Tourists can now learn how to mine minerals, and find the gems themselves

Photo by JSC Mariinsky mine

Rostec State Corporation provides an opportunity for everyone who is wishing to visit the unique emerald deposit Mariinsky Priisk, for which the enterprise has organized tourist routes. Tourists will be able to see the mining, sorting and evaluating process of precious stones, as well as feel themselves as prospectors and find their own jewelry. The first excursion to the Ural deposit took place today on April 11th.

At present, the Mariinsky mine of the State Corporation Rostec developed three tourist routes ranging from 40 minutes to 5 hours. Guests are invited to visit the museum of the enterprise, lapidary production, emerald extraction plant, see the minerals in the rock, unique lapidary machines.

The organizers also provided for an interactive program: guides show how to distinguish artificial stone from genuine precious stone, and offer to participate in a “prospecting sketch” by providing tourists with tools for washing ore. Excursions at the Mariinsky mine will be held on a regular basis.

“Development of the industrial tourism gives people the opportunity to see for themselves the unique industries that have been closed from common individuals for many years, get in touch with technological secrets, and personally meet the people who form the industry. All this allows us to create a new, open and modern image of the Russian industry. We have no doubt that the Mariinsky mine, which is one of the three largest emerald deposits in the world, will attract great attention of Russian and foreign tourists”, said Ekaterina Baranova, Director of communications at Rostec State Corporation.

The first guests of the Mariinsky mine, equipped with scoops and a sieve, were looking for minerals, as miners did two centuries ago. Tourists caught beryl, quartz and apatite. All finds were left at the enterprise, as required by Russian legislation.