The Umba sapphire is a unique type of
sapphire
Sapphire is a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide () with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium. The name sapphire is derived via the Latin "sapphir ...
discovered in 1962 in the
Gerevi Hills, north of the
Umba River in the
Umba Valley
Umba Valley is a geographic area in Tanzania and the world's only source of Umba sapphires.
The Umba River flows through the Umba Valley.
Specifically, Umba Valley is located in the north of the Usambara Mountains in the Tanga Region of Tanza ...
of
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
. Umba sapphires exhibit coloration not common to sapphires found in other parts of the world, and are recovered from the alluvial deposits of the Umba River.
, the Tanzanian government prohibits
export
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...
of these sapphires.
References
African Journals Online listingUSGS: The Mineral Industry of Tanzania
Corundum gemstones
Mining in Tanzania
Non-tariff barriers to trade
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