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Written by Joanne Simmons

Filed under

Antanarivo, antsirabe, aquamarine, Broker, Gem Markets, gemstones, Goshenite, Grandidiarite, madagascar, mines, Morganite, Phenakite, sapphire, tourmaline

My Trip To Madagascar - Part One

Sep 03, 2016

Written by Joanne Simmons

We arrived safely in Antanarivo, Madagascar, after a few hiccups: baggage not checked through, plane delay, long lines upon arrival and a nail in the tire on the way to Antsirabe. We got to the airport at 2 a.m. The airport is small and a big plane from Italy arrived before us - too much for the police to handle so it took a while to get through all the lines. Our arrival party, Jochen's friend...

Written by Joanne Simmons

Filed under

africa, antsirabe, arusha, congregation, Felician, Garnets, gem market, gem shopping, gem trade, Gems, geologist, graduate school, madagascar, Nairobi, safari, sapphire, sphene, tanzania, tourmaline

Yvonne Goes to Africa

Aug 11, 2016

Written by Joanne Simmons

Yes, this is really happening, a dream come true. On August 17th, in just a few days, I'll be flying first to Germany to see my mom and then to two of the world's most famous gem paradises: Madagascar and Tanzania. This trip has been in the planning stages for about a year. My friend Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Mineralien, a German geologist who travels to Africa up to 10 times a year, is going to... Continue reading