
On the road to Bo Ploi.

Nothing wasted! By-product rocks for sale.

The water pump to feed the jigs used to wash the gem gravel.

A combination of pulsating jigs used to was the gravel.

The loading trough for the gravel

Ancient trees dug up are believed to have spirits, which is believed will bring the miners luck!

The washed gravel comes through on a conveyor belt, where sapphire crystals are picked out by hand.

Workers picking out the sapphire crystals.

The sealed pots used for collecting the sapphire crystals.

Prodding the feeder to prevent blockages.

The conveyor belt.

A sapphire crystal.

Machines used to sort the sapphire crystals by size.

Sapphire crystals in yellow, green & blue colours.

Grinding the sapphires.

Pre-forming the sapphires before doping.

Using both hands to pre-polish sapphire cabs.

Pre-polished sapphires on dop sticks.

The final polish.

The mine owner inspecting sapphire crystals.

Polished cabochon sapphires.

Polished cabochon sapphires.