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Dec 09
Optical Calcite production interrupted by early monsoon rains.
NMG miners have opened up their new Optical Calcite deposit, with steady production reported for the last 2 quarters. Last week, NMG miners were forced by heavy early monsoon rains to abandon remaining production plans for 2009.
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Dec 09
Norcross-Madagascar Group (NMG) announces new trade show addition to their 2010 Schedule:
Quartzsite @ Desert Gardens Jan 2-24 2010. Clients are invited to their new Tent, and Rock Garden.
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Dec 09
Large Petrified Wood Slices Now Available:
Norcross-Madagascar Group (NMG) is pleased to announce a new product available at the Madagascar Minerals Gem Show, during the 2010 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show: Large Petrified Wood Slices 1.3 x 0.9m (52 x 36”). Slices will be available in both 2 and 3cm thicknesses. These slices come from 5 to 6 ton logs that were recently excavated from NMG’s Petrified Wood field.
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Nov 09
Rhodonite update:
NMG miners are pleased to announce a good season of production at the Norcross-Madagascar Rhodonite Mine in Ampanihy. Good Red Manganese-rich material available. NMG has held onto this promising deposit for over 13 years, and only in 2009 has quality material, finally, become available!
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Oct 09
Gem Surfaces® is pleased to announce 3 new Gem Décor® product lines:
These new product lines will products will be available at the start of 2010.
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Oct 09
Block amethyst products online.
NMG is pleased to announce all customary polished products are now available from the Norcross-Madagascar Block Amethyst Quarry near Ambatonrazaka. The life of the deposit is estimated to yield at least 300 tons. NMG explorers are working to extend the size of the claim, which was discovered back in 2008.
 
 
 
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Aug 09
Optical Calcite update:
NMG is pleased to announce production underway at their Optical Calcite Claims. Earlier reports last year detailed the extreme environmental conditions limiting access to this fascinating new stone. NMG was contacted by the original claim beneficiary to assist with a security and transport problem. Since then, NMG has secured the deposit, acquiring more than 25 square kilometers of optical calcite mountains. Transporting the material is the biggest challenge. Previously this was a 3-day adventure, with material carried on heads, and 75% shrinkage along the way. NMG has forged a 15km trail to the south, which meets an impassible river. Transport boats are used to move the material down river 45km to the city of Miandrivazo. NMG’s president, Robert Grant, maintains that this new find will be one of more significant new materials offered in the Gem and Mineral industry. "Optically clean stones are rare and appreciated by not only connoisseurs and knowable collectors, but the general public. This material, when polished, not only exhibits the extreme double refraction typically found in clear calcite, but demonstrates an intense fire effect, a feature desired in faceted diamonds” . NMG is in the process of introducing their exclusive material to the jewelry manufacturing industry in China.
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Aug 09
Mainry Mine (Labradorite Peacock Blue Mine), School update.
Back to school for Norcross students hit by their 2nd cyclone. In 2009, NMG rebuilt its Maniry-region school ...again. Total Labradorite production is exceeding 100 tons per month, with the majority of the material going to a Chinese firm.
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July 09
Hematite. NMG Explorers are pleased to announce alluvial production from one of their iron / ore properties.
NMG Group holds [5] strategic ore reserves. The hematite has a beautiful metallic shine, once polished, and still exposes the natural crystal cavities
of this precious metal. Sample rough and finished products will be on show in the gem and mineral industry at the Madagascar Minerals Gem Show in Denver this Sept.
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July 09
Amethyst Update:
NMG is pleased to announce a successful production season only 1 year after the initial discovery.
NMG apprentice explorer Fafa Andriamahenina has spent many months on site, and detailed the NMG Amethyst "Line” outcrop. 2009 season’s production is projected to be 19 tons, and 2010 expected to yield 10,000kg per month. Details of the life of the deposit to be released shortly. NMG is proud of Mr. Andriamahenina’s work, which includes management of the local miners, securing the amethyst gemstone, and property, and finally the transport of material back to NMG’s production facility in Antananarivo.
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July 09
Amazonite Update.
NMG has been working with the local NGO to declassify an environmentally protected area for the last 8 months.
NMG is preparing to submit their sustainability proposal. The land in question is near rare endemic plants. NMG explorer’s maintain their proposed mining project is part of a greater buffer area, outside the area of protection. NMG lead explorer, Meme Ranivoarison points out that NMG focus is on sustainability and includes local people in the greater picture, and as part of the "environment”. Mr. Ranivoarison explains "we need to think about the local people equally as we do the environment. Too many international NGO’s come here to protect, protect and protect whatever they can. How can we develop, if everything is protected?” After the proposal is submitted, it will be voted on by various vested interests and government groups. NMG’s long term plans for the area include amazonite block (5-14 ton per block) excavation. However the land and no road access might limit the potential of this green gemstone feldspar to small block production (1-200kg per pc).
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July 09
Copal Production.
NMG is pleased to announce production at their ancient copal forest. Copal is a hard resin exuded from a special coniferous tree. NMG miners dig in the ancient copal forests which includes alluvial recent to semi-fossilized (65% polymerized) insect-included resin. For thousands of years, ancient copal trees deposited copious amounts of resin to heal injuries sustained from the destructive forces of nature (like cyclones).
Branches typically would snap, exposing the phloem part of the tree which transports the resin. The resin would slowly flow in large "icicles” globing off the tree and fall to the ground, entombing leaves and insects along its path. Excavating in areas where trees once lived and currently live, exposes beautiful specimens. NMG operates a sustainability project, protecting the last living trees from poachers and traditional slash and burn practices - still common throughout Madagascar today. Without NMG’s sustainability and protection plan, the remaining tree’s would have fallen in 2009. NMG is working with the Malagasy department of Forest, on the sustainability plan along with management of the resource.
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June 09
Prussian Blue Agate :
Not to be confused with NMG’s recent Blue Quartz/Agate material, NMG China facility is pleased to announce successful chemical treatment of their agate. Using translated secret German recipes dating back more than 120 years, from the famous gemstone region of Idar-Oberstien, Norcross Stone Treater’s have successfully changed grey banded agate into beautiful Prussian Blue Agate.
Idar-Oberstien is also the birth place of agate chemical treatment. NMG’s Gem Surface’s brand is now producing blue agate slabs (granite slab standard sizes), tiles and furniture. Madagascar Minerals will be offering all their customary polished products in blue agate. NMG’s Thierry Andrianarismasy started treatment of cut agate slices, however, due the slab polishing process, the penetration wasn't’t deep enough. After a few months of experimentation, Gem Surfaces succeeded at treating a full size, 400kg granite slab (agate gemstone) in one streamlined process. NMG claims this safeguarded technique to be the largest ever successfully achieved, on record.
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