Nigeria: Inside Makera Community, Where Miners Seek Fortune Digging for Tourmaline

16 November 2014

Kaduna — Inside Makera, near Mararaban Jos in Kwarau ward of Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State lies a massive land which has turned into a treasure chest for local miners who throng the place in search of a precious stone called tourmaline. Though the mining is done illegally, the miners are daring the risk as they seek a fortune from the stone to overcome poverty.

Minerals.net describes tourmaline as not a single mineral, but a group of several closely-related minerals, the three most well-known members are elbaite, schorl and dravite. The most popular member is schorl, which accounts for 95 per cent of all tourmaline in nature. Other lesser known members include uvite, liddicoatite and buergerite. Tourmaline is regarded as a well-known gemstone extremely popular among collectors. It is the most multi-coloured mineral type known, occurring in virtually every colour of the spectrum and as individual stones, unsurpassed in their beauty.

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