This article presents the history of interesting facts about the Malyshev emeralds. This stone was discovered in the Urals a long time ago, but still amazes the inhabitants with its beauty and size. Many admire the elegance of rings with Malyshev emeralds, despite their overall dimensions.
Today, high-quality emeralds are the privilege of Colombia, but this was not always the case. Between the middle of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, imperial Russia was famous for the Ural Malyshev emeralds, which had a bright grassy hue. The stones got their name thanks to the deposit of the same name.
Discovery and development. History of Malyshev emeralds
The first Ural emeralds were accidentally discovered at the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, not many people knew what the legendary mines of Cleopatra looked like.
It is believed that the first who found the Ural mines was a tar miner named Maxim Kozhevnikov. This man uprooted a tree with roots and found in the ground under stones with greencolor. Knowing nothing about such stones, the tar smoker mistook the found gems for aquamarines, and therefore did not attach much importance to this event. However, after some time, he nevertheless reported the find, sending the stones for examination. The result of the examination showed that the tar miner found emeralds in the Malyshevsky mine.
Emerald of Ural origin shocked connoisseurs with its quality and characteristic bright green hue. The best stones were supplied to the emperor, that is, they did not go on sale. Jewelry with Malyshev emeralds was created at the royal court. They could easily compete in beauty and elegance with Colombian crystals.
Yakov Kokovin, a foreman of the Ekaterinburg granite factory, conducted an examination of the emeralds of the Malyshevskoye deposit. As a result, he stated that the development of copies would be mainly his merit. He organized the extraction of minerals, his people found the deposit, and it was he who established that the Ural mines are surprisingly rich.
The Malyshevskoye deposit continued to exist serenely and supply emeralds to the market. This mine never stopped working. People died, power changed, and work was in full swing at the mine.
Mine during the USSR period
However, in the thirties in the USSR, they were more worried about safety than about beauty. Therefore, for a rather long period of time, the Soviet authorities put the extraction of the Malyshev emeralds into the background and focused all their attention on the extraction of beryllium ores. Since then, the mine has been entirely dedicated to findingberyllium ore, as the needs of the country demanded it.
Beryllium ore was used in the defense industry and many other industries. Thus, the displaced Malyshev emeralds were forgotten for a long time. At that time, no one even thought of developing a deposit for mining, both ore and precious stones. Dynamite, used in the extraction of beryllium ores, shattered emeralds or caused numerous cracks in expensive and rare stones.
Ore continued to be mined until the collapse of the Soviet Union, after which the mine was closed and the miners were sent home. However, the vacation of these workers did not last long.
As Russia was privatized in 1993, the Ural gemstone deposits were also privatized. For example, Malyshevsky Emeralds appeared.
After three years of work under the guidance of private companies, the richest deposit has turned into a kind of "feeding trough" of criminal elements. Based on the current situation, the then leaders of the company soon announced that the field was unpromising. Further development at the mine site has ceased. The mines are at risk of flooding.
Failed resuscitation
In 2008, attempts were made to revive the mine and bring it back to life. A foreign organization came to the aid of the bankrupt company, which offered investments for the development of the field in the amount of $12 million. But the “resurrection” of Malyshevskythe mine never took place, despite the fact that the opening of the mine and the recruitment of personnel for the work had already been announced. Investments were suspended, the Western firm did not fulfill its promises, as the leaders of the bankrupt company were unable to submit the necessary documents to obtain a license.
Mine today
But the Ural emeralds have not sunk into oblivion. Over the past few years, rich copies have passed into the hands of the state. The authorities were able to save the Malyshevskoye field from flooding and ruin. The mine was purchased from private individuals.
The field was discovered for the following reasons:
- it is a great place to mine beryllium ore;
- extremely rich in emeralds;
- also features deposits of rubidium and other precious metals.
Forecasts
According to experts, the Malyshevskoye deposit is planned to produce more than 700 kg of emeralds. These figures are approximate, but they will confirm the profitability of the mine.
It is known that the price for one carat of jewelry with Malyshev emeralds reaches $3500.
However, the emphasis is again on beryllium ore mining, emeralds will be mined as a by-product.
Development and development of the Malyshevskoye field remains, one way or another, a priority.
In addition to searching for emeralds and ore, the mines will serve as a place for the extraction of rubidium and other metals.
Initially, no more than 100 miners worked at the mine. Later it wasmore staff were announced, and over time, the staff expanded significantly. The mine has become a workplace for 600 workers of various profiles.
Unjustified fears
Earlier there were rumors that this mine is not being developed, because the well-known company De Beers, which mines emeralds in Colombia, does not allow Ural gems to enter the international market.
It was assumed that the notorious company was trying to keep the branch of the championship in the sale of emeralds and in every possible way was contriving to put "spokes in the wheels" of the Malyshevsky mine. The company's actions to block access to the international market consisted in questioning the quality and value of the Malyshev stones.
However, these rumors have not been confirmed. All the fears of the townsfolk will be dispelled when they see that the Ural emeralds will fill the shelves of stores around the world. And then lovers of precious stones will be able to appreciate bracelets, earrings and rings with Malyshev emeralds.
Features of emeralds
Malyshev emeralds are distinguished by the following properties:
- they have a high hardness - about 8 units, according to the Mohs scale;
- they are quite large;
- have a distinctive grassy green color.
The hardness and other characteristics of the stones are unchanged, that is, they are inherent in stones of both high and low quality. All the s alt lies in the shade and transparency of the emerald. In the case when the crystal is transparent and has a brightgreen color, its value jumps to the maximum point.
Gems from the Urals are not inferior to the most expensive Colombian emeralds in terms of the latter.
There is only one problem - in the Urals, only 5% of the stones from the total mining size are of high quality, which significantly increases their cost.
Almost all crystals with a green tint found on the territory of the Malyshevskoye deposit are large in size. An example is an emerald called "President" - its weight was about 1.5 kg.
President
However, the fate of the "President" is rather controversial. It was indeed discovered in the early 90s of the last century and named after the first president of the Russian Federation. The stone was supposed to be handed over to Yeltsin himself, but then this decision was changed. Later, the fate of the crystal was to become the property of the Diamond Fund - due to the outstanding debt of the mining company, the emerald was confiscated from its leaders.
Employees of the company stopped their work when unflattering but true rumors began to hover around the new owners. The organization was not going to pay salaries to its employees and declared itself bankrupt. In light of these events, the legendary "President" stone was sold for only $150,000, while its real value was three times more.
Curse of the Emerald
Among the Colombian people there is a belief that the owner of the green crystal is destined to become only thatthe person who got it or found it. In this regard, both companies and individuals interested in profit are engaged in the extraction of emeralds in the country. Such people are called “treasure seekers.”
Stones are mined by seekers, but this leads to the fact that they often become victims of criminal elements. Bandits without a twinge of conscience take away the found gems from the miners, sometimes brutally cracking down on them.
On the territory of Russia, too, there are many superstitions associated with stones. Some people believe that emeralds are endowed with powerful energy and can cause bad luck. Several true stories are cited to support these words.
History of Kozhevnikov
The story of Maxim's tar miner, who was "fortunate" to discover the first few gems - the first "curse story". After he managed to find a deposit of stones, he retrained and became an employee of the mine. Hard work and other circumstances significantly influenced Kozhevnikov's life. A few years after the momentous event, the tar smoker died of tuberculosis.
Evil fate that overtook Kokovina
This is the second victim of emeralds. The master from the granite factory was literally fascinated by the crystals. He never ceased to admire their beauty. As people who knew him say, one large emerald was hidden in his office, in which he simply doted on. Once his office was visited by a state councilor, to whom he told all the delights of his treasure. Naturally, such frankness did not do him any good.
They came to him with a warrant to pack all the gems in the office and send them to the emperor for examination.
The parcels were inspected by L. A. Petrovsky, who also had a special love for gems. The envious inspector informed Nicholas I that he had not found a valuable emerald during the examination of the stones sent. This news angered the head of state, and he ordered the arrest of Yakov.
Petrovsky did not feel the slightest remorse. His actions led to the conclusion of the master in custody. Subsequently, the court failed to justify Yakov, although the stone was not found either in the suspect's apartment or at his workplace. Kokovin was sentenced to several years in prison. And, although he was released ahead of schedule, his stay behind bars greatly undermined his he alth - he suddenly died already at large.
Lev Petrovsky later influenced the discovery of new emerald deposits in the Russian Federation. However, history remembered him as an unscrupulous thief who stole a stone and accused a person of this friend.
