Benjamin Guttery, of @thirdcoastgems, was in Idaho and we couldn’t resist the opportunity to record another podcast with him. We sit down and learn about his 14-day excursion unearthing the Brazilian mines--from road trip woes to #birthdaygoals playing with gemstones straight from the source. Pull up a chair and take a listen as we relive this one-of-kind mining experience.
00:00:00 Bobo = silly
00:25:00 Benjamin Guttery of @thirdcoastgems
01:42:00 Gem Junkies OG
03:10:00 Eating in Brazil – Churrascaria
05:08:00 You went as a guest for the government
06:24:00 Brazil is the Outback of gems
06:53:00 Start us out on your tour
08:43:00 Belo Horizonte – one of the largest jewelry cutting centers
09:16:00 A long drive to Ouro Preto
09:59:00 Going into the Gold mines
11:54:00 Imperial Topaz Mines
13:20:00 Cachaca: Brazilian liquor
14:55:00 Imperial Topaz continued . . .
16:35:00 Why Imperial Topaz hasn’t taken off the same way as other gemstones
17:35:00 Gold mining
19:14:50 Government involvement with mining and land reclamation
19:56:00 Itabira and the Belmont Emerald Mines
23:10:00 How long have they been in operation
25:00:00 Birthday at the mines
28:13:00 Iolite in an emerald mine
29:50:00 Learning Portuguese
30:18:00 Sorting process
31:38:00 Governador Valadares – Cruzeiro Tourmaline Mines
34:03:00