Pipestone

I have been doing business with this source since 2014. They are the oldest tumbling company in the world and have more varieties, in more sizes, than any other known source. The company started in California in the 1950s and was eventually bought by a British immigrant who had young sons. Eventually the company moved to South Africa in order to be closer to the source of their best-selling stone and to have the legal rights to export it. The company is now run by the sons and their childhood best friend.

The current owners personally visit many small and large mines. To connect with artisanal miners in sub-Sahara Africa, they work with local Gem Dealers who travel far into the bush to buy from part-time miners. The majority of these Gem Dealers are women. Some, but not all, of their stones are labeled with country-of-origin. For those that aren’t, I ask the owners directly. As I’ve learned more about mining practices in individual countries, I have become increasingly selective about what I will purchase from them. However, they remain my preferred source for most of the stones I sell from sub-Sahara Africa.