On the road to Bo Ploi.

Nothing gets wasted. The by-product rocks from sapphire mining.

A water pump to feed the jigs with water for washing the gem baring gravel.

A giant pulsating jig for washing the gem baring gravel.

Gem baring gravel is tipped in and washed here with high pressure hoses.

Ancient dead trees dug up in the sapphire mines.

Locals believe the trees have spirits which will being them luck.

More ancient trees being worshiped.

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

The workers hand picking out the sapphire crystals. The black
stones are black spinel crystals or nin in Thai.

The sealed pots used for collecting the sapphire crystals.

Prodding the feeder to prevent blockages.

The conveyor belt.

A sapphire crystal picked off the belt.

The machines used to sort the gravel by size.

Rough untreated sapphire crystals in yellow, blue and green colours.

Grinding the sapphires.

Pre-forming the sapphires before doping.

Polishing two cabochon sapphires at once.

Sanded sapphires on dop sticks waiting for final polish.

The final polish.

The mine owner examining sapphire crystals.

Polished cabochon sapphires.

Polished cabochon sapphires.