BRAZIL - A WEALTH OF COLOURED GEMSTONES
For those with a penchant for the fine things in life, Brazil's wealth of coloured gemstones will no doubt put a sparkle in your eye. Emeralds, tourmalines, imperial topaz (found only in the Ouro Preto in the state of Minas Gerais), amethyst, aquamarine, citrine (Rio Grande do Sul), opal (city of Pedro II in Piaui), rubelite (Brazil is the world's largest rubelite producer), kunzite and Brazil is also a producer of high quality diamonds.
Stones found in abundance in Minas Gerais include topazes, tourmalines and amethysts.
The two major jewellers that dominate the Brazilian market today are Amsterdam Sauer and H.Stern respectively. The story of the founders of these two jewellery giants is remarkably similar: young man fleeing Europe just as the Second World War was breaking out. Jules Roger Sauer and Hans Stern began working in various facets of the gem business after arrival in Brazil before setting up their own establishments after realizing the potential to market Brazilian gemstones to the world. Stern's favorite gemstone was the tourmaline, a semiprecious stone which is one of the many coloured gemstones found in bountiful quantities in Minas Gerais state, historically reknowned for its mineral riches.