How Miners Find, Cut, And Transport The Most Expensive Amethysts In The World | So Expensive

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 28 кві 2024
  • Amethyst is one of the most abundant crystals in the world. But the most prized pieces can cost almost a million dollars. Some of the world’s largest amethyst geodes come out of Artigas, Uruguay. The earth beneath this region is uniquely suited to producing amethyst. But other than size, what qualities do miners look for in a valuable amethyst? And how are the crystals prepared once they’re out of the ground? We explored why amethyst geodes are so expensive.
    Chapters
    0:00 Intro
    0:40 Uruguay’s massive amethyst geodes
    1:31 Excavating Amethyst
    3:10 Why amethyst is purple
    4:15 Mining in the tunnels
    6:18 Washing and polishing amethyst
    8:07 Selling giant geodes
    10:36 Growing demand for near-gemstones
    MORE SO EXPENSIVE VIDEOS:
    Why Huitlacoche (Corn Smut) is So Expensive
    • Why Huitlacoche (Corn ...
    How Farmers In One Indian Village Crafted The Most Expensive Nutmeg and Mace
    • How Farmers In One Ind...
    10 Of The Most Expensive Items Made In India
    • 10 Indian Businesses M...
    ------------------------------------------------------
    Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more.
    Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: www.businessinsider.com
    Insider Business on Facebook: / businessinsider
    Insider Business on Instagram: / insiderbusiness
    Insider Business on Twitter: / businessinsider
    Insider Business on Snapchat: / 5319643143
    Insider Business on TikTok: / businessinsider
    How Miners Find, Cut, And Transport The Most Expensive Amethysts In The World

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,2 тис.

  • @Greippi10
    @Greippi10 5 місяців тому +4724

    Honestly a million dollars for that massive geode seems like a bargain considering how unique it is and how much work it took.

    • @redbarchetta8782
      @redbarchetta8782 5 місяців тому +507

      I see a piece like that being at the entrance of a museum of natural history somewhere.

    • @GreatSageSunWukong
      @GreatSageSunWukong 5 місяців тому +160

      I'd want that in my hall

    • @alexalexy1809
      @alexalexy1809 5 місяців тому +124

      rich arabs can buy it

    • @mkbane1262
      @mkbane1262 5 місяців тому +43

      Considering it just being an art piece

    • @Crispr00
      @Crispr00 5 місяців тому

      @@redbarchetta8782exactly, museum, not your friends house

  • @Stepher45
    @Stepher45 5 місяців тому +2421

    It’s a breath of fresh air to see workers doing stuff like this actually having proper equipment and protection.

    • @ryandavis7390
      @ryandavis7390 5 місяців тому +340

      Except for the complete lack of respiration equipment! 😮

    • @SexyEarHair
      @SexyEarHair 5 місяців тому +170

      @@ryandavis7390 Not to mention that when they had safety glasses they still just wore them on their head not their eyes lmao

    • @_Ekaros
      @_Ekaros 5 місяців тому +60

      @@ryandavis7390 One guy had respirator... I wonder if others just refuse those...

    • @blooperman1997
      @blooperman1997 5 місяців тому +30

      @@_Ekaros Don't need a respirator for wet saws and the only guy we actually saw drilling did use one so I'd assume they all do.

    • @DTMharlot
      @DTMharlot 5 місяців тому +131

      @@blooperman1997 He was using a disc grinder at one point on the stones and it was very clearly putting death powder into the air....

  • @mohitsoni2289
    @mohitsoni2289 5 місяців тому +386

    That massive stone at the starting is gonna make a hell of a center piece at a millionaire's house

    • @duncanbananatyne3890
      @duncanbananatyne3890 3 місяці тому +18

      Hopefully it goes to somewhere public.

    • @cohandora
      @cohandora Місяць тому +9

      gonna make a hell of a piece to clean also

    • @ESan-lh6dq
      @ESan-lh6dq Місяць тому +6

      ​@@cohandora thats what the rich guys maids are for.

    • @garrydye2394
      @garrydye2394 Місяць тому +2

      No collector is buying something that expensive that is not rare. Big but common is not what collectors are after. What something is priced at and what something actually sells at can be night and day. I've been a fossil deale for over 25 years. This piece is not in high demand. Come back in 20 years and he will still be paying to store it at that price.

    • @JamesBrown-rd8og
      @JamesBrown-rd8og Місяць тому

      AGREE : (((((@@cohandora

  • @cestaron634
    @cestaron634 3 місяці тому +250

    Honestly in my opinion that 26ton behemoth is priceless and should be displayed. A single Geode that big has got to be insanely rare.

    • @C4TC4T
      @C4TC4T 3 місяці тому +19

      It is, especially with how intact it is; the most challenging part about finding large specimens like this, is figuring out how one would excavate and transport it, without damaging it

    • @MurderBong
      @MurderBong 3 місяці тому +5

      IF IT WAS FOUND IN ONTARIO CANADA IT WOULD BE 25X MORE $ 😅

    • @user-ii8jj5sg6m
      @user-ii8jj5sg6m Місяць тому

      Nobody wants to hear your damn opinion

    • @helton_ss
      @helton_ss Місяць тому

      Like always. The wealth of the Americas is sucked and exploited by rich countries.

  • @BurritoNikito
    @BurritoNikito 5 місяців тому +649

    My grandpa is a former miner with an experience of 27 years (surely, at the end of his service, he did a sitting job).
    Nevertheless, he told me it was obligatory to wear a respirator when entering the mine, and he wore. But today he suffers from silicosis and many other diseases. He cheers us up saying he must be a record holder in longevity among miners (he's 81), although that means all his friends have passed away.
    The lesson of the day is as follows: if my grandpa caught silicosis while wearing protective equipment, the fate of those working in dusty environment without protection will be less optimistic, unfortunately.

    • @OG_BiggusDickus
      @OG_BiggusDickus 5 місяців тому +1

      The way people catch it even when wearing a respirator is by the dust on their clothes, you take your respirator off and change clothes making the dust on your clothes airborne over the decades that minute amount still catches up with you.

    • @jlo7770
      @jlo7770 3 місяці тому +57

      I was a minor for 18 years. Pretty impressive he did it for 27!

    • @ncd2164
      @ncd2164 3 місяці тому +22

      @@jlo7770LMFAOOO wtf 😂

    • @VonHanzee
      @VonHanzee 3 місяці тому

      mostly bullshit half truths from a hohol

    • @cheapskate8656
      @cheapskate8656 3 місяці тому +4

      Very high risk here because of the quartz its almost pure silicon. Poor buggars.

  • @1.4142
    @1.4142 5 місяців тому +440

    The purple color is not caused by Iron atoms releasing light, which would be luminance. Ionizing radiation converts Fe3+ ions in place of Si in the lattice into [FeO4]0 color centers, which are purple.

    • @alexs-fo6jz
      @alexs-fo6jz 5 місяців тому +89

      Yeah, if the explanation in the video was correct, they would glow in the dark!

    • @mkbane1262
      @mkbane1262 5 місяців тому +18

      Yeah I saw this too. If this was true then this crystal wouldn’t be so useless lmao

    • @brushmasterspaintingfranchise
      @brushmasterspaintingfranchise 5 місяців тому +10

      @@mkbane1262 useless? quartz is extremely useful.

    • @mkbane1262
      @mkbane1262 5 місяців тому +1

      @@brushmasterspaintingfranchise amethyst

    • @brushmasterspaintingfranchise
      @brushmasterspaintingfranchise 5 місяців тому +26

      @@mkbane1262 You might want to do a little bit of research my friend. Amethyst is 100% quarts

  • @sidequest_studio
    @sidequest_studio 5 місяців тому +97

    Ricardo not wearing a mask while grinding all that stone is nuts! What a craftsman though

    • @rebeccaadamson5972
      @rebeccaadamson5972 5 місяців тому

      There's water on the grinder that keeps the dust out of the air so there's no risk of silicosis!

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +3

      Hopefully, it was just for a couple camera shots so they can see his face. He may even be holding his breath for those shots.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +3

      @@rebeccaadamson5972There’s water on the diamond saw, but the angle grinder looks dry.

    • @Yo_Hahn
      @Yo_Hahn 4 місяці тому +8

      @@rebeccaadamson5972 dont you see all the dust hes standing in? 😅

    • @helton_ss
      @helton_ss Місяць тому

      Like always. The wealth of the Americas is sucked and exploited by rich countries.

  • @ericcarabetta1161
    @ericcarabetta1161 5 місяців тому +313

    It’s so fascinating seeing these formations in their natural habitat.

    • @Love_N_Let_Live
      @Love_N_Let_Live 5 місяців тому +3

      If I was a buyer, I'd want the video of the geode in it's natural habitat, and a video of them first breaking it open.

    • @steveng7174
      @steveng7174 3 місяці тому +4

      "habitat"? Hahahaahahaah It's a fvcking rock, rocks don't have a habitat. How about the matrix that surrounds it. Yeah, that's it.

    • @steveng7174
      @steveng7174 3 місяці тому

      "habitat"? Hahahaahahaah It's a fvcking rock, rocks don't have a habitat. How about the matrix that surrounds it. Yeah, that's it.

    • @Nikedidaspuma
      @Nikedidaspuma 3 місяці тому +5

      @@steveng7174 man, stones have rights...
      😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

    • @mobstercrow7515
      @mobstercrow7515 3 місяці тому +4

      I hope they release it back into the wild.

  • @IggyinMelbourne
    @IggyinMelbourne 5 місяців тому +65

    When I was a kid my parents took us on a holiday to Queensland and we went to a Crystal cave tourist place. The main attraction was a 6 foot amethyst. Getting to touch it is something I will never forget. We also got to break our own geode which was super cool.

    • @jlo7770
      @jlo7770 3 місяці тому +1

      I didn't know they got that big, I've only seen small ones it'd be cool to see some of those massive ones, makes you wonder what's under our feet that will never be found

    • @Boooney
      @Boooney 3 місяці тому

      Atherton, QLD

    • @stonedcold5172
      @stonedcold5172 3 місяці тому

      The Crystal Castle a short drive into Byron Bay's hinterland has some of the largest in the world at 5.5 meters called the crystal guardians.

  • @livenotonevil8279
    @livenotonevil8279 5 місяців тому +126

    only 1 million?!

    • @AP90x
      @AP90x 5 місяців тому +15

      That stuff is common asf.

    • @ew2645
      @ew2645 5 місяців тому

      Right??! That was my thought.

    • @WhoDeanyUnchained
      @WhoDeanyUnchained 5 місяців тому

      My thoughts exactly

    • @roart3464
      @roart3464 5 місяців тому +3

      It is a semi-precious stone, it is not valued as much as the Ruby, diamond and other precious stone because in our soil there is a lot of underground, although not all mines have high quality stones.

    • @ande100
      @ande100 5 місяців тому +2

      That is only for the geode as such, on location in Uruguay. Before expost, taxes, shipping, enormous insurance.
      Remember: the horse is the cheapest initial cost in becoming an equestrian 🐎.

  • @user-ll8cx9qq6p
    @user-ll8cx9qq6p 3 місяці тому +98

    This is such a wholesome job. Humans just digging for some shining cute purple rocks to look at.

    • @BlackTourmaline25
      @BlackTourmaline25 3 місяці тому

      Indians worship Trump in India. Why be condescending towards people and their livelihood

    • @cuneytunsal5422
      @cuneytunsal5422 3 місяці тому +18

      Its very wholesome when you think about workers health and wage 😂

    • @semekiizuio
      @semekiizuio 3 місяці тому +2

      Perhaps in this mine and company but definitely not in other mines and companies. Pink quartz and jade for example had scene a documentary they pay cents and they have carry the geo on their backs

    • @johnbrewer227
      @johnbrewer227 3 місяці тому +8

      You’re right, so wholesome to think about there $2/hr wage topped off by a long slow death of silicosis by the time they’re 50. So wholesome ☺️☺️

    • @user-ll8cx9qq6p
      @user-ll8cx9qq6p 3 місяці тому

      I'm very sorry, I wasn't aware of this so I didn't mean it like that@@johnbrewer227

  • @jekku4688
    @jekku4688 4 місяці тому +66

    I once worked for someone who had a large gem collection. Seeing one of those 6-foot tall amethyst geodes in person was breathtaking!

  • @dakotac180
    @dakotac180 5 місяців тому +50

    Amethyst is amazing it even can have UV reactive calcite pieces in it. Its crazy how huge it can get.
    I'm so happy the workers have proper tools and gear on.

  • @mattg8369
    @mattg8369 5 місяців тому +84

    Stunning. I love purple, and amethyst has always been my favorite stone. Great video.

  • @LestageMineralsuy
    @LestageMineralsuy Місяць тому +4

    Thank you for featuring our treasurers! Each piece involves a lot of work and effort

  • @m8imhawk
    @m8imhawk 3 місяці тому +15

    I am not a jeweller, but studied geology and understand that amethyst formation is not related to radioactivity. Amethyst is a type of quartz that forms within cavities or voids in rocks, as they stated. The purple coloration in amethyst is due to the presence of iron impurities within the quartz crystal lattice, but radioactivity is completely irrelevant to the crystal formation and colour.
    The formation of amethyst typically occurs when silica-rich solutions (liquids) precipitate within these voids or cavities in rocks. As the solution cools down, quartz crystals begin to grow, and when there are traces of iron present, the purple coloration occurs. The specific coloration of amethyst can also be affected by the presence of trace elements and exposure to natural irradiation or heat, but this isn't tied to radioactivity.
    Radioactive elements, when present in minerals, can cause certain colorations in gemstones through natural irradiation (such as the famous green observed in uranium glass) but this is not the case for amethyst.

    • @PalaeoStuff
      @PalaeoStuff 3 місяці тому +1

      It has been shown though that ionizing radiation can turn colorless quartz with iron impurities into proper amethyst with its characteristic purple color. And if not for radioactivity, where would this radiation come from? Cosmic rays could work on the surface, but won't reach deep in the rock. On the other hand, radioactive elements are naturally present in volcanic rock like in the deposit in the video, so it would be hard to explain how they could not have an effect.
      Heat can have an effect as well, sure, but it causes the color to turn yellowish instead.
      In the case of uranium glass, however, it being green is actually not due to radioactivity, that's just the color of the added colorants (some of which happen to be radioactive). If you're thinking about how it glows in the dark, that would be fluorescence under UV light.

    • @georgsteidl2249
      @georgsteidl2249 26 днів тому

      @@PalaeoStuff yes

  • @cashlarkin3453
    @cashlarkin3453 5 місяців тому +26

    “Takes a few million years to form” that shit is just crazy to think about

    • @andrebuckley9382
      @andrebuckley9382 5 місяців тому +2

      it aint that long believe i. most things formed after the chaos on earth with the fighting an the disappearing act of most people across the world, which aloud crazy people from no where to show up and capture so many places for them selves even those so called royals all over the earth. mud flood events. the power of nature is fascinating to think leave nature be and it will produce wonders from past dead elements from giant stuff like the trees etc which are fossilized to stone to this day. along with those beast which looks like mountains at times

    • @abundantharmony
      @abundantharmony 5 місяців тому +5

      Millions of years my left toe. You ever seen salt crystallize out of a super saturated solution? Same can happen in lava and even a slurry under pressure. They can grow crystals super quick in the lab with proper conditions regularly seen under the Earth.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +1

      @@abundantharmonyNot true. Large crystals take much longer to form than small ones, even in a lab under controlled conditions. The temperature, level of saturation, pressure, solute composition, and other factors affect crystal growth rates. You can grow a good sized halite (salt) crystal fairly quickly. Quartz, not so much.
      Besides, the crystals in those vugs aren’t even formed by the lava. They’re formed by silica rich fluid seeping into the vugs and slowly crystallizing. Crystals formed by volcanism tend to be microscopic, like the crystals that make up basalt and other extrusive igneous rocks. The only way you get bigger crystals is if they form in magma that cools slowly deep underground or if the crystals didn’t completely melt from the last time they were crystallized (phenocrysts).

    • @abundantharmony
      @abundantharmony 5 місяців тому +1

      @@evilsharkey8954 Don't put words in my mouth. I never said that large crystals don't take longer to form. That's the dumbest thing you could have tried to SAY I said. "Big trees take longer to grow than small trees." Sheesh, we got a thinker here folks.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +1

      @@abundantharmony It’s not that ridiculous if you understand how crystals grow. Crystals have to grow more slowly to get big, not just for a longer time. On a related note: bigger trees don’t always take longer to grow. Some trees grow like weeds and quickly overtake trees that have been growing much longer. Conditions and type make a big difference in trees and in crystals.
      You also have to consider the growth process isn’t continuous, or the whole vug would be amethyst, when most of these geodes have an agate or chalcedony crust, often with bands indicating periods of increased and decreased growth. One cycle of crystal growth could happen geologically quickly under ideal conditions, but the conditions are frequently changing, so the total time to form is lengthened.

  • @lesliecruguet4136
    @lesliecruguet4136 5 місяців тому +22

    Please do more videos on these mega minerals- quartz, rose quartz, citrine etc- love them ALL!

  • @thomasloanwolf
    @thomasloanwolf 5 місяців тому +11

    That was extremely breathtaking. i now have extremely huge respect for what this company and there workers . this place is now on my bucket list to visit

  • @mikerphone.
    @mikerphone. 5 місяців тому +25

    3:45 The picture you guys used to explain quartz is calcite it forms inside the geodes alongside the quartz

  • @kokonana4086
    @kokonana4086 5 місяців тому +58

    Speechless. This is magnificent! Still, really want to know how they are going to transport those behemoth geodes. Bet it's going to be equally massive operation as well.

    • @lbguitar
      @lbguitar 3 місяці тому +1

      I have a measly 5 foot tall, 750 lb amethyst cathedral. It took 4 grown men a lot of swearing, back pain and equipment to move it into the house. They are incredibly dense and heavy. We always joke that if we ever sell the house, we simply have to include the amethyst into the price of the home because there's no way we are moving that again. I can only imagine how difficult it would be to move one of those megaliths around and the machinery it would take.

  • @Mitsubachicats
    @Mitsubachicats 5 місяців тому +5

    Wow!
    Maybe one day I might have a small amethyst geode of my own.
    This was very informative and interesting. Thanks

  • @nigelmorton3652
    @nigelmorton3652 3 місяці тому

    How brilliant this short film is ; from Quarry to factory to finished gems ; Excellent 🇬🇧

  • @jcintheplacetobe123
    @jcintheplacetobe123 5 місяців тому +2

    this is such a welcomed video to watch at the moment. Thank you for sharing

  • @CheeseToastOfDeath
    @CheeseToastOfDeath 5 місяців тому +22

    I have an amethyst geode sitting on top of my PC, and a 00 gauge plug of it in my ear. It's my favourite stone (don't ask me why, though. It just is). So cool to see the mining process.

    • @AB-hi6ru
      @AB-hi6ru 5 місяців тому +4

      But why though?

  • @miiim
    @miiim 5 місяців тому +16

    I immediately opened the video in the hopes that the story would be located in my country because we are rarely in the map for anything.... 🙃 wasn't disappointed!

    • @NewLeaf7
      @NewLeaf7 5 місяців тому +2

      At least Uruguay is famous for Luis Suárez

    • @miiim
      @miiim 5 місяців тому

      @@NewLeaf7 haha I guess!
      I just remembered Chiellini 😭 lol

  • @SoberOKMoments
    @SoberOKMoments 4 місяці тому

    Breathtaking beauty. Thanks for this video.

  • @cindyclay1750
    @cindyclay1750 День тому

    Mother nature takes millions of years to pull this off! 🥰 They are priceless! 🌠

  • @thesandwich5321
    @thesandwich5321 3 місяці тому +3

    Incredible. It must be extremely hard work, you'd come home feeling so rough at the end of the day, but I'm so grateful to these people for the work they do. I'll never be able to afford one of the big geodes (like they say, it IS a luxury) but I've always been fascinated by them and wondered how on Earth they get them out of the ground.

  • @dillydilly7693
    @dillydilly7693 5 місяців тому +24

    Ricardo should be wearing something to protect him from breathing in the rock dust.

    • @GaryCat899
      @GaryCat899 5 місяців тому +2

      yeah i gasped omg

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому

      I’m hoping he was just doing a brief shot for the camera and holding his breath. I doubt he’d have lived that long if he wasn’t wearing a respirator most of the time.

  • @PaulJordan318
    @PaulJordan318 3 місяці тому

    Beautiful, & thank you blue collar works❕Your the true earners of these mines.

  • @squidly2112
    @squidly2112 3 місяці тому +1

    Wow, those things are super duper impressive !! .. beautiful too !! .. I had no idea those things could be so big.

  • @TwinShards
    @TwinShards 5 місяців тому +5

    Those Amethyst are beautiful! Wish i had one similar to the one in my profile picture.
    Those giant Geode are light a never lasting night sky sparkling.

  • @weldmaster1825
    @weldmaster1825 5 місяців тому +34

    No one can create such beauty like mother nature does!

    • @Ellen-hs7zb
      @Ellen-hs7zb 5 місяців тому +7

      It's God, the father, the creator, altho' I get the mother nature metaphor.

    • @vice.nor.virtue
      @vice.nor.virtue 5 місяців тому +2

      i dunno the Sagrada Famillia is quite impresssive

    • @rizizum
      @rizizum 5 місяців тому +3

      @@Ellen-hs7zb no, the devil made amethysts, stop with the blasphemy

    • @Zireael83
      @Zireael83 5 місяців тому +4

      @@Ellen-hs7zb There is no such thing as a "god" but each as it fits his education, I guess.

    • @Ellen-hs7zb
      @Ellen-hs7zb 5 місяців тому +2

      @@Zireael83 Oh, really?

  • @Sassy_Alaskan
    @Sassy_Alaskan 5 місяців тому +1

    OMG they're beautiful!! It's breathtaking.

  • @whatsreal7506
    @whatsreal7506 5 місяців тому

    This is truly fascinating! Interesting stuff!

  • @darrenberkey7017
    @darrenberkey7017 3 місяці тому +5

    I had NO CLUE that amethyst geodes could get THAT big! Wow!

    • @ANPC-pi9vu
      @ANPC-pi9vu 3 місяці тому

      There is a volcanic mountain in Mexico containing a cave system that is all a giant geode you can walk inside of... but only for a short time and with a space suit with a cooling system in it to protect you from the extreme heat. There's a video of researchers inside of it examining massive individual crystal points far larger than people.

    • @sporqist
      @sporqist 3 місяці тому

      @@ANPC-pi9vu Sounds super interesting. Mind sharing the name of that video or the name of the cave?

  • @bobbymoss6160
    @bobbymoss6160 5 місяців тому +62

    Funny story, only reason why amethysts tanked in value is because companies like debeers decided not to control production of this mineral like the other expensive gems, not because they found massive deposits. It's all about control.

    • @Chris.Pontius
      @Chris.Pontius 5 місяців тому +7

      Well it kinda is. They just didn't corner the market and ridiculously inflate the prices by hoarding all the stones, like other gems.
      Its a more natural decline than the others.

    • @VPCh.
      @VPCh. 5 місяців тому +6

      It's also far more common than diamond. Controlling the supply would be impossible when places like Thunder Bay have it everywhere.

    • @blacksorrento4719
      @blacksorrento4719 5 місяців тому +3

      One of the best advertising marketing propaganda ploys ever perpetrated on the general public.
      A cartel made themselves very rich by controlling supply and demand. No 10 on Moh’s scale which is purely scratchability.
      Diamond have perfect cleavage, hit it on the right axis and your magnificent solitaire could be in pieces on the granite bench top. Fact: until machine cutting became the norm, cutters used to avoid diamonds, way too much risk. It is made up of carbon. Only difference between graphite, coal and diamond is heat & pressure.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +1

      The deposits weren’t owned by DeBeers, so they couldn’t control the market. They used to control the majority of diamonds. Now there are other companies that all limit the available supply because they like making too much money on what’s best suited for accent stones around something prettier.

    • @VPCh.
      @VPCh. 5 місяців тому +3

      @@blacksorrento4719 I get what you are saying, but some of your points are a bit misleading.
      Diamonds are pretty interesting minerals. They aren't just a bit harder to scratch, but entire orders of magnitude harder.
      And the process that it takes for them to be shot out of the earth in kimberlite pipes is very cool.
      And then there's the industry applications.
      I'd also add that the only difference between you and a pile of mud is a couple organic processes and time.
      Are they overpriced? Absolutely. Are they still cool, yes.

  • @tvon698
    @tvon698 5 місяців тому

    Wow. Thanks for sharing.. really quite amazing!!

  • @S.dukes123
    @S.dukes123 4 місяці тому +2

    One word... stunning💜

  • @cathybaldry7822
    @cathybaldry7822 5 місяців тому +14

    After watching this it is clear to me that the international jewellery companies have been pulling the wool over the eyes of consumers. Many times over the years I have heard again and again that lighter coloured Amethyst are of higher quality and put crazy high prices on them. What a scam. I personally have always liked darker amethyst.

    • @ArjanBakker
      @ArjanBakker 5 місяців тому +3

      never believe a salesperson

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +3

      Lighter colored amethyst is typically clearer and less likely to have imperfections. Amethyst also fades when exposed to UV light, so they may just be overcooked in their display cases.

    • @ANPC-pi9vu
      @ANPC-pi9vu 3 місяці тому +3

      I've never heard any such thing, unless you are talking about rare forms like pink amethyst or lavender amethyst who's colors are altered by rare contaminants. Those are two light forms of amethysts that are more valuable, but they are also distinctive from merely a normal less irradiated amethyst. Another factor in quality for cut gems is uniformity of color. A lot of dark amethyst has strong color zoning which can hurt the value unless they can trim away the uneven parts.

    • @donnar4261
      @donnar4261 3 місяці тому

      Never heard of that...

  • @kiereluurs1243
    @kiereluurs1243 5 місяців тому +5

    Those giant geodes are just overwhelming.

  • @syren4731
    @syren4731 3 місяці тому +2

    The center of that giant geode looks like a galaxy. So pretty. It should be in a museum somewhere, can’t believe it’s only $1 million

  • @santyago4
    @santyago4 3 місяці тому +1

    I truly enjoyed that!!!

  • @anonymmaskros6234
    @anonymmaskros6234 5 місяців тому +3

    I love, LOVE amethysts 💜

  • @Miamcoline
    @Miamcoline 5 місяців тому +8

    Nice to see a wholesome thriving business were everyone seems to have the proper equipment and work in decent conditions and where they seem to do ok whether it is considered a high or low value item by the global economy.

  • @tutziepop
    @tutziepop 5 місяців тому +1

    So beautiful! Love them

  • @XBullitt16X
    @XBullitt16X 5 місяців тому +1

    Looks like a starry sky, it's gorgeous that large piece.

  • @JohnHausser
    @JohnHausser 5 місяців тому +11

    Feel we all used to have a piece of amethyst when we were kids 😅

  • @frankyao5854
    @frankyao5854 3 місяці тому +3

    The purple comes from the iron atoms in the amethyst changing their oxidation states from 3+ to 4+, which alters the absorption spectrum which results in this colour, it doesn't magically 'burn off energy'

  • @avalonjustin
    @avalonjustin 5 місяців тому +1

    Gotta love those beautiful crystals!

  • @ruperterskin2117
    @ruperterskin2117 13 днів тому

    Cool. Thanks for sharing.

  • @VPCh.
    @VPCh. 5 місяців тому +13

    Nice to see them actually having decent PPE and mine safety.
    I'm a geologist and it's very rare to have mines in those countries having safe working conditions. Half the time you will see them wearing sandals and uncontrolled collapses are a daily occurrence.

    • @awibs57
      @awibs57 5 місяців тому +5

      Yes, this was my first thought as well. Loved that the owner was Uruguayan too, and not some misplaced pasty British person who owns the estate.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому

      @@awibs57There’s a pasty American who is a major dealer of these types of geodes and giant quartz crystals from Brazil, but he buys from the local miners and dealers and distributes them to buyers elsewhere. He’s not their boss.

    • @jam6636
      @jam6636 4 місяці тому

      "Those Countries"?

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 4 місяці тому

      @@jam6636 Poorer countries where minerals are mined, primarily for Western consumption. Rich corporations could provide workers with PPE, but then they would make slightly less money.

    • @jam6636
      @jam6636 4 місяці тому

      @@evilsharkey8954 So in "richer countries" always use correct PPE?, no workers problems? are there no massive swaths of land polluted to the point of no return?

  • @mho...
    @mho... 5 місяців тому +3

    imagine this in ancient times, this would have made the perfect king/queen throne, back in the days!

  • @beverlylumley4150
    @beverlylumley4150 5 місяців тому

    Beautiful video, thank you

  • @justsomesaltyboi8716
    @justsomesaltyboi8716 3 місяці тому +9

    As a gemstone collector, I love amethysts but not nearly as much as Australian Black Opals. ABOs take the top spot for me but the amethysts in this video justifies why I still hold this gemstone so highly underneath ABOs. I would love to visit Uruguay to explore the mines where my collection of amethysts are most likely from. Thank you Business Insider for doing what you do!

    • @woah4604
      @woah4604 3 місяці тому

      HAHAHAHAHAHA YOU COLLECT GEMSTONES HAHAHAHAHAH FKING SNOWFLAKE LMFAOOOOOOOOO

    • @obnoxiouspedant
      @obnoxiouspedant 3 місяці тому

      ​@@woah4604k

    • @ferretyluv
      @ferretyluv 3 місяці тому

      How many Breaking Bad jokes do you have to deal with daily?

    • @justsomesaltyboi8716
      @justsomesaltyboi8716 3 місяці тому

      @@ferretyluv 0 cause nobody has ever brought it up

    • @ferretyluv
      @ferretyluv 3 місяці тому

      @@justsomesaltyboi8716 Seriously? Nobody’s said “Jesus Christ Marie, they’re minerals?”

  • @darkrathwheito9818
    @darkrathwheito9818 2 місяці тому +4

    One million dollars for such an MASSIVE geode, yet an blue diamond wheighting just a few grams can be EASILY sold for 10x that value...

    • @simonmessenger7217
      @simonmessenger7217 Місяць тому

      It's a supply and demand issue. There's obviously more amethyst than diamond which significantly affect their value. If something is harder to mine out of the ground it's value goes up. Also diamond has to be extensively cut/processed

  • @xilijetgames
    @xilijetgames 2 дні тому

    Beautiful 😮

  • @mrirurfkjsdo
    @mrirurfkjsdo 5 місяців тому

    Amazing doc !!!!! Thx a lot !!!!

  • @shmang1485
    @shmang1485 5 місяців тому +33

    These workers that are grinding the rocks could benefit from ppe. Wesring a mask to filter out the dust will prolong their life.
    Breathing in the rock dust is very dangerous.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому

      I think the one guy is just doing a couple of clips with his respirator off for the video. He may even be holding his breath. He wouldn’t have gotten that old breathing silica dust.

  • @nitzneymann3977
    @nitzneymann3977 5 місяців тому +3

    Amethyst is such a beautiful gemstone. Purple is a royalty color. Very beautiful and exquisite. But I really haťe how its value became so cheap and this gem is almost neglected compared to other gems!!! Who tf don't want an amethyst jewelry???🥺

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +3

      You can’t wear it in the sun too much or it will fade.
      Also, a lower value means more people can afford to buy it.

  • @Scyth3934
    @Scyth3934 3 місяці тому

    Wow. Fascinating!

  • @cordeliaadams4898
    @cordeliaadams4898 4 місяці тому

    Love this stone’s colour! 💜💜💜💜

  • @marfztv
    @marfztv 4 місяці тому +17

    Can’t imagine first born people who walked on these precious stones just like an ordinary tile and now million of years later the amount of time and effort before you can get a very good type of amethyst 😍

  • @THUNDERMONK64
    @THUNDERMONK64 5 місяців тому +4

    Wow that's impressive

  • @b.c.4902
    @b.c.4902 3 місяці тому

    What a neat documentary, I would love to see more like these 😊and about more geodes. Maybe the Arkansas quartz?

  • @johnpick8336
    @johnpick8336 Місяць тому

    Incredible!

  • @Moniyabandit
    @Moniyabandit 5 місяців тому +6

    Omg I wanna stand inside of one

  • @nfrench2100
    @nfrench2100 5 місяців тому +23

    6:59
    I’m no expert. But that can’t be good for his lungs 😮‍💨

    • @DTMharlot
      @DTMharlot 5 місяців тому +2

      Thought the exact same thing and then 30 seconds later at 7:31 he almost pushed his finger into the saw.... This guy won't be around in 20 years.

    • @haryjackazzgaming1813
      @haryjackazzgaming1813 5 місяців тому

      Yeah silica dust from quarts causes construction workers and miners to get lung cancer. I'm glad the others at least were using air filtration masks

    • @bikedawg
      @bikedawg 5 місяців тому +1

      he will get pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

    • @nfrench2100
      @nfrench2100 5 місяців тому +2

      @@bikedawg precisely what I was thinking only I couldn’t spell it so I didn’t mention it 🤷🏼‍♂️

    • @laramaaike3050
      @laramaaike3050 5 місяців тому

      @@bikedawg I guess you are the kid? 😂

  • @SuChanyaOfficial
    @SuChanyaOfficial 5 місяців тому

    This is magnificent!

  • @reseviladik
    @reseviladik 4 місяці тому

    for me it's so beautiful.. any purple gem looks majestic

  • @arenzale
    @arenzale 5 місяців тому +5

    I just go on my boat and look in the ocean for amethyst geodes, then dive down with a pickaxe. That's how I get my amethyst when I need it for tinted glass.

  • @rudiruttger
    @rudiruttger 5 місяців тому +5

    What a wonderful resource they can exploit.

    • @vice.nor.virtue
      @vice.nor.virtue 5 місяців тому +1

      Well, like what do you expect them to do? Leave all this money buried under tonnes of rock where no one can see it?

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +2

      It beats bulldozing rainforest to graze cattle. At least this is a fairly small area, and the value extracted is high.

    • @rudiruttger
      @rudiruttger 5 місяців тому

      @@vice.nor.virtue uhm, did you think the word exploit is bad or something? I clearly think this is a good thing.

    • @vice.nor.virtue
      @vice.nor.virtue 5 місяців тому

      @@rudiruttger Well, honestly yeah actually. 99% of the time anyone says _exploit_ it's in relation to something negative whether it be natural resources (specifically fossil fuels)) , ivory and other animal resources and of course a history of low paid or slave labor

    • @rudiruttger
      @rudiruttger 5 місяців тому

      @@vice.nor.virtue exploit is a word that isn't immediately a negative, it's the context of usage, and exploiting a resource just means you're making use of it.

  • @braxinIV
    @braxinIV День тому

    Straight up looks like staring into a pocket dimension into space. So cool

  • @RPGreg2600
    @RPGreg2600 3 місяці тому

    Fascinating!

  • @pewpewsalote8802
    @pewpewsalote8802 5 місяців тому +3

    ima be honest, an amethyst that big and pristine should cost WAY more than a million dollars.

  • @Arsaroon
    @Arsaroon 5 місяців тому +4

    If I was a multimillionaire rapper or a singer
    And I have 2 choices
    1. A 1 million worth of Diamond chain(probably crazy big)
    2. A fricking Jurassic Park worthy showpiece in my house
    I wouldn’t even think twice😂

    • @vice.nor.virtue
      @vice.nor.virtue 5 місяців тому

      Diamonds are a total rip-off anyway. They're not even rare, it's just because DeBeers is a monopoly controlling the flow of diamonds into markets across the world that they can artificially raise the price because of the economics of supply and demand.

  • @gavz794
    @gavz794 3 місяці тому +2

    When I went on vacation two years ago to Artigas I was able to meet a miner, he told me what working in the mines was like and gave him a small piece of amethyst.

  • @siit376
    @siit376 3 місяці тому

    WOW super thanks !

  • @ryanread8617
    @ryanread8617 5 місяців тому +5

    Imagine turning that massive amethysts geome into a throne or a chair, I can imagine being a billionaire or a Emperor and sitting down in that huge geome and curve the bottom to be like a throne but the upper part intact. How intense beauty that would be too and a show of power!

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому

      You’d need a cushion. Geodes are made of cold, hard rock!

  • @SavageCouture
    @SavageCouture 5 місяців тому +3

    My lungs hurt for those poor souls😢

  • @etonsot392
    @etonsot392 Місяць тому

    I can stare at it all day, it looks therapeutic to look at.

  • @kresimirmilisa5560
    @kresimirmilisa5560 5 місяців тому +1

    Very nice crystals in purple color❤

  • @amorgan5844
    @amorgan5844 3 місяці тому +3

    6:58 please for his health get this man a respirator, breathing in basalt dust is going to destroy his lungs.

  • @kane2803
    @kane2803 Місяць тому +1

    just like diamond it should costs less but the hoarding of companies make the price sour high...

  • @kyleanuar9090
    @kyleanuar9090 5 місяців тому +1

    Amethyst is my favourite gem colour, didn't know they're plenty about.

  • @dannygreen592
    @dannygreen592 5 місяців тому +4

    No links to the companies site??
    I'm sure many people would love to buy the smaller or even big amethysts and the geodes!
    Counting myself as well lol. Why wouldn't they link their website or contact info?

    • @rebeckagilbert2905
      @rebeckagilbert2905 5 місяців тому

      They may sell only in the wholesale market. It's a very large industry and they are sold by the pallets to other wholesale vendors. I technically work in the bead/jewelry world but the shop also sells some specimen's You should look for a local store that sells them in your community so you can enjoy the experience of picking the one that interests you the most.

  • @BeKoed
    @BeKoed 4 місяці тому +2

    That massive geode needs to be in a museum. It is too precious to be owned by a sole buyer. Imagine how much enjoyment people could get out if it if it were properly displayed with the right lighting.

    • @moos5221
      @moos5221 3 місяці тому +1

      It needs to be in a museum IN Uruguay. It shouldn't be sitting in London or Paris, it should be in the country where it originates from so the citizens there can see it. Just like with any other cultural heritage and geological treasure...it should be made available to the people who live in the land it originates from instead of being stashed away in the cellar of a museum with enough funds to purchase everything.

    • @CalvinHikes
      @CalvinHikes 3 місяці тому +2

      Thank you for deciding what should be done with someone else's property

    • @moos5221
      @moos5221 3 місяці тому

      @@CalvinHikes You don't understand the difference between someones property and a national treasure. You think if you'd find an ancient artifact on your property you could keep it? Same should be applied to natural treasures. That's my opinion, cry about it.

    • @ANPC-pi9vu
      @ANPC-pi9vu 3 місяці тому +1

      Then buy it for a museum. These men put a lot of work and investment into getting that out of the ground, and what, you think they should just give it away?

    • @ANPC-pi9vu
      @ANPC-pi9vu 3 місяці тому

      @@moos5221 You have no clue how museums actually work, do you? lmao

  • @sharonballou4947
    @sharonballou4947 Місяць тому

    It is so amazing that these gemstones along with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, etc are found in the earth

  • @clobzz
    @clobzz 29 днів тому +2

    WE MAKIN A SPYGLASS WITH THIS ONE🗣️🗣️🗣️🔥🔥🔥🔥

  • @kinpatsu6366
    @kinpatsu6366 5 місяців тому +5

    If all the diamonds that are in storage were released onto the market, they wouldn't be worth any more than glass. I saw that on 60 Minutes many years ago.

    • @blacksorrento4719
      @blacksorrento4719 5 місяців тому +1

      Precisely. Diamond is carbon, also one of the most prolific minerals on this planet.
      The only difference between graphite, coal and diamond is heat and pressure. Nothing special at all.
      I truly don’t get the all hype and ridiculous $ about diamonds, it been a brilliant piece of marketing propaganda. Give me a beautiful deep purple amethyst any day, and let diamonds play second fiddle.

    • @charlieboy7502
      @charlieboy7502 5 місяців тому +1

      Diamonds are overrated there's so many gems worth more. Hell there's agates and Jasper out there that's worth more than gold

    • @blacksorrento4719
      @blacksorrento4719 5 місяців тому

      @@charlieboy7502 couldn’t agree more. Some beautiful gems and stones out there. The fixations on diamonds just keeps the price up. They have perfect cleavage as well, hit them on the right axis and your stunning 2ct diamond solitaire could be in pieces. Pretty much Valueless. As a female and mother of sons, I get so annoyed at my own gender demanding these expensive trumped up pieces of carbon, as a sign of fidelity 😡

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому +1

      They’d be more valuable than glass because they have properties that give them intrinsic value for scientific and industrial purposes. They just wouldn’t be as overpriced as they are right now. Their price would probably match that of Herkimer diamonds, which are water clear, double terminated quartz crystals found in Herkimer, NY.

  • @brandblue8980
    @brandblue8980 5 місяців тому +11

    i love amethyst.
    i would gratefully accept any amethyst given to me.
    yet looking at the process it takes to extract this wonderful crystal, as well as how long it takes to form, much of the crystals should be left where they are, preserved.
    perhaps it would add to the value & give reason to travel to visit the places where they are.
    i do appreciate those who do this cause i may have never felt the energy of holding an amethyst, as well as other crystals.
    we all benefit from the extraction of various resources -- so the show goes on.
    appreciate this video as it gives me more respect for everything involved.
    peace amor

    • @ANPC-pi9vu
      @ANPC-pi9vu 3 місяці тому

      You would not get to see them preserved where they are because they are buried inside volcanic rocks and filled with water. It's not like a cave system with the crystals simply lining the walls or something.

  • @SilverCymbal
    @SilverCymbal 13 днів тому

    The biggest gem in this video is the fact the workers are wearing protection! Kudos to someone caring about their people

  • @astaridjatmiko8187
    @astaridjatmiko8187 5 місяців тому

    Magical ✨

  • @niceguyeddy1923
    @niceguyeddy1923 Місяць тому

    i take both for my veranda

  • @ymmy5245
    @ymmy5245 3 місяці тому +3

    Is this a Minecraft guide?

  • @abellancieri6881
    @abellancieri6881 3 місяці тому

    💯 por ciento recomendado para ir de visita ...una maravilla de Uruguay...

  • @thecasualfly
    @thecasualfly 3 місяці тому

    I rockhound in my local mountians and my favorite pieces have multiple formations inside of them.. these are amazing specimens..

  • @zm7160
    @zm7160 5 місяців тому +3

    The explanation about radation causing iron to give off visible light is quite misleading and just bad.
    Whilst radiation may be a contributing factor in the formation of the crystal and the iron impurity's charge state.
    The colour of amaythist like most things is determined by its atomic structure; iron impurities in the silicon dioxide are responsible for the purple color.
    The explanation given in the video is clearly a confused misinterpretation that really gives the wrong idea.
    Light is actually electromagnetic-radation and the iron atoms do respond to that "radiation" (visable light) to give off visable light - but not in the way that the video implies (ionizing radiation) in normal conditions.

  • @fabiolabarone5798
    @fabiolabarone5798 5 місяців тому +7

    I think they should stay there for people to come and see the large one as tourist better for the economy. And just use the little ones to sell. Once they finish you can create anymore it takes centuries.

    • @evilsharkey8954
      @evilsharkey8954 5 місяців тому

      It takes a lot more than centuries for amethyst geodes to form!
      I’m sure Uruguay already has plenty of large amethyst cathedrals in their museums. Selling them as whole pieces beats cutting them up to make faceted gemstones, like what happens to the best crystals around the world.