated through this painstaking work by some 3000 "garimpeiros" (miners), and there the reserves are estimated for at least one century.

Two days later we moved to Soledade - the city of precious stones ("a cidade das pedras preciosas"), about 200 km south reaching a small town of 50.000 inhabitants where we visited other good friends of ours, the IRMÃOS LODI, far the most important dealers of amethyst and agates. It is a joy for the eyes to admire the tremendous quantity of these gems displayed in their 4000 m shop: something which has to be seen to be believed! In Soledade we were hosted in the "HOTEL VILLABLANCA":

Hotel Villablanca Av. Mauricio Cardoso, 639; 99300-000 SOLEDADE -RS Tel: 0xx54/ 381 1777 FAX: 0xx55/ 381 1888 Price: R$ 40,00 (incl. breakfast only)

Our friends told us that during the last 6 years more than a million tons of these gems have been exported, mostly to China and Taiwan!

One does not necessarily need to be a "rockhound" (as I myself am) to remain literally fascinated by such a rare and unusual show. And don't forget that amethyst geode is moreover a highly decorative specimen.

The above information, will be sufficient I hope, to give you an idea of what we saw. A trip that I strongly recommend to all of you.
 

Article written by: Guido Borgomanero

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