HISTORICAL REFERENCES

Eschwege, considered one of the most important writers on brazilian gem mining history, wrote that Souza had cited a vague report that Francisco Bruza de Spinosa led an expedition to the Jequitinhonha River valley as early as 1551. It seems it was this venture which brought back the first stones that were called "Brazilian Emeralds".

Eschwege mentioned other expeditions in the 17th century which penetrated the interior and noted that all the "emeralds" brought back were green tourmalines, which were readily mistaken for the far more precious stone.

In 1682 Paiva recorded that beryls and aquamarine had been sent to Portugal, indicating that from that date gemstones were being obtained from some inland source. More gemstones were found after of a flood of immigrants to the interior, but there is no information about where they were found.

The first indication of sources appeared in 1812 when John Mawe, who became an important London mineral and gem dealer, provided an account of his travel into the interior and a description of gemstones he had seen there.

Toward the close of the 19th century Brazil had become a world leader in the supply of mica. Prior to World War II an increased demand for mica, beryl and piezoletric quartz led to intensive prospecting of the interior and resulted in the finding of many more gem-bearing pegmatites.

In modern times a transition occurred from mining gravel deposits for gemstones to mining pegmatites directly.