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Andhra Pradesh, India: Vishakhapatnam Gem Mines

The Vishakhapatnam Mines are located along the Bay of Bengal coastline, at the city of Vishakhapatnam, in Andhra Pradesh, India. The town of Vishakhapatnam was part of the Kalinga Empire, conquered by Emperor Ashoka in 260 BC. Under British rule, Vishakhapatnam was transformed into a major port city that is home to India's Vizag naval shipbuilding yard.

The Vishakhapatnam Mines are one of the few locations that Alexandrite (aka Tsarstone) has been found outside of Russia's Ural Mountains, the Nova Era region of Minas Gerais Brazil, and Madagascar's sapphire mining region of Ilakaka.

The Alexandrite mines at Vishakhapatnam are known for the high clarity of their alexandrite. Most of the mining is conducted illegally, by freelance miners who dig during the monsoon season while the earth is soft. The Vishakhapatnam region also produces greenish-yellow cat´s eye chrysoberyl known as Vyduryam.

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