Complete Precious Stones List in Nigeria

Nigeria is home to a lot of precious stones. The list includes topaz, sapphire, garnet, emerald, Tourmaline, aquamarine, amethyst, ruby, zircon and opal. These precious stones in Nigeria, as you will see from our list, are mineral that is used in making jewellery and other objects of beauty. They are highly valued and are scarce to find.

So, in this article, we will be analysing the precious stones in Nigeria.

Precious Stones List in Nigeria

Nigeria is blessed with precious stones and is one of the major manufacturers of precious stones in the region of West Africa. Mining of precious stones has begun to reach a heightened momentum, especially in the North. Sapphires are in abundance in the North, which makes the area a fertile ground for investment.

Here is the total list of precious stones in Nigeria:

Aquamarine

Aquamarine can be etymologically traced from the Latin word aqua marina, which means ‘seawater’.  It is blue in colour and may occur in a variety of green. There are huge deposits of Aquamarine in Nigeria, which are opportunities for wealth and foreign exchange. Aquamarine can be found in places like Jos, Kogi, Nasarawa, Oyo and Ogun state. 

Read: Lists of 17 Major Mineral Resources in Nigeria

Tourmaline

Tourmaline is a precious stone found in Nigeria. The year 2000s, Nigeria discovered a paler variety of Tourmaline. It is widely known and is priced at a very exorbitant rate. It is used for jewellery manufacturing, and be is shaped into different styles. It is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing. It can be a good source of foreign exchange. Tourmaline deposits can be found in Osun, Nasawara and Kaduna states.

Read: What You Need To Know About Ugu Leaf

Emerald

Emerald is another spectacular precious stone with deposits in Nigeria. Emerald mining can yield the country hundreds of billions of Nigeria. Huge deposits of emerald can be found in the Nothern part of the country.

Read: Nigeria Refinery: Complete List of Refineries in Nigeria

Garnet

Garnet is a beautiful precious stone, and it comes in a variety of beautiful colours, ranging from black to pink. It is used as abrasives by manufacturing companies, though, it can also be used as jewellery. Nigeria has a huge deposit of Garnet.

Ruby

Ruby is a red coloured precious stone found in Nigeria. There are also pink coloured varieties. Ruby is highly valuable and is often compared to diamond, emerald and amethyst. A huge deposit of Ruby can be found in Adamawa, Sokoto, Taraba and Jos states.

Zircon

Zircon is a very popular form of semi-precious gemstone. It has a spectacular adamantine lustre with a high refractive index. Zircon is considered by many as a substitute for diamond. It is very heavy and can fade easily after prolonged exposure to sunlight. Zircon is found in Kaduna state.

Topaz

Topaz is known to be a high-demand gemstone. It is preferred for its hardness and beautiful colours. It is also known to be widely available in the market. The most expensive types of topaz are those of pinkish-red and orange-red colours. While the ones that are most commonly seen are bluish colours. Some states in Nigeria where huge deposits of Topaz can be found include:

• Jos, Plateau State
• Bauchi state;
• Nasarawa State (precisely in Jenta and Akwanga)
• Oyo State

Opal

Opal happens to be the most beautiful of all gemstones. Some people regard opal as the finest stone there is because of its colour. Opal can be priced even higher than Diamond. Opal colour changes at the angle where the stone is viewed. This is widely termed opalescence. Opal is found in some parts of Nothern Nigeria

List of Precious Stones Operators/Miners In Nigeria 

Precious stones list of uses in Nigeria

Precious stones are used as Jewelry

Most precious stones are used for their sentimental value. They are mostly used as a decorative item and for adornment and beautification purpose. You find these precious stones in earrings, rings and necklaces. They are used to start fashion trends.

Precious stones have Healing properties.

Aside from the use of precious stones for jewellery and adornment, they are fundamentally said to store magical properties and can be used for healing and attracting wealth.

Precious stones are used for astrological properties.

There is a big relationship between precious stones and astrology. Precious stones are said to store energy which can influence the planetary system. To astrology, every individual has a birthstone, which can bring good fortune to the wearer.

Precious stones can be a source of foreign income to the country.

Since Nigeria has vast deposits of precious stones, investing in them can be a great source of wealth and foreign earnings to the country. Precious stones are high priced by investors and earn the country millions of dollars.

Price of gemstones in Nigeria

As previously stated, Nigeria is rich with a diverse selection of gemstones.

But the most popular gemstones’ normal costs include;

Tanzanite—$1,200 per carat

Black Opal—$9,500 per carat

Red Beryl—$10,000 per carat

Musgravite—$35,000 per carat

Alexandrite—$70,000 per carat

Emerald—$305,000 per carat

Ruby—$1.18 million per carat

Pink Diamond—$1.19 million per carat

Jadeite—$3 million per carat

Blue Diamond—$3.93 million per carat

Top 10 Gemstone Importing Countries in Africa

Analyzing their share of global import transactions, this list shows the top ten gem importers in Africa. Not Including diamonds and unworked or artificial precious stones, global gem imports in 2022 reached $9.1 billion USD.

1. South Africa: $8.6 million
2. Zambia: $1.5 million
3. Mauritius: $1.2 million
4. Morocco: $842,000
5. Tunisia: $139,000
6. Kenya: $97,000
7. Mali: $89,000
8. Namibia: $78,000
9. Libya: $67,000
10. Egypt: $51,000

Top 10 Gemstone Exporting Countries in Africa

Have you ever wondered which African countries export the most precious stones?

In 2022, global gem exports were $9.9 billion dollars.

1. Mozambique: $97.6 million
2. Madagascar: $24 million
3. Tanzania: $23.6 million
4. Ethiopia: $13.8 million
5. South Africa: $8.5 million
6. Zambia: $3.5 million
7. Eritrea: $3.1 million
8. Kenya: $2.8 million
9. Zimbabwe: $1.1 million
10. Democratic Rep. Congo: $761,000

Final words

One of the best things about Nigerian gemstones is that they aren’t all found in the same location in the country.

It is available in a variety of locations and is of excellent quality.

Furthermore, due to the high value associated with them, they sell for a very high price on the global market.