Alarm in Raipur as Maoists reach diamond belt

Maoists have begun extending their activities into Chhatisgarh's diamond-rich belt with the murder of a former village panchayat sarpanch at Amagaon in Raipur district, about 100 km from the state capital, on Saturday.
In the last six months, numerous villagers in Chhattisgrah have alerted the police about Naxalite presence in the forests of Gariaband, Mainpur and Churra blocks, including areas where kimberlite pipes - the most important source of mined diamonds - are located. Intelligence inputs have said CPI (Maoist) cadres are using this region as a safe haven because of the pressure mounting on them in South Bastar.
Raipur Inspector General of Police Y K S Thakur told The Indian Express that, in the last six months, there has been Naxalite movement in areas close to diamond deposits. "The security apparatus has been beefed up and vigil is being maintained in the area," he added.
The first incident of Naxalite violence in Gariaband - in which the rebels killed former sarpanch Niram Singh Dhruv - has raised concerns as the state Government has already started prospecting and mining of diamonds in seven districts, including Gariaband block in Raipur district.
"Naxalite incidents close to diamond deposit areas could slow down the process," an official of the state Mining Department said. "At least half a dozen companies are involved at an advanced stage of diamond prospecting in seven districts and the target is to start commercial production in next four or five years," he said, adding that diamond prospecting is being carried out in Raipur, Mahasamund, Durg, Dhamtari, Kanker, Jashpur and Rajnandgaon districts.
A group of 35 Naxalites stormed into 55-year-old Dhruv's house late on Saturday night. They locked his family members in a room and dragged him out of the house, accusing him of being a police informer. The rebels thrashed him with lathis, tied him to an electric pole and shot him dead. They also left pamphlets announcing "death penalty" to Dhruv and his son-in-law Dinesh Dhruv, who has not been seen after the incident.

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Spectacular Precious Topaz

Spectacular Precious Topaz
Originally uploaded by Jewelry Muse

A lovely imperial topaz and garnet pendant I just came across.

Kashmir Sapphires - The Real Story

Kashmir sapphires were first discovered as the result of a landslide between 1879 and 1882 in the Kudi valley near the hamlet of Sumjam in the Padar region of Kashmir in the Himalayas. Upon hearing of these superb gems, the Maharajah sent a regiment of sepoy(soldiers) to protect the mines.

The first few years saw prolific mining for these fine gems and by 1882 they began to appear on the Indian market in Simla. Even in these early years, however, the recovery of these stones was exceedingly difficult due to the high altitude of the terrain, the inclement weather conditions and the fact the mines were only accessible during the short summer months from July to September.

In 1887 the British sent the geologist TD La Touche to the Kudi valley, who after an extensive survey, discovered that there were two mines. The original 'old mine' which procured the finest gems, consisted of a series of shallow pits on the Northeast wall of the valley, and the 'new mine' a trench located 100 metres south of the 'old mine'. Both mines were leased to C.M.P Wright and the Kashmir Mineral Company in 1906, but after the discovery of limited fine gems and due to the poor weather conditions they ceased in 1908.

Since the time of their initial discovery the production of Kashmir sapphires has remained sporadic and their supply limited. Valued for their velvety blue colour with a greenish dichroism when viewed from the side, these sapphires sometimes appear milky due to minute liquid filled cavities or crystals within the stone, an appearance which is often described as "sleepy'.