For as long as I’m alive I’ll support Artisanal Miners and all the people that support them because there is a chain of individuals that are a part of that gem eco system that makes the system work. A mine to me is like a building that’s being built. It takes not just the construction worker to build something, but the construction manager, the financial system to support the building and so much more. I do not try to cut out the family that is part of that eco system because mining requires a diverse group of people that are there for each other not only when the mine is producing but also when the mine isn’t which is like that in most of the cases. And at these hard times it takes a person with strong finances and a character that’s used to gambling because in financing miners to keep digging when a mine goes through a dry period, is risky. Millions have been lost in the past reinvesting profits back into digging deeper with no gems to be found. Going directly to the digger themselves isn’t the goal. But supporting the team of indigenous people and families who support one another through good times and bad and share in the wealth that’s being brought out of the ground. The more local people benefit from a mine the happier I am. Some mining companies brag about taxes they pay but what they don’t tell you is that they keep 80% of the value of the gems. When Artisanal miners are paid 100% of that money goes to the miners and the communities where the gems are found. For me gem exploring is not about cutting out all those involved to a few people but making sure that as many local families benefit from a mines production. There is money to be made in gems and what matters is that local communities keep a big chunk of it. I believe in taxes but sadly in most of the world the tax money never reaches the communities where the gems are found because of corruption. Having the communities keep 100% of the value of the gems mined is far more positive. To slowly bring in machinery to teach locals to cut their gems is the next step of beneficiation. ❤️🇮🇩🥰

There is without doubt two sides of me: One which is the Explorer and the other being the Executive. And its my choice which side I portray and at which time. But I promise you I know both roles well and can use either one to get my points across. 😊The Explorer side of me is more adventurous and straight forward with no fear of speaking the truth. The Executive side of me more diplomatic because sometimes that side of me reaches the conservatives better and funny enough when the words are spoken by a man with a suit they appear more believable as much as I disagree with that. It’s the ones with suits we sometimes must trust the least. My Grandfather who was my mentor taught me that when with Kings become a King. But when with peasants, become a peasant...And ive followed this philosophy all my life. There is nothing I despise more than arrogance especially by some of the racist whites of Africa with roots to colonial blood. Yesterday an indigenous African group of ladies spoke about these white Africans who although have African passports, also have British passports and are far more racist than the Brits of today. They live in Africa but look down upon the indigenous population that lives there. As one of the girls said, they are only African when it benefits them. Pictures: I’ve organized lots of conferences and Congresses over the years and I have to admit I enjoyed it. For me its a way to get good people together and share ideologies that make our industry better. But more important to help bring benefit to everyone not just from the market but the mines as well. My goal in future years is to throw the greatest gatherings and parties celebrating our industry and friendship that the world has ever seen. And only those with a will to make our industry grow organically and morally will be allowed to participate. I will not allow companies that support bad governance to participate or fund these events. Bloody money should not be allowed to fund gatherings just because they need the sponsorship funds. We must choose to support our conscious vs our egos. To support spreading the wealth to help humanity vs pillage the wealth. We must choose not to be bought!💙

“Greek lifestyle” . . . #greece#fisherman#kea#gemexplorer#keaisland#hellenic#Greek#aegean#gemstones#jewelrydesigner#finejewelry#gemstones#fishing#bulgari#gemologist#gemology#geology#jewelrystore#rockhound#jewelrydesigners#cartier#customjewelry#Tiffany#Greekamerican#gems##mogokruby#tzia#astoria#mykonos#santorini

PLEOCHROISM IN NATURAL UNHEATED TANZANITE (Courtesy of my buddy Farooq @intimategems) STORY BELOW💙

In memory of “Drago” who was trapped in ancient tree sap millions of years ago while dinosaurs were walking around him. He sadly probably fell in it. What’s touched me more about him wasnt that his body has been imortalized for millions of years, but his eyes. His stare and eyes really touched me deeply. 😢This is one of the biggest animals I’ve seen in copal/Amber. 💛🦎. Thanx @crystallizecollective for allowing me to film Drago! #amber #copal #jewelry #gemstones #gems #lizard #lizards #dinasaur #minerology #gemology #geology #rockhound #gemexplorer #tucsongemshow #fossil #dinasaurfossils #lizardfossil #explorer #fossiladdict #fossils

SUGILITE discovered in South Africa and first used in jewelry by a close friend of mine Randy Polk @randypolkjewelry . I remember when the gem was coming out in what they call jelly quality, which was very translucent. This here is one of the best pieces I’ve seen still around and it’s over $30,000. Beads made with this gem are unbelievable. One of my favorite gems. I first bought Sugilite jelly rough in the late 80s and it was the first gem I had cut so forever it will be a special gem for me. 💜 #sugilite #sugilitestone #sugilitejewelry

I’ll explore for gems, people and knowledge in all the jungles of the world until I can no longer walk with no regrets to the abuse my body has taken or will take. This is what I was born to do as well as design jewelry with all I’ve discovered. An Explorer, Activist, Artist and farmer I can say that I have lived the fullest of lives. Yet I feel the best to come is in the future. After decades of exploring Africa I look forward to the unexplored jungles and islands of Indonesia and its beautiful people, food and culture. ♥️🇮🇩💙🇬🇷 #gemexplorer #gemstones #survivalist #survival #explorer #explorers #finejewelry #jewelrydesigner #gems #greek #gemology #gemologist #geology #geologist #rubies #emerald #saphire #knives #indonesiangemstone #jewelryaddict #bulgari#tiffanyandco #cartier #boucheron #vancleefarpels #davidyurman #aquaprase #limassol #cyprus

Tonight at 5pm NYC time I’ll be on QVC US @qvc to represent the GEM DISCOVERER Aquaprase®️ Jewelry Collection an exclusive for QVC. After a lifetime of activism supporting those who can’t speak for themselves, and retiring from it, I feel good to be finally following my own dreams. And I promise you a great adventure! Watching this video promo shows the years that I have invested in the field of Gem Exploration and Artisanal Mining, and how time and wild adventures take a toll on both our minds and bodies. I’m very proud of the life G_d gave me and would not live it another way. Although this is not my own jewelry collection, I absolutely love it and proud to put my name behind it together with the gem I discovered “Aquaprase”. For those wanting to watch the show I’ll be posting links in my stories today! If anyone asks how I feel? Well best words is like “Tarzan” leaves the jungle and visits Pennsylvania. 😂 I’m a bit out of my element, but at the same time talking about gems I love, is my element! Looking forward to presenting show with the wonderful @jennifercoffey . Thank you everyone for the years of support in activism. Now I’m looking forward to using my years of experience to romance our industry and give support to Artisanal mining and designers in our industry creating jewelry that supports everyone in the chain from mines to market. My goal will not only be to promote the Aquaprase jewelry but to also romance all natural gems for our industry, so consumers fall in love with jewelry and the gifts of Mother Nature. 💎🌴💎🌴💎🌴💎🌴 #qvc #qvcjewelry #gemdiscoverer #gemexplorer™️ #jewelry #jewelrydesigner #greek #greece🇬🇷 #aquaprase™️ #explorer #explorers #discoverychannel #finejewelry #jewelryblogger #netflix #gems #gemstones #diamonds #adventure #greekdesigners #crete #rhodes #rhodesisland #bulgari #Cartier #tiffanyandco

Please support Artisanal Miners who have no voice. And be aware of all these so called Ethical organizations like CIBJO and RJC whose real interests are not in supporting the little guys but only the big mining companies that finance their conferences and pay their dues. It seems every criminal out there can be legitimized simply by financing conferences and influencers. They are like the drug cartel and every junkie in our industry is running after them for their dose. We need good money in the future to support real change and bring beneficiation to the Artisanals. For the first time Im excited to do this together with the “Copenhagen Commitment” and I can promise you we won’t allow any blood money to influence our goals for true change. Karma is a bitch and those who choose to become Judahs to money and power will be remembered throughout history. 💙🇬🇷🇮🇱 #indonesia #gemexplorer #gems #gemstones #jewelrydesigner #butterfly #aquadite™️ #artisanal #bulgari #cartier #tifannyandco #crystals #crystal #jewellery #Greece #hellenic #geology #mining #explorer #survival #iguana #miner #camping #crystalhealing #emerald #saphire #ruby

As a Gemexplorer I’m blessed to be very observant of everything around me. This helps both with discovery as well as my security when walking the jungles of the world. But this time while visiting Kastelorizo, Greece the ancestral island of my Greek Australian friend Nick Paspaley @paspaleypearls, I noticed something very unusual far above me while walking to his daughters birthday dinner: A little bird that was just hanging from a wire fence. As my eyes approached it from a distance it was a miracle I saw it and as I walked closer I whispered to myself… “show me a sign you are alive little bird” At that very moment she flapped her wings with what little energy she had almost saying “ hey I’m alive!” After managing to find a ladder we had to cut the wire around her neck first and then with surgical precision cut the wire around it’s neck which was very tight. It helped that I was also a fireman EMT in my past and I had to make sure the bird didn’t escape with the wire still around her. The regular cutters were too bulky so I used nail clippers and it worked perfectly. The feeling of letting the bird fly free 🕊️again was like no other. I dedicate this film to all the oppressed women and children of the world. Do not feel that there is no freedom. All it takes is a sense of humanity from each of us that are free to let you fly again. 🐦‍⬛🕊️🕊️🕊️🕊️💙🇬🇷 Thanks @sophiapaspaley for creating this reel. Song credit “Erimopouli” by Violeta Ikari & Fotini Baxevani. #greece #greek #greekislands #greeksummer #kastelorizo #mykonos #santorini #hellenic #bird #birdphotography #birdlovers #birds #rhodesisland #athens #crete #thessaloniki #greekamerican #greeklife

Wanted to share a gem licking experience with all of you that gives you some kind of indication on the porosity of the gem. This doesn’t give indication on hardness just Porosity. And this excludes gems that have been impregnated with resins and only confined to natural gems. Yes the gems are not always most hygienic but that’s just part of the job. Lol 💙🇬🇷 #Gemology #gemologist #explorer #gemstones #gems #geology #aquaprase™️ #bespokejewelry #bespokejewellery #finejewelry #jewelrydesigner #jewelrydesigners #crystals #crystalshop #crystalhealing #cartier #tiffanyandco #bulgari #vancleefarpels #boucheron #vintagejewelry #santorini #mykonos #mykonosgreece #crete #greek #greekamerican #hellenic

GIA @giagrams always taught us that “Yellowish Green” Chrysoprase was named after the Greek words CHRYSO=Gold (Yellow) & PRASE=Green because of the word “Praso” which means Leek(the green vegetable) Chrysocolla on the other hand means CHRYSO=Gold and COLLA=Glue! So why would a stone be named after it’s use in gold when it’s quite obviously a “Blue-Green”color? Well, to know the answer to that we have to go back in time to 300 BC when ancient Greeks mined this copper ore mineral to create solder for gold. Yes, CHRYSOLLA was named by Ancient Greek philosopher Theophrastus not because of its color but it’s use in jewelry making!! The melting temperature of the copper combined with Aluminum (Cu,Al)2H2Si2) I presume lowered the melting temperature of the gold and the copper gave it strength. The Chrysocolla was sourced from the ancient mines of Laurion near Athens, a mine I was blessed to visit in my youth and toured by famous Greek Minerologist Demetris Minatidis. Whats amazing about the Laurion mines is that apart from collectable minerals still found today, is that it was also one of the richest silver mines in the ancient world. Yes the majority of ancient Greek coins were made with silver mined from Laurion! In refining the silver from the mines the ancient process created tons of BLACK SLAG which can still be found at the shores of Laurion that look like black volcanic rock. They look like ordinary rocks but when cracked open have millions of gorgeous pockets of micro crystals inside them which were formed by the mineral rich gases inside the melted rock as it cooled. And they are gorgeous when looked with a loupe! So yes they are man made but not really, as it was not intentionally, but as a byproduct of mining the silver! What’s beautiful about these micro crystals is that they were formed in Ancient Greece hundreds of years before Christ and are thousands of years old. Silver and gold solder mined at same mine! What would be interesting is if Nathan @microworldofgems would photograph some of these Laurion slag crystals where the Chrysocolla and silver were both mined! HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! 🐣🐰💙🇬🇷