sábado, 12 de março de 2016

Pará na contramão da crise

Pará na contramão da crise


A primeira jazida de minério de ferro descoberta pela Vale na região de Carajás, no sudoeste do Pará, em 1967, mudou a história da empresa e colocou o Brasil no mapa da mineração mundial. Passados quase 50 anos, a mineradora está prestes a dar um novo passo histórico com a conclusão do projeto Ferro Carajás S11D, prevista para o segundo semestre deste ano. Ao todo, serão US$ 17 bilhões (cerca de R$ 67 bilhões) em investimentos, um dos maiores da história da Vale.
Na primeira fase, que teve início em 2013, foram aportados US$ 6,8 bilhões para aumentar o complexo minerador, que teve sua capacidade mais que dobrada para 230 milhões de toneladas métricas anuais. Na fase atual, os US$ 10,2 bilhões estão sendo utilizados para melhorar a logística da região, com a expansão da Estrada de Ferro de Carajás e a remodelação das linhas já existentes. A Vale, que enfrenta desafios como a revisão de todos os seus investimentos, a catástrofe ambiental da controlada Samarco e o prejuízo de R$ 44,2 bilhões no ano passado – o primeiro resultado negativo desde a sua privatização, em 1997 –, vê no Pará uma chance de mudar a sua realidade.
Assim como a mineradora, outras empresas olham o potencial paraense. O estado se tornou um importante pólo de atração de novos negócios. Nos últimos três anos, esse interesse da iniciativa privada ajudou o Estado andar na contramão do Brasil. No ano passado, por exemplo, foi o único a não ter recessão no Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) entre os 26 estados e o Distrito Federal. A estabilidade de 0,05% do PIB é um contraste à queda de 3,8% do País (leia reportagem completa AQUI). Esse resultado é fruto da vasta gama de recursos naturais que o Estado possui, o que atrai companhias.
Estudo feito pela Federação das Indústrias do Pará identificou um potencial de R$ 200 bilhões em investimentos até 2020. Essa é a base de um plano estratégico chamado de “Pará 2030”, elaborado pela consultoria McKinsey. O projeto avaliou 23 oportunidades de negócios que a região oferece, como logística, agricultura familiar, fomento da cadeia de açaí, a enorme possibilidade de geração de energia, com as hidrelétricas, e a extração de minério de ferro. “O objetivo foi elencar ações de Estado que devem ser tomadas para potencializar a economia local”, diz Arlindo Eira, sócio da McKinsey, responsável pelo trabalho. “O Pará tem uma aspiração agressiva de crescimento.”
A multinacional americana Cargill deu início à sua atuação no Estado em 1995, com a compra de amêndoas e cacau no município de Altamira. Com os anos, a empresa expandiu suas operações para cinco cidades, mas a falta de infraestrutura apareceu como um entrave. Sem tempo para esperar as iniciativas do setor público, a Cargill investiu na ampliação de terminais portuários, como o de Santarém. Em 2015, foram injetados R$ 240 milhões na obra para elevar a capacidade do local de dois milhões de toneladas anuais para cinco milhões. A ampliação do negócio acontecerá, também, após os R$ 180 milhões em investimentos na estação de transbordo de Miritituba, que teve início em 2014.
“O Pará é uma região extremamente estratégica para a Cargill”, diz Clythio Buggenhout, diretor de portos da companhia. “Acreditamos que esses investimentos vão contribuir de forma significativa para nossas operações.” A empresa de arames Sinobras, do Grupo Aço Cearense, também enxergou um leque de oportunidades no local e investe R$ 760 milhões para ampliar sua capacidade de produção. Na avaliação de especialistas consultados pela DINHEIRO, o Pará deve apresentar neste ano o mesmo ritmo de 2015.
Isso porque a composição da economia paraense é voltada principalmente às atividades extrativistas e à indústria de minério de ferro, fazendo com que o desempenho do estado se mantenha aquecido mesmo em tempos de recessão da economia nacional. No projeto da Vale, por exemplo, 2.600 postos de empregos permanentes foram gerados nos últimos três anos. Durante o pico das obras, em 2014, a companhia contratou cerca de 30 mil pessoas.
Investimentos como esse também têm impacto positivo na produção industrial local, que encerrou 2015 com crescimento de 5,7%, o maior do País. “Em termos relativos, o Estado está muito melhor que a média da economia nacional”, diz Rodolfo Margato, economista do banco Santander. “A estimativa é que o Pará continue atraindo novos aportes.” Embora o desempenho econômico tenha melhorado, o Pará ainda lida com a difícil missão de conseguir transformar sua realidade social.
No último censo realizado pelo IBGE, obteve o lamentável 25º Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano Médio (IDH-M) do País, à frente apenas do Maranhão e Alagoas. Em educação, os números são ainda mais desanimadores: 26ª posição, antes de Alagoas. O PIB per capita do Estado de R$ 16.475 é muito inferior à média nacional, de R$ 26.500. “Para contribuirmos para o desenvolvimento do Brasil, ainda precisamos nos desenvolver internamente”, diz o governador Simão Jatene. A economia tem tudo para ajudar.
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“Queremos ser uma alternativa para as empresas”
Confira abaixo, a entrevista com o governador Simão Jatene (PSDB).
Por que o Pará não apresentou recessão no ano passado?
Nos últimos anos, houve uma redescoberta do estado. Não mais fundada numa ação do estado nacional, mas determinado em ações de mercado. A chamada integração do Pará ao padrão brasileiro foi muito positiva ao País e o estado se transformou no segundo maior saldo da balança comercial brasileira.
O que o sr. está fazendo para estimular o desenvolvimento local? 
Garantir segurança jurídica e passar credibilidade. Somos um estado que é cada vez maior na produção de energia e de minério. Não podemos continuar com a renda e os indicadores sociais que temos. Para isso, buscamos parcerias estratégicas com o setor privado e instituições internacionais, como o Banco Interamericano de Desenvolvimento. Não quero defender a crise, mas ao menos ela tira as pessoas da zona de conforto.

Qual é a importância dessas parcerias?

O estado sozinho tem resultados menores sem as parcerias com o setor produtivo. Temos um projeto no modelo de PPP para uma ferrovia no trecho Norte, que irá de Marabá a Barcarena, com investimentos de R$ 9 bilhões. Queremos ser uma alternativa para as empresas e mostrar nosso potencial em recursos naturais e minerais e de sol, terra e água.
Um dos maiores problemas que o Brasil enfrenta é relacionado à infraestrutura. Como o Pará pode avançar nesse quesito? 
O vetor da logística pode reduzir custo e elevar a produtividade do País. O trecho Norte, de Marabá a Barcarena, é um ótimo exemplo. As parcerias com empresas privadas, também. Isso só vai reforçar o que o resto do País já percebeu. Temos o porto mais próximo da Europa, dos Estados Unidos e, com o canal do Panamá seremos uma boa alternativa para a Ásia. O legado de infraestrutura é importante, principalmente porque não nos interessa ser apenas um corredor de passagem.

O sr. está à frente do projeto Pará 2030. Qual o objetivo do programa?

O Programa Pará 2030 avalia os principais focos de oportunidade que o estado possui para seu crescimento econômico. Avaliamos 23 setores, entre eles, agronegócio, turismo, gastronomia, mineração. Todos com grande possibilidade de crescimento e muito atrativos ao setor privado. São investimentos que contribuirão para elevar o nosso PIB construído em algo sustentável e harmônico.

Quais desses setores têm mais possibilidade de crescimento para os próximos anos? 

O agronegócio e a pecuária. Nossa estimativa é que, se aprimorarmos os recursos utilizados nas terras paraenses, cresceremos um pouco mais que a metade nos próximos anos. Há um enorme potencial de liberação de áreas para desenvolver de fato o agronegócio no Pará e estamos trabalhando para isso. Contamos, também, com o turismo e com a gastronomia.

Os índices sociais do estado estão bem abaixo da média nacional, como, por exemplo, os de educação.

A educação é fundamental para o progresso do Pará. Pensando nisso, elaboramos o programa Pacto pela educação. Ele está sendo formatado há algum tempo e busca elevar os números do Instituto de Divulgação Educacional Brasileiro (INDEB). No projeto, garantimos a permanência das crianças e jovens em escolas. Em 2015, investimos R$ 2,3 bilhões. O retorno vem gradualmente. Sem a educação não seremos capaz de superar os desafios expostos a economias globais.

An Update on “Paraíba” Tourmaline from Brazil

Vivid blue, green, and purple-to-violet cuprian elbaites, renowned in the gem trade as “Paraíba” tourmalines, continue to be recovered in small amounts from northeastern Brazil. Since the initial discovery of this copper-bearing tourmaline in 1982, production has been sporadic and has not kept up with the strong market demand. Mining currently takes place at the original discovery—the Mina da Batalha—and at adjacent workings near São José da Batalha in Paraíba State. At least two pegmatite localities (the Mulungu and Alto dos Quintos mines) in neighboring Rio Grande do Norte State have produced limited quantities of cuprian elbaites. All of these pegmatites occur within Late Proterozoic metamorphic rocks of the Equador Formation; the source of the copper is unknown. Six blue to blue-green elbaites from Mulungu had lower copper contents (up to 0.69 wt. % CuO) than the brightly colored Mina da Batalha material reported in the literature.

Brazil Field Expedition Leads GIA Researchers to Significant Gem Mines

PHOTO BY DUNCAN PAY; © GIA.
The GIA team prepares to interview Paraíba tourmaline legend, Heitor Dimas Barbosa, in the original Batalha mine entrance.
Team interviews Heitor Barbosa, first discoverer of Paraíba tourmaline
CARLSBAD, Calif. – July 7, 2014 – From March 31 to April 17, a team of field researchers from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) journeyed to the most important gemstone mining areas in Brazil to gather information and document the current state of colored stone mines, particularly emerald and tourmaline. The researchers visited the states of Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba, and had the rare opportunity to interview Heitor Dimas Barbosa, the first discoverer of Paraíba tourmaline, in the original mine tunnel in Batalha where he first encountered the now famous gem.   

The GIA team of Field Gemologist Andrew Lucas, Director of West Coast Identification Shane McClure, Video Producer Pedro Padua, and Gems & Gemology Editor-in-Chief Duncan Pay spent 18 days traveling to various mines to interview, photograph and film important sources. Brian Cook, geologist and co-owner of Nature’s Geometry, and Sergio Martins, president of the Brazilian gemstone cutting and marketing firm Stone World, also participated in the expedition.

The researchers found the Belmont mine in Minas Gerais moving to new open pits while continuing to develop their underground mining and building a new state of the art rough processing and sorting facility; they are also cutting around 60% of their own production, focusing on higher quality stones. In Nova Era, production at mines like the Monte Belo mine yield high quality emeralds from pockets.

The Cruzeiro tourmaline mine has prolific production from huge pegmatites, and all of its rubellite tourmaline goes to Shenzhen, China for cutting and then sale. “We’ve never seen a mine produce the amount and quality of material as the tourmaline we saw coming from the massive pegmatites at the Cruzeiro mine,” added Lucas.

Meanwhile, “the value of Paraíba tourmaline has risen unbelievably and the passion to find more material at the mines was contagious,” said Lucas. Mining and prospecting remains very strong in the sates of Paraíiba and Rio Grande do Norte for highly-valuable Paraíba tourmaline.

“I’ve wanted to go to Brazil for 20 years… and this trip far exceeded my expectations,” said McClure. “For me, one of the highlights was our interview with Heitor Barbosa, original discoverer of Paraíba tourmaline. He believes there’s still much more of this fabulous gem to be found deeper in the mine,” added Pay.

In keeping with its mission to ensure the public trust in gems and jewelry, GIA regularly conducts research field trips to important gem and jewelry centers around the globe, incorporating findings into research practices and education programs and relaying information to the trade and public through a series of channels. Findings from the Brazil field trip will be featured in an upcomingGems & Gemology (G&G) article, as well as field reports and video documentaries onwww.gia.edu.    

From Brazil to China: The Journey of Rubellite Tourmaline

Cruzeiro mine
After witnessing the mining of rubellite tourmaline at the Cruzeiro mine in Brazil, our representative was able to visit the factory in China where the mine’s stones are cut. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Cruzeiro mine.
In April 2014, a team from GIA traveled to Brazil to document some of the country’s most important emerald and tourmaline mines. One of the mines the group visited was the Cruzeiro, owned by Nevestones, a family company. The Cruzeiro is a prolific Brazilian tourmaline mine that produces about eight tons of tourmaline each year, 20 percent of which is rubellite.

CUTTING IN CHINA
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This video takes you through the cutting factory and headquarters of a company that fashions large quantities of tourmaline and other colored gemstones for China and the global market. You’ll also witness the creation of a faceted colored stone.
In June 2014, a member of the GIA team, Andrew Lucas, traveled to Asia to attend Gemfields’ first Mozambique ruby auction in Singapore and to teach a two-week GIA law enforcement gemology seminar in Hong Kong. While there, he visited the Hong Kong office and Shenzhen factory where Cruzeiro’s rubellite is fashioned and distributed to the market.
 

THE MIRANDA GROUP

Our representative’s documentation of the journey of rubellite tourmaline from Brazil to China began at the Hong Kong office of Miranda Group Co. Ltd. There, he interviewed Miranda Costa, a co-founder of the company. They spoke in detail about his experience in the market and the connection between Brazil’s rubellite tourmaline and the Chinese market. Mr. Costa had been a partner in Miranda Gem Hong Kong between 2005 and 2009. When that company closed in 2009, Mr. Costa co-founded Miranda Group Co. Ltd.

Exam parcels
Miranda Costa of Miranda Group Co. Ltd. examines parcels of rubellite that were cut at the company’s factory in Shenzhen. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
The Miranda Group started working with rubellite in 2010 and entered into a joint venture with KGK, a global diamond, colored stone, and jewelry wholesaler, to acquire and market rubellite in China. At that time, the Miranda Group was buying rubellite from Africa. In 2011, they started working with the Cruzeiro mine and its owners, the Neves family.
 

THE BUSINESS MODEL

Today, the Cruzeiro mine, the Miranda Group, and KGK work together to bring Brazil’s rubellite tourmaline to the market in China. The Cruzeiro mine provides the rough rubellite to the Miranda Group, which cuts the material. The rough crystals are sliced or sawn in the Miranda Group office in Hong Kong, and then faceted and polished at the factory in Shenzhen, China. The stones then go to KGK’s factory and offices in Panyu, China.

KGK markets and sells the cut stones and also mounts cut stones into jewelry for sale, primarily in China. The Cruzeiro mine also cuts its own facet-grade green and blue tourmaline in Brazil and produces bicolor and multicolor tourmaline, which the Miranda Group has been cutting and stockpiling.

Rough Sawing
Rubellite rough is sawn at Miranda Group Co. Ltd. facilities in Hong Kong before being sent to the factory in Shenzhen for preforming and faceting. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
The Miranda Group can cut about 25,000 to 30,000 carats a month at their factory in Shenzhen. They then provide the cut stones to KGK. The Miranda Group also works with bicolor tourmaline, aquamarine, morganite, emerald, and Mozambique ruby. They cut these materials and work with KGK to sell primarily to the Chinese market. They also deal in Mozambique copper-bearing tourmaline and Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline which, in cooperation with KGK, they will supply to the market in 2015.

Cutting factory
The factory in Shenzhen was cutting tourmaline as well as morganite during the visit. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
Rough, morganite, cutting, rubellite,
After cutting a parcel of rubellite, the factory turned to cutting morganite, which has been growing in popularity in China. This rough morganite crystal is being sawn as part of the process. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
INTERVIEW WITH MIRANDA COSTA
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FASHIONED RUBELLITE PRODUCTION

The Miranda Group needs to receive 100 kilos of rough rubellite a month to meet its production goal of 25,000 to 30,000 carats. They promote more-included material for beads and carvings. The company’s goals for facet-grade material are to produce clean stones that meet the requirements of the high-end Chinese market.

High standard cutting
Maintaining quality cutting procedures, resulting in clean stones, is of optimum concern in the factory. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
In the United States, the Miranda Group plans to market gems of three carats or smaller, to meet what they feel is the right price point for that market. In China, there is a ready market for sizes over three carats, including very large sizes of 100 carats or more.

Miranda Costa estimates that the demand from the Chinese market has caused the price of rubellite tourmaline to double over the last three years. Even though there is current resistance to the high prices, the company still finds it difficult to meet the demand for fine-quality faceted stones, so he thinks there is still room for price increases.

Sorting
At the Miranda Group Co. Ltd. office in Hong Kong, parcels of fine-color, clean rubellites in large sizes were being sorted for delivery to KGK. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
For high-end consumers, the rubellite needs to be well proportioned, bright, and clean, and have fine color. Because these qualities are essential, the Miranda Group only gets about 12 percent weight retention from the rough.

Faceting equipments
The faceting equipment was optimized for precision and speed. Some machines use a two-wheel set-up that cuts the facets and then polishes them without a need for stopping and changing wheels. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
Since many of the crystals from the Cruzeiro mine are bicolor or multicolored, the Miranda Group also cuts that material. Many of the tourmaline crystals from Cruzeiro are zoned with black, green, and rubellite colors. The Miranda Group has been cutting and accumulating green-and-rubellite material over the last two years, so they have about 80,000 to 100,000 carats in stock now. They plan on marketing it in the US and China in the near future.

Bicolor Tourmaline
The Miranda Group obtains green-and-rubellite bicolor tourmaline rough for cutting. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
Inventory stockpiling
The Miranda Group is stockpiling inventory to launch a marketing campaign with KGK for bicolor tourmaline. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.
Comparing Brazilian rubellite tourmaline rough to the material Miranda Costa used to get from Nigeria, he finds the Cruzeiro material to be cleaner, with better crystallization and more even color.  Mr. Costa sees much less Nigerian material on the market today, and the prices are much higher than when the company was buying large quantities in 2010.

Final product
Brazilian rough can yield fine-color, clean, bright, and good-sized stones. However, to meet those standards, the weight loss is high, saving only an average of 12 percent of the rough weight. Photo by Andrew Lucas/GIA, courtesy Miranda Group Co. Ltd.

COMPLETING THE JOURNEY

Visiting a mining operation and witnessing the challenges involved in bringing colored gemstones out of the earth gives you a sense of perspective on how rare and valuable they really are. It’s exhilarating to observe the production at a prolific mine like the Cruzeiro, where impressive crystals come right out of the ground in large quantities. It’s also satisfying to complete the journey by seeing the rough crystals turned into beautiful faceted stones. Finally, seeing the ferocious and increasing appetite of a consuming country for the material puts the relationship between supply and demand perfectly in perspective.

How to Travel Brazil: Gemstones Edition

How to Travel Brazil: Gemstones Edition

 

 
A selection of Brazilian gemstones. (From top, clockwise): rubellite tourmaline, emerald, aquamarine, imperial topaz, yellow topaz, bicolor tourmaline. Center: Paraiba tourmaline and brown diamond. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.
Brazil is a tropical locale well-known for exotic animals and plants, futból, sandy beaches, and jungle-clad mountains. Some of these mountains rise like monuments in the middle of cities, such as Sugarloaf Mountain in the ever-colorful and playful Rio de Janeiro. The country also contains the renowned Amazon River, not to mention superb gemstones in a kaleidoscope of saturated, luscious colors.
From the Mirador, this iconic vista of the city of Rio de Janeiro encompasses picturesque bays and inslets, surrounded by inselbergs, or mountains that jut out across the landscape. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Brazil’s rich natural gemstone resources include many varieties of tourmaline, topaz, beryl, and quartz, among others.
If you’re a gem lover, Brazil is the dream destination, sure to top your bucket-list of must-see places in the world.
So as you plan your dream vacation, read these travel tips and information to help you get the most of your trip to Brazil.

Tourmaline

In tourmaline alone: orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet varieties hail from almost every corner of this enormous country. They are particularly found in Brazil’s state of Minas Gerais (a name which appropriately translates to “General Mines.”) It is also home to Paraíba tourmaline, a unique, electric blue-green variety, which derives its color from microscopic traces of copper. These gems are found in the northern state of Paraíba, to which they owe their name. Occasionally, the colors in tourmalines are mixed, resulting in bi-color or multicolored gemstones. There’s enough choice in tourmaline to capture everyone’s fancy.
Beryl

Miners often use water and specific gravity in a sifting exercise to separate out denser materials like gemstones. When the basket is emptied, upturned on the ground, the gems are visible on the top. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Almost every member of the beryl family is represented as well: ocean-blue aquamarines and leafy green emeralds, delicate pink morganites and bright yellow heliodors make up this interesting Brazilian gem family. Cat’s-eye chrysoberyls and the extremely rare color-change alexandritesare found in Brazil as well.
Quartz 

In Southern Brazil¹s state of Rio Grande do Sul the gem mines there include important deposits of amethyst and other quartzes, as well as chalcedonies. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Take a trip down to Southern Brazil, known for its quartzes. Amethyst, citrine, rock crystal, and a huge variety of agate come from the State of Rio Grande do Sul. From the State of Bahia to the north comes one of Brazil’s most exotic quartzes, the dazzling, rutilated quartz. This beautiful gemstone features gleaming streaks of golden rutile running through the gem. One of Brazil’s most celebrated and unique gems is mined close to the colonial Baroque town of Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais. It is the orangey-gold variety of topaz that is often tinged with pink. In the trade, it lives up to its exalted name, “imperial topaz.”
People from all over the world collect Brazil’s finest mineral specimens, such as this amethyst and rock crystal quartz geode. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Other gems you might not necessarily associate with Brazil are found here too, such as opals with strong play of color, as well as fire opals. Garnets are found in Brazil as well, and delicately-hued pink kunzite.
Diamonds

Few people are aware that Brazil was once the foremost source of diamonds, and that it remains an important source still today. In the 1700s and early 1800s, some of the world’s most celebrated diamonds were found in this enchanting land, including extremely rare red diamonds as well as green, and other fancy colors. Alluvial diamonds continue to be found in Brazil, mostly mined from riverbeds and from conglomerate host rock.
Your Brazilian Gemstone Journey: 4 Tips To Consider

Gem Places to Visit

The sprawling cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are both hosts to some of Brazil’s most venerable jewelers, such as H. Stern, Amsterdam Sauer, Natan, and Manoel Bernardes. Beyond these two metropolises, each of these jewelers also has retail outlets in Brazil’s principal cities and in many hotels and airports. They have deep roots to the gem sources of Brazil, in many cases owning mines in Brazil’s interior.
A local jeweler in Ouro Preto takes all kinds of credit cards. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
H. Stern is famous for taking busloads of newly arriving international passengers to its premiere headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. A tour of the facilities includes a walk through a virtual mine, a chance to see gemstones being cut and polished, and a glimpse behind the scenes to observe jewelry being made. It is a unique mine to market experience with a special Brazilian flair. Amsterdam Sauer has a museum that features Brazil’s most celebrated minerals and gemstones. The city of Belo Horizonte in Minas Gerais has one of the country’s most important gem and mineral museums, the Museu das Minas e do Metal.
If you are traveling in the interior of Minas Gerais, the Baroque Colonial city of Ouro Preto is a must-see for its picturesque architecture, spectacular churches, and rolling hills. It is near to the imperial topaz mines and a gold mine that you can visit. Diamantina is also a Baroque colonial city that was once the center of the diamond business in Brazil – hence the name. Both of these towns are UNESCO world heritage sites.
Taking Care of Yourself

If you’re traveling in Brazil, a few words of caution. Because of disparity in incomes and rising populations, visitors need to be aware of some dangers. As anywhere in the world, tourists need to be cautious of pickpockets and theft. Even though Brazil is extremely photogenic, cameras and other valuables such as cell phones and jewelry should be kept concealed as much as possible in larger cities. In fact, we recommend leaving your most valuable jewelry behind to remove the possibility of it getting lost or stolen. Rio de Janeiro has made great inroads in halting crime along its beaches, but petty theft remains ubiquitous, even in broad daylight. This threat diminishes dramatically as a traveler goes into smaller towns and villages in the interior of Brazil.

Ouro Preto is an old colonial Baroque town in Minas Gerais that was made famous for its gold deposits and also for the so-called Imperial topaz mines. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

What Else to See

Rio de Janeiro is famous for its beaches and also for Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar), a peak that rises dramatically in the middle of the city of Rio de Janiero. A trip to the summit of Corcovado is a must, from where you can see the spectacularly beautiful layout of the city with its bays and inlets and islands. If you have a chance to witness a soccer game at the famous Maracana stadium in Rio, you will experience Brazilian fervor at its zenith. São Paulo is in Brazil’s interior, devoid of Rio’s laid-back beach atmosphere. It is a sprawling metropolis filled with art galleries, malls, gardens, cathedrals, and swanky restaurants. São Paulo was the Portuguese colonists’ springboard to the discovery of Brazil’s interior in the 1600s.
What To Eat

Brazilians love meat. When you’re in any big town in Brazil, a visit to Fogo de Chão, or other churrasquerias is a must, though you should arrive with an empty stomach. For those who prefer to skip the meat at the famous Brazilian steakhouses, the salad bar will supply ample diversion. Pão de queijo, a small cheese-laden bread made with yucca flour, is found throughout the state of Minas Gerais, which is a huge agricultural region (in addition to mining). Feijoada is a bean-based meat and corn stew that is enjoyed across Brazil. A variation of stew called moqueca in which seafood is cooked in coconut milk, is found in coastal cities to the north, such as Salvador in Bahia. Yum!

Brazil and its people are among the world’s warmest and most hospitable. It is one of the greatest gemstone sources in the world where you will also be able to enjoy the deep-rooted culture, the country’s delectable food, the passion of its people, and the spectacular landscapes.

When you go home, take a gemstone with you. You’ll be returning with a small piece of Brazilian real estate, and memories to last a lifetime. Before you pack your bags for your trip, you might want to brush up on your gem photography skills with these 6 Tips for the Best Gem Photos.