New gemstone localities recently discovered in Ethiopia and Somalia indicate that the rich gem-bearing belt in East Africa may extend all the way north to the Gulf of Aden. The new deposits were reported in an article by NR Barot in the ICA Gazette, the newsletter of the International Colored Gemstone Association.

            The northernmost gemstone deposit previously reported in this geological feature, which runs for about 4,000 km from Mozambique to Somalia on the eastern side of the Rift Valley, is the Lodwar sapphire deposit in the northwest Kenya.

            However, recently a new deposit of peridot has been discovered in Ethiopia, north of the Kenya border. The peridot is found near the villages of Magado and Mega within the Mega escarpment about 110 km northeast of Lake Turkana. The peridot is found in the basalt balls which are scattered around the desert plain. The color and size of the peridot is similar to Arizona peridot. Sizes are usually small. Clean facet grade rough over two grams is rare. Some can be faceted and some is cabochon grade. The Nairobi market now receives a random supply of rough but recently it has increased to sufficient commercial quantities.

            Further north in Ethiopia, about 100km from Mega village and about 10km west of Chumba village, along the road leading to Addis-Ababa, there is also new locality reported to be producing rhodolite garnets, Dr Barot said.

            In northwestern Somalia, between Hargeisa, a small village called Mandera is situated in a promising geological environment for gemstones. Finds of beryl family gemstones in the area have recently been reported. Mandera has produced emerald, aquamarine, quartz, amethyst and pyrope garnet crystals, Dr Barot said.

            The emerald has been seen in the Nairobi market in lots of 100 grams. It is very similar in appearance to African emerald from other localities. Pieces range between one-fourth to four grams in size. Quality ranges from beryl grade to good cabochon grade and the color is medium to dark. Only a few pieces of aquamarine have been seen. The quality is good, with clean small pieces less than one-half gram.