Miners


The miners in northern Tanzania and southern Kenya are determined, tough, and choose to live a life of promise and expectation. They are passionate and dogged in their pursuit of something precious. It’s funny: they should see those pretty rocks as dollar signs, a means to an end. But instead, they value the gems for their rarity and beauty, every bit as much as an American customer buying at a retail jeweler.

They LOVE the gems they find. Tanzanian and Kenyan miners know the geology, the science behind the stones. It’s in their bones. Their anticipation, when they discover the indicator mineral that tells them they are on track to hit something good, is palpable. They are happy to be miners, and choose to do it over farming or other choices. They are proud–fiercely so–for being able to send their children to school.