I'm happy to tell you that I've put online today on fieldgemology.org a new blog about the last GIA Laboratory expedition to the new ruby and sapphire deposit near Didy in Madagascar but not only that.
You will find there in the blog some good advices you might be interested to read and think about if one of these days you are planning to go to the field. The story is simple: Richard W. Hughes asked me for several years to write a short article about these "Rules of Field Gemology" I use to remind regularly about to the people traveling with me... He is even regularly giving me some hard time with them, so here they are:
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21600 Location: San Francisco
Thanks Vincent for adding this topic. Excellent and concise insight.
I might make rule 666 a little more inclusive. Even healthy folks can and will make major errors in judgement when they drink too much. They become a burden and hazard for the rest of the team. It's best to travel with folks who stop drinking before they get totally sh*t faced. My 2 ¢.
LOL sure rule 666 is truly and purposely completely inconclusive. It is just a private joke with Richard W. Hughes and few other guys as it was around that joke that the whole idea about writing something about the "Rules of Field gemology" started. It was quite long time ago, around in October 2008, while I was traveling in Tanzania with Richard.
If you want to know more about that joke, ask one day to Richard W Hughes, he will be happy to tell you about it. Regarding drinking, I don't really appreciate to travel with people getting drunk or stoned... That's just such a real no-no with me that was not thinking a second about writing something about it.
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
Hi Barbra, For info, I just want to let you know that I took in consideration your post and edited a bit the rule 666 on my blog. To thank you for that comment (other people indeed could have indeed also misunderstood my point), I added also a link to this page on the forum. All the best,
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
We never met but I spoke to you about visiting the Som Laut Mine in Cambodia when I worked for them...The Koreans...
Great opportunities and I hope someday to be able to accompany you on an expedition...I'm back in Chanthaburi now as I have left everything in Cambodia...Way way too much corruption for me to deal with!!!
My friends now have a home in Tanga Tanzania and I'm planning to join them their this spring...They have brought back to Chanthaburi some very nice Sapphire rough...Large sizes...Variety of color...
Also there has been a few samples of the ruby from the new mine in northern Mozambique...2 sites I hope to be able to visit this next year...
Look forward to meeting you and reading more about your field work....
Hi Rich, I read few of your posts and I was indeed wondering if you were that guy who told me about the "funny" type of adventure I would have gone through if I was fallen into that trap in Cambodia few years ago... Now I know. LOL That expedition was not really looking very good to me, and that's why I told them that I was postponing it... It was a typical case for the Number 2 Basic rule of Field gemology: Never go to serious places with people you don't know and trust. On that expedition I was planning to come with 5 other people and none of them stupid enough to give a chance to troubles. But who knows? Anyway, I'm quite happy to have avoided that trap.
Good luck for your adventures in Tanga and Mozambique, but be very careful: These are not the easiest places in East Africa. In fact I heard a lot of quite funny stories from both places (very similar with the one you told me from Cambodia...) and well Mozambique is still the only place in the world where people pointed an AK47 on me... and that happened twice: Once 5 centimeters from my face, then on my stomach... For more details, just before to go there have a look to my blog and read all the entries and the pdfs about Mozambique on field gemology.org: http://www.fieldgemology.org/blog_byKey.php?key=Mozambique You might find that interesting.
Tanga was another story: I was sick with malaria for a complete week there in 2005 and the reason I'm still alive is because I had with me an assistant who took good care of me. Again this is why The Basic Rule number 2 of Field gemology is important. It is much safer to travel with people you know and you trust. According to my experience the region around Umba and Tanga is quite rough and if the stones from that area range from very bad to very nice believe me it is really the same for the people. In Tanga, you might survive if you do a mistake on a bad stone but be careful not to make a mistake on the bad guy...
Note: It could be fun to finally meet you one of these days in Chanthaburi or Bangkok.
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
Thanks for the heads up...I have also been warned by my friends and a few of the Africans who bring the rough to Chanthaburi...
The big difference with the Africans is they are willing to work and will devote themselves to that...With the others involved in Cambodia it was all about scamming for $$$$$ investors with NO intent what so ever to actually work that claim...In the end I learned this was why I was brought into it...To help open doors to scam/scam/scam!!!...Shame because it's a very rich deposit...Ilmenite (Iron-Titanium-Oxide) that was 36% Ti...This alone could have paid all their mining expenses...
But on to more important business...I think you told me that there are get togethers in BKK where Gemologist interested in joining an expedition can meet up...I would be very interested in this and to get a chance to meet you...That's prolley the best 1st step to satisfying Rule #2...
I'm in BKK periodically for cutting and metallurgy reports...Would love to meet up so please let me know when the next opportunity is...Or maybe just a cup of joe or a beer???
Hi Rich, No problem to meet you next time you will pass in Bangkok. Just come to visit me at the GIA lab, I usually take lunch around 13h00 near the lab. You could join if you are around. All the best,
The views expressed here are V. Pardieu’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect those of GIA Laboratory Bangkok (http://www.giathai.net)where he is an employee since Dec 2008.
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