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Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
On-line version ISSN 2411-9717
Print version ISSN 2225-6253
Abstract
MAMUSE, A.; VON DER HEYDEN, B.P. and BLENKINSOP, T.. Zimbabwe's coloured gemstone endowments - A regional geological overview. J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. [online]. 2024, vol.124, n.1, pp.33-42. ISSN 2411-9717. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2600/2024.
Zimbabwe hosts a varied array of coloured gemstones. With the exception of emerald deposits and several world-class pegmatites, few of the gemstone occurrences have received detailed attention from the scientific or mineral exploration communities. In the present contribution we summarize the status of knowledge of the gemstone deposits and occurrences in Zimbabwe, paying particular attention to the geological settings in which they were formed. Synthesis of this regional geological approach reveals that there may be significant exploration potential for further gemstone occurrences, particularly in the extensive pegmatite fields and in Al-enriched orogenic belts that have undergone greenschist to granulite facies metamorphism. Further socio-economic and developmental initiatives will aid in optimizing the value generation from this important sub-sector.
Keywords : Zimbabwe; coloured gemstones; pegmatites.