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

[@Greippi10]

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

[@redbarchetta8782]

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

[@GreatSageSunWukong]

I'd want that in my hall

[@alexalexy1809]

rich arabs can buy it

[@mkbane1262]

Considering it just being an art piece

[@Crispr00]

@@redbarchetta8782exactly, museum, not your friends house

[@cestaron634]

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]

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]

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

[@GeorgePaul-c6z]

Nobody wants to hear your damn opinion

[@helton_ss]

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

[@zachreynolds6069]

Not that rare. I've seen many that were nearly or as big as that size and even some cooler shaped ones. They bring them every year to the Tucson Gem and Mineral show in Arizona. Happens every Jan/Feb and attracts wild specimens, and several every year that are about this big. I've got photos of a lot of them.

[@Stepher45]

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

[@ryandavis7390]

Except for the complete lack of respiration equipment! 😮

[@SexyEarHair]

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

[@_Ekaros]

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

[@blooperman1997]

@@_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]

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

[@BurritoNikito]

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]

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]

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

[@ncd2164]

@@jlo7770LMFAOOO wtf 😂

[@VonHanzee]

mostly bullshit half truths from a hohol

[@cheapskate8656]

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

[@mohitsoni2289]

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

[@duncanbananatyne3890]

Hopefully it goes to somewhere public.

[@cohandora]

gonna make a hell of a piece to clean also

[@ESan-lh6dq]

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

[@garrydye2394]

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]

AGREE : (((((@@cohandora

[@ericcarabetta1161]

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

[@Love_N_Let_Live]

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]

"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]

"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]

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

[@mobstercrow7515]

I hope they release it back into the wild.

[@IggyinMelbourne]

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]

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]

Atherton, QLD

[@stonedcold5172]

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.

[@sidequest_studio]

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

[@rebeccaadamson5972]

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

[@evilsharkey8954]

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]

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

[@Yo_Hahn]

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

[@helton_ss]

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

[@1.4142]

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]

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

[@mkbane1262]

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

[@brushmasterspaintingfranchise]

@@mkbane1262 useless? quartz is extremely useful.

[@mkbane1262]

@@brushmasterspaintingfranchise amethyst

[@brushmasterspaintingfranchise]

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

[@m8imhawk]

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]

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]

@@PalaeoStuff yes

[@befer]

finally someone with a brain in the comments.

[@dakotac180]

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.

[@Supremax67]

It is sad it has less value than diamonds due to rarity, but in terms of difficulty to get one in one piece and its unique properties, it should definitely have more value. A shame human society still base most of what is considered pricey based on how much there is available. That's not appreciation for beauty, that's greed.

[@cashlarkin3453]

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

[@wyzzkyd.]

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]

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]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@livenotonevil8279]

only 1 million?!

[@AP90x]

That stuff is common asf.

[@ew2645]

Right??! That was my thought.

[@WhoDeanyUnchained]

My thoughts exactly

[@roart3464]

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]

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 🐎.

[@mattg8369]

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

[@LestageMineralsuy]

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

[@carolinaelichalt7913]

Arriba Uruguay!!!!!! Estuve por Artigas visitando otra compañía pero ya se que la proxima iré por ahi

[@user-ll8cx9qq6p]

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

[@faint_Smile25]

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

[@cuneytunsal5422]

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

[@SemekiIzuio]

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]

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]

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

[@thomasloanwolf]

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

[@syren4731]

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

[@lesliecruguet4136]

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

[@davidcleveland5]

Watching this video gives me more appreciation for the amethyst crystals and the people who worked so hard for them.

[@miiim]

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]

At least Uruguay is famous for Luis Suárez

[@miiim]

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

[@carolinaelichalt7913]

Yayyyy nuestro UY

[@CheeseToastOfDeath]

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]

But why though?

[@weldmaster1825]

No one can create such beauty like mother nature does!

[@Ellen-hs7zb]

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

[@vice.nor.virtue]

i dunno the Sagrada Famillia is quite impresssive

[@rizizum]

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

[@Zireael83]

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

[@Ellen-hs7zb]

@@Zireael83 Oh, really?

[@cindyclay1750]

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

[@dillydilly7693]

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

[@GaryCat899]

yeah i gasped omg

[@evilsharkey8954]

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.

[@squidly2112]

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

[@mikerphone.]

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

[@cathybaldry7822]

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]

never believe a salesperson

[@evilsharkey8954]

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]

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]

Never heard of that...

[@kiereluurs1243]

Those giant geodes are just overwhelming.

[@bobbymoss6160]

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]

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.]

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

[@blacksorrento4719]

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]

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.]

@@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.

[@thesandwich5321]

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.

[@darrenberkey7017]

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

[@ANPC-pi9vu]

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]

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

[@darkrathwheito9818]

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]

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

[@Sassy_Alaskan]

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

[@TwinShards]

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.

[@XBullitt16X]

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

[@JohnHausser]

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

[@gavz794]

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.

[@nitzneymann3977]

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]

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.

[@Mitsubachicats]

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

[@jekku4688]

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

[@melaniemaec1]

Thank you Business Insider, you are always a wealth of information. Thank you to the people that do this work, I am sure I have purchased and cherished a few of your products.❤️

[@clobzz]

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

[@SpookSkellington]

This is the first time i've ever had a "yea i'd totally buy that if i was a millionaire" moment. Cars? Houses? Designer cloths? Nah. A comically large geode? absolutely i'd pay a mil for that.

[@Miamcoline]

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.

[@S.dukes123]

One word... stunning💜

[@VPCh.]

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]

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]

@@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]

"Those Countries"?

[@evilsharkey8954]

@@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]

@@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?

[@SoberOKMoments]

Breathtaking beauty. Thanks for this video.

[@shmang1485]

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]

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.

[@Nemesis_T_Type]

They're rocks Hank!!! - Marie Schrader

[@frankyao5854]

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'

[@RobertaFierro-mc1ub]

They are SO BEAUTIFUL!

[@anonymmaskros6234]

I love, LOVE amethysts 💜

[@anitaheart]

If I had many millions I’d definitely buy that mega-amethyst. It’s stunning.❤

[@mho...]

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

[@marcuscarana9240]

I love Amethysts. They're beautiful purple, they're shiny, sparkly, naturally grown so you'll be holding a piece of gemstone that is a fossil of Earth's natural processes and best of all, for small specimens, it's super cheap and still super majestic to hold and look at.

[@justsomesaltyboi8716]

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]

HAHAHAHAHAHA YOU COLLECT GEMSTONES HAHAHAHAHAH FKING SNOWFLAKE LMFAOOOOOOOOO

[@obnoxiouspedant]

​@@woah4604k

[@ferretyluv]

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

[@justsomesaltyboi8716]

@@ferretyluv 0 cause nobody has ever brought it up

[@ferretyluv]

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

[@isaakwolfe2973]

You can’t even be mad that it’s a million, the amount of labor, resources, and logistics it take to obtain that is unreal

[@arenzale]

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.

[@Andresmartinez-bh4cw]

Lmao

[@OnePok3monMast3r4gam3rs]

i am a future geologist and once i get my degree, a few years afterward i have plans to open a mineral museum that would invite private collectors to display the collections they have. I would even put some of mine on display as well

[@marfztv]

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 😍

[@preoximerianas]

You got your timeline for humans slightly off.

[@poonoi1968]

@@preoximerianas shhh 🤫

[@CaliforniaCarpenter7]

Erm... I think you... nevermind.

[@lesliewheeler7071]

I would LOVE to walk around and look at each and every one of those amethyst geodes!!!

[@Arsaroon]

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]

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.

[@AmandaQuinn-o3f]

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

[@Moniyabandit]

Omg I wanna stand inside of one

[@vandagoldhunter8814]

Wow, really great, so big gems

[@nfrench2100]

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

[@DTMharlot]

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]

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]

he will get pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

[@nfrench2100]

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

[@laramaaike3050]

@@bikedawg I guess you are the kid? 😂

[@Afrin1618]

I have seen this at Natural history museum in New York. Trust me, its wonderful to watch and feel its sparkles.

[@pewpewsalote8802]

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

[@LucyKing411]

It think it's so cool to see how surgical the mining process gets when extracting super high value stones, I work in veterinary medicine and one of my favorite parts of my job is assisting with surgeries because I get to observe and learn from the procedures so getting to see that very similar kind of preparation going into something very different from medicine is absolutely fascinating!!! The planning that goes into mining a high-value geode is very similar to planning a mass remova.

[@ryanread8617]

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]

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

[@issys.visio-verse]

What happens when they run out of Amethyst mines?

[@amorgan5844]

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

[@etonsot392]

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

[@rudiruttger]

What a wonderful resource they can exploit.

[@vice.nor.virtue]

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]

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

[@rudiruttger]

@@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]

@@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]

@@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.

[@sharonballou4947]

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

[@SavageCouture]

My lungs hurt for those poor souls😢

[@elicole8047]

I really appreciated Ricardo using his squinting eye protection over his actual glasses. He’s kinda my hero

[@THUNDERMONK64]

Wow that's impressive

[@michaeljaysonbanua4870]

Love Amethyst. Just bought an amethyst ring last week. Waiting for it to be delivered. Next, I am eyeing a pendant so I'll have a matching jewelry pieces.

[@brandblue8980]

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]

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.

[@neltronz]

You gotta be a evil villain if you are buying that massive geode lol

[@kane2803]

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

[@kyleanuar9090]

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

[@BeKoed]

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]

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]

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

[@moos5221]

@@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]

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]

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

[@reseviladik]

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

[@vintagecouture2275]

What will be left of the Earth? Mining, pollution, deforestation, etc. All of this damage to the Earth, just for a collector to "wow" his or her guests.

[@merickful]

Good work, Sherlock. What mystery will you solve next?

[@ghostofwolfmoonmani3877]

Its nice to learn more about my birthstone

[@koraegi]

Sheesh I sure do love looking at amethyst

[@braxinIV]

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

[@zm7160]

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.

[@AjayAdigopalOntario]

As an aquarius , i love this video to my core....

[@kinpatsu6366]

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]

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]

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]

@@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]

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.

[@SIG-lg5ju]

if only it wasnt this common, people would go crazy for it. its so cool looking. underrated tbh.

[@nziom]

It's a good thing it's common NGL

[@chasenshirley8863]

I love how they say it takes millions of years to produce the product but every mine just keeps taking till there's no more , and thats any mined product

[@vice.nor.virtue]

Well, yeah. Welcome to humanity dude. We're not just gonna leave these valuable commodities and resources in the ground. Do you get this irate over oil or coal?

[@andersjjensen]

Those deeeeep purple Amethysts are captivating. I know it's "just a rock" but I certainly understand why humans have been fascinated by them since the dawn of time.

[@fabiolabarone5798]

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]

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.

[@ShannansShenanigans]

💜💜💜💜OMG!!!💜💜💜💜 "PREEECIOOOOUS" (Gollum voice)

[@Fosi94]

Absolutely love the background.

[@oceanwoods]

In other words, there’s lots of land to be destroyed yet…