Bolivian beauty

The unusual color variation found inametrine is due to the presence of iron in different oxidation states within thecrystalline structure. Exactly how ametrine's bi-color comes about, geologically, is still not fully understood.  Ametrine is relatively inexpensive, given the fact there's only one commercial mine in the whole world. Although the it is the world's only ametrine mine, most of the Anahi mine's production is devoted to producing amethyst. To add some perspective on theinaccessibility of the mine: it takes 2 � hours to fly from Santa Cruz to the mine's landing strip -- or one can travel from Puerto Suarez (Bolivia) by boat up the Paraguay River to Lake Mandior�, a6 hour journey and then a 2 hour truck ride via a jungle trail.

bolivian beauty A bi-color stone -- and Bolivia's most spectacular export -- citrine makes up the yellow-orange part of ametrine and amethyst, the violet-purple part. Ametrine is formed when iron impurities in quartz are affected in different ways by heat. (An example of how this could happen is if one side of the crystal was facing a vent or other such heat source. Any change in pressure would affect the temperature forming the citrine and amethyst would begin to form instead.) the vast pantanal wetland of bolivia Located in the far eastern part of Bolivia, traditional land of the nomadic hunter-gatherer Ayoreo (pronounced "ai-o-reo"), the Anahi Mine is the major producer of high-quality ametrine in the world. The mine also produces anahite, as well as amethyst and citrine. In the midst of a nearly inaccessible rain forest zone -- near the famous Pantanal wetlands, an area that establishes the borderline between Bolivia and Brazil -- the mine is four hundred kilometers southeast of Santa Cruz and is reached primarily by bush plane. one anahi mine entrance photo: anahi mine Ametrine -- which initially appeared on the market as Bolivianite -- has only been available to consumers in any quantity since 1980 when the Anahi mine in Bolivia became operational. Before the discovery of the large deposit in Bolivia, ametrine was also known as amethyst-citrine quartz, trystine or golden amethyst.