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stones. The trip was a chance to be there on the ground floor, getting these
beautiful minerals and gem materials. When we heard there were new
finds, we wanted to go.
How were these gems, stones, and minerals found?
It was all very primitive: digging with the most rudimentary
instruments, and the area was only accessible by foot or donkey. Local
people would dig away and bring [what they found] into the nearest
village. The actual deposits were sometimes at elevations above the snow
line of 18,000 feet.
Did you carry money with you to pay for what they found?
Sometimes we carried money – the ATM didn’t exist – but
afterwards, when you built up a relationship, you could write checks.
So, how exactly would you negotiate for these minerals?
We’d shake hands, sit down, have tea, and make the deals. These
are some of the world’s most experienced traders. They are experts. They
might be living in a remote village, but they knew the world value of what
they were showing us. They were very,
very
tough; this is on the edge of
the Silk Road, and they had generations of trading experience.
Mike (he just joined us): Talk of some of the trips you’ve taken to find the
stones you needed to make this business work.
We’ve taken several trips to Peshawar, Pakistan, Kashmir, and
northern areas, but when I first started the business, I was going to Brazil
barracks and small cabins, sometimes in small hotels built for trekkers.
The people were very friendly; you didn’t have to worry about things like
robberies at that time, though as a woman, it was wise to stay covered up.
What were you after?
Gem crystals, natural aquamarine, tourmaline, beautiful gem
minerals, things that we were interested in. Pakistan had become a much
more significant area than say Brazil, which had been an area for exotic
The search for jewels and gems
takes Carole to exotic and sometimes
dangerous places, and frequently in
unusual conveyances, such as this
“taxi” she is about to board during a
trip to Pakistan
During a dusty trip to Kenya (circa 1970s) in search of minerals and
stones, a thirsty Mike Ridding stops for a drink and a shine