Producing one ounce of gold generates an average of 20 tons of mine

waste, and may produce up to 33 tons of waste according to some estimates. average large gold mine uses 1,900 tons of cyanide each year. Australian gold mines use an average of at least 197 ounces of cyanide to produce one ounce of gold. At least 80% of all gold is used for jewelry.A single platinum mine

has produced 805 tons of tailings and 733 tons of rock waste over the

life of the mine.http://passthrough.fw-notify.net/download/144102/http://business.gwu.edu/dean/files/reports/circa-report-2010.pdf

Environmental problems associated with colored gemstone mining include deforestation, soil erosion and sedimentation. Small-scale miners often cut trees and burn brush, both for site access, and to harvest building materials for mine shafts and

shelters. Mining often destroys land once used for agriculture and miners often hunt wildlife for sustenance. Gemstone mining fouls waterways with dust and waste rock. "is sedimentation creates physical impediments to water how that can kill sh and other aquatic organisms. Heavy usage of water for separating stones from waste rock causes land subsidence. Water pumps, drills and other machinery use fuels that contribute to climate change.

http://passthrough.fw-notify.net/download/144102/http://business.gwu.edu/dean/files/reports/circa-report-2010.pdf

The most popular method is mining in pits (depth 2ft - 25ft) and tunnelling. Surface gemming and dredging in river beds are other methods which depend on the nature and the location of the gem deposits. In general, gems are concentrated in a layer of coarse pebble like material with some clay and fine sand. This gem gravel, known as illam is generally found below the alluvial deposits.

Where illam is close to the surface the pits are shallower and circular but the deep pits have a rectangular shape. The scaffolding are made using planks and staves. The space between the staves and earth is stuffed with leaves to prevent walls from collapsing. The water is pumped out by using motors. The tunnelling will be resorted to only if the illam vein runs horizontally. The illam in pits are excavated using crow bars whilst river dredging is done using mammoties. Traditional mining is mainly in a small scale with manpower alone.http://ezinearticles.com/?Gem-Mining&id=7433455

The land of Orissa has rich gemstone deposits that had been virtually unknown even to the gemstones industry. Orissa's gemstones resources include rhodolite garnet at Siali Nattamunda, aquamarine in Badmal, chrysoberyl cat's eye and alexandrite at Paika Dhakuliguda and Surjapalli, ruby at Jhillingdhar and Hinjhribahal, and iolite at Jhillingdhar Thousands of people are mining gemstones in the State of Orissa, most of them independent miners, estimates the Managing Director of a company which became the first private party to receive a licence to mine gemstones legally.

Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC), the public sector company which is the world's largest producer of chromite and a very large producer of iron ore, manganese and granite, has been put in charge of mining gemstones in Orissa, in the six promising areas in which mining had been done by independent miners. The OMC has been endeavouring to form joint ventures with mining giants.http://www.essentialsjewelry.com/indian-jewelry-information/orissa-land-of-gems.html

“…A mineral can be regarded as critical only if it performs an essential function for which few or no satisfactory substitutes exist”The European Commission has identified 14 mineral raw materials, which have high supply risks due to potential shortages resulting from constrained production in the face of high rates of the growth in demand.The list of critical minerals consists of, but is not limited to: Rare Earths, Lithium, Platinum group elements, High purity quartz, Antimony, Rhenium, Beryllium, Tantalum, Cobalt, Tellurium, Niobium, Tungsten, Gallium, Yttrium, Germanium.A recent US Department of Energy report concludes it is in the United States’ economic interests to encourage and support domestic critical minerals projects. The report noted that clean energy technologies currently constitute about 20% of global consumption of critical materials.

http://www.pythongroup.ca/events/critical-minerals-2013

Prof.Dr.C.Kasipathi, Visakhapatnam, A.P., India.

I have been working on the coloured gemstones in parts of Andhra Pradesh and idisha for the last 22 years. I have explored the entire Eastern Ghat terrains of this region, where the lithological groups are khondalite and charnockite. Invaluable gemstone mineral deposits of Alexandrite, Chrysoberyl, Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye, Emerald, Ruby, Garnets, Tourmaline, Sillimanite, Zircon, Moonstone, Topaz and varieties of silica like Citrine, Rose Quartz, Dravite, Smoky Quartz and Agates were found in close association of the eastern Ghat formations in the hostage of primary rock association of Leptynite and Pegmatite; and as the secondary deposits in colluvium. The primary deposits may not be much result oriented, where as the secondaries give rise huge deposits of these minerals.

The depth of mineralization was found up to more than 80 metres at places. But whether the mining is authorised or unauthorise, the people take up risky mining patterns in the secondary deposits. The entire body would be filled with plastic clays and the mine walls may not sustain good stand. Mine wall collapsing is very prevalent and it results in death of many people. There are many such incidences in these parts.

But I must tell you that this mining and involved trade resulted in the generation of many millionnaires within a few days. There are more than 450 such mine pits available in Andhra Pradesh. This data was published by me in good number of research papers.

31st May 2014.