Elusive Gemstone Mines: the Red Garnet Industry in Contemporary Rajasthan

Historically believed to be a key zone for the extraction of red garnet, the region of Rajasthan, India has now allegedly become »second choice« for the gemstone manufacturers from Jaipur. According to craftsmen in the »Pink City«, sourcing gem-quality garnet in Rajasthan has become increasingly rare. During a field trip in the autumn of 2014, with the intention to look for red garnet sources in the region of Rajasthan, a different story turned up: large mining operations for all kinds of minerals, including garnet, go on despite being outside the law. In the case of gem-quality garnet, small-scale and artisanal mining activities are being carried out in different parts of the state and it seems that this type of informal mining might have been the rule rather than the exception in earlier times, as well.