The mining process continues with the digging of tunnels along the vain where geodes can be found. The process is not particularly high tech. Jackhammers, drills and gunpowder are your basic tools, with a hammer and chisel used to do the more precise work once you reach a geode. In one of the pictures you can see the "forking" of the tunnel. This occurs as the layout of the geodes seems to indicate greater productivity in a new direction. Sometimes a particular tunnel will be left alone for a while because it isn't producing many geodes, causing the operational costs to exceed the profits. If amethyst prices go up a previously "fallow" tunnel will start up again. One of the major costs in the production process is electricity. It takes some bright lights to see what you are doing in the mines. As energy costs go up so do the mining costs. In the other picture I am pointing at a gunpowder fuse. No explanation necessary as to what that is for. An interesting factoid about the mines is the fairly constant temperature. Regardless of the outside temperature its always around 65 degrees (16 Celsius) in the mines. In Rio Grande do Sul the weather can be a sweltering 102 (40 C)in the summer and a chilly 32 (0 C) in the winter. Well, that is pretty much it for mining. In a few days I will have a new post where I talk about the production process. Once an amethyst geode is found, how is it's value determined, what are some of the business decisions the miners must make, and how is the geode prepared for display will be addressed. Come back and visit me then. Also, remember that if you ever want to see the mines for yourself or come on a buying trip in Brazil I can help you. You can contact me on my website http://www.aksiaminerals.com/.
