Lukusuzi area

In a small area between the South Luangwa National Park and the Lukusuzi National Park and between the Lukusuzi and the Lukusi river lies an area of extraordinary richness in gem deposits.

Chilume: Half a dozen of mines are scattered across the gentle hills within a light forest of mostly quite thin trees within an area of less than a square km at Chilume. Countless untouched pegmatites are evident through float quartz, feldspar and occasionally even aquamarine on the forest floor. The Chilume mines produce aquamarine, morganite and green and pink tourmaline.

Lukuzi: About 10km of Chilume, a little South of the Lukuzi river are the Lukuzi mines which produced high quality aquamarine and heliodor for years. Another rich mine with very fine aquamarine was discovered early in 2015 only 1.5km away on the other side of the river. Within the six months before our first visit at the mine the pegmatite was mined in a pit extending over more than 100m several meters deep. Aquamarine of deep blue to greenish blue colour was found. The crystals are mined from pockets in the pegmatite.

Epidote mine: Only about 3-4 km away from Chilume lies the Epidote mine. The mine was named Epidote because the miners believed that the long and slender dark brownish-green crystals they produced from a pocket were epidote. The tourmaline occurs together with a bluish feldspar forming attractive specimens.

back to gem mines

Chilume; October 2013

Chilume: Early morning in Mwanya village. To the East of Mwanya there is nothing but untouched bush for the next almost 100km.

Chilume: Driving on bush 'roads' to the mines for several hours. To the untrained eye these roads are very hard to follow, because they are quite often not much more than a barely visible foot path.

Chilume: The morganite workings; morganite may still be found in the dumps, since the light pink stones were first not recognised as something valuable.

Chilume: View towards the 'tourmaline hill' from just up the hill at the morganite mine.

Chilume: Typical Lukusuzi area landscape along the way to the 'tourmaline hill'.

Chilume: Searching for gems in the soil on 'tourmaline hill'. Unfortunately, illegal mining activities have left a battle field.

Chilume: Old amethyst pits just a few hundred meters further just underneath an old aquamarine mine.

Chilume: The old aquamarine mine has been inactive for quite some time.

Chilume: View towards the East; the border of the Lukusuzi National Park is only a few km away.

Chilume: Back on 'tourmaline hill' an aquamarine sample on the forest floor indicates that there might be more underneath.

Chilume: Dinner in the bush.

Chilume: The camp fire keeps lions, leopards and hyaenas away - as mentioned before: the National Park is not far.

back to the top

Lukuzi; Oktober 2015

Lukuzi: The mines at the Lukuzi river are surrounded by untouched primary forest. The trees remain small and thin because of the poor soil in the area.