Minerals from India

Mining in India produces around 2.2-2.5% of Indian GDP, with the country being an exporter of various resources including oil and gas, iron ore, titanium, manganese, and bauxite.

Historically, the Indus Valley civilisation operated flint quarries as early as 3000BC.

More recently, deposits of lithium, tantalum, uranium, and rare earth minerals have been discovered. India has huge reserves of coal, bauxite, titanium, chromite, gas, diamonds, thorium, manganese, zinc, alumina, petroleum, and limestone.

Mining in India is has been associated with pollution, corruption, deforestation and human rights issues.

In terms of mineral specimens, probably the best known amongst collectors from India are the zeolite group minerals from around Pune, including fine apophyllite, cavansite, heulandite, mesolite, okenite, pentagonite, and stilbite.

Quality Amethyst is found in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu, and amethyst with calcite from Nashik, Maharashtra.

Various forms of tourmaline are found in India – dravite and schorl especially. Other semi precious and precious stones are found too – topaz, corundum, diamonds, moonstone, aquamarine and beryl.

There are several famous precious stones from India – Kashmiri blue sapphire is considered amongst the best sapphire worldwide and should be found in any high end jewellery workshop. Natural pearls were exploited off Indian costs for centuries, although in modern times cultured pearls are significantly more common.

The Hope diamond was extracted in the 17th century from the Kollur Mine, and the Koh-i-Noor and Daria-i-Noor diamonds are thought to have been from India, although their provenance has been lost.

We may have a range of other specimens from India, which may include meteorites and fossils – see the links below.

India