This content was first published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review no. 3 in 2018. The information provided here is therefore current as of the original publication date.
Spaghetti, mandolin and soccer! Are we sure Italy is merely this? For those living abroad who come across foreign people with just a smattering of our beloved peninsula is maybe so. Yet, Italy is a land full of wonderful people and things, but do you know that, among such things, you can also find unique and outstanding gems? (Figure 1). Though fervent with patriotism we could be you will never hear us say that Italy is the country where gems as beautiful as those coming From Brazil, Madagascar, Tanzania or Burma are found… however, there are some more or less known places where enthusiasts and amateur researchers have extracted wonderful Italian stones! No point in imagining hordes of hungry searchers of precious stones or thousands of poor exploited miners, think about nice alpinists, colourful and bearded geologists (Figure 2), improbable “rambos” with packed lunch and a hammer instead of a belt and a gun, and you will get an idea of how many and various stones have become more or less famous gems on a global scale.
This list, where the materials used in gemmological and ornamental field strictly extracted in Italy are presented in a democratic alphabetic order, do not pretend to be 100% exhaustive for two reasons:
- new fields can be continuously discovered, maybe even while we are typing on an old computer, comfortably sitting on a yellowish and creaky chair designed by unpronounceable Swedish, the mythical “Picchio”, is inside an old abandoned mine, scrutinising with his little lens a transparent crystal he thinks he has never seen before and that could become a new thrilling Italian gem to show friends and acquaintances at the next industry exhibition.
- Italian gems can exist (sometimes also due to the low spreading) we have no certain news of (mysteries and secrets have always been part of the world of stones) or for which not enough documents are available.
Feel free to inform us on any omissions or mistakes and we will be glad to report them on the next issue of our magazine.
Visit the list of the Gems of Italy!
Curated by the qualified group of expert of the section Gems of Italy, published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review #3, January 2018.
