Road to the Gem Mines

With our gemologist and local guide (a previous gem cutter) to show us the way, we begin our 8 hour drive into rural Cambodia.

To the ONLY place in the WORLD with the Rare, sought after color I want, the home of the infamous Ratanakiri gemstones. 

We hiked through the forest over the rich, deep red soil into a rubber tree farm. In the distance we spot the miners working in between the rubber trees...