The gem bearing pegmatites of Northern Mozambique have been known since the late 1920’s and the mines around the mining center of Alto Ligonha have yielded a wonderful variety of gemstones such as emerald, morganite, aquamarine, deep blue beryl, green tourmalines, rubelite and many others.
In 1974 the communist revolution in Portugal resulted in Mozambique gaining its independence from Portugal in the same year. Friction developed between rival ethnic groups wanting political power and the end result was a civil war that devastated the country, its infrastructure and the people. The war finally subsided in the early 90’s, and today the country is amongst the poorest in Africa.
During the 20 year civil war most mining activity stopped because
the
small mines were out in the bush and prime targets for attacks by
warring factions. In many cases the tropical bush has grown over the
small shafts, addits and open cast holes and the whereabouts of the
mines are lost-probably forever.