Ouro Preto in Brazil - World Heritage Site by Unesco ( Full HD )
Ouro Preto (from Portuguese, Black Gold) is a city in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, a former colonial mining town located in the Serra do Espinhaço mountains and designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its outstanding Baroque architecture.
Founded at the end of the 16th century, Ouro Preto (meaning Black Gold) was originally called Vila Rica, or rich village, the focal point of the gold rush and Brazil's golden age in the 18th century under Portuguese rule.
The city contains well-preserved Portuguese colonial architecture, with few signs of modern urban life. Modern construction must adhere to historical standards maintained by the city. 18th- and 19th-century churches decorated with gold and the sculptured works of Aleijadinho make Ouro Preto a prime tourist destination.
The tremendous wealth from gold mining in the 18th century created a city which attracted the intelligentsia of Europe. Philosophy and art flourished, and evidence of a baroque revival called the Barroco Mineiro is illustrated in architecture as well as by sculptors such as Aleijadinho, painters such as Mestre Athayde, composers such as Lobo de Mesquita, and poets such as Tomás António Gonzaga. At that time, Vila Rica was the largest city in Brazil, with 100,000 inhabitants.
In 1789, Ouro Preto became the birthplace of the Inconfidência Mineira, a failed attempt to gain independence from Portugal. The leading figure, Tiradentes, was hanged as a threat to any future revolutionaries.
In 1876, the Escola de Minas (Mines School) was created. This school established the technological foundation for several of the mineral discoveries in Brazil.
Ouro Preto was capital of Minas Gerais from 1720 until 1897, when the needs of government outgrew this town in the valley. The state government was moved to the new, planned city of Belo Horizonte.
Ouro Preto is also a university town with an intense student life. The Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (Federal University of Ouro Preto or UFOP) has approximately 13,000 students. Many of them live in communal houses that are somewhat similar to fraternity houses as found in North American colleges. These communal or shared houses are called repúblicas, of which 66 belong to the university, called repúblicas federais, and 250 are privately owned (repúblicas particulares).
The repúblicas system of Ouro Preto in unique in Brazil. No other university city in the country has exactly the same characteristics of the student lodging found there. In many ways, the lodging is similar to that found in Portuguese universities such as the Coimbra and the tradition may have come from there. Before universities were founded in Brazil, Coimbra was where most of the rich students who could afford an overseas education went to. Each república has its own different history. There are repúblicas in which the freshmen, also known as bixos (misspelling of bichos, Portuguese for animals), have to undergo a hazing period, called batalha (battle), before being accepted permanently as residents of the houses. The final choice of the freshmen, called escolha, has to be unanimous among the senior students of the house.
The Museu Mineralógico Da Escola De Minas (Mineralogy Museum) can be of special interest to visitors. It belongs to the Mining School of the prestigious UFOP. The School opened its doors on 12 October 1823. The Museum is located at the Praça Tiradentes (No. 20), in the town's historical center, and contains a rich assortment of minerals on display, including precious and semi-precious gemstones and large crystals. Security is tight, however (for example, no cameras are allowed), due to the incalculable value of the gemstones and ores on display.
Geography:
Important Data
Population: Data from the 2010 Census (IBGE)
Resident population: 70,227 (2010 Census)
Urban area: 56,293
Rural area: 9,985
Area of the municipality: 1,245 km²
Temperature: between 6 and 28 degrees Celsius. In June and July the temperature can reach -2 degrees Celsius.
Average elevation: 1,116 m. The highest point is Pico de Itacolomi with 1,722 meters.
The city has twelve districts: Amarantina, Antônio Pereira, Cachoeira do Campo, Engenheiro Correia, Glaura, Lavras Novas, Miguel Burnier, Santa Rita, Santo Antônio do Leite, Santo Antônio do Salto, São Bartolomeu and Rodrigo Silva.
Rivers: sources for the Velhas, Piracicaba, Gualaxo do Norte, Gualaxo do Sul, Mainart e Ribeirão Funil.
Per Capita Income: R$ 63,622 ( US$33,544 )
HDI: 0.833 (Medium)
IMPERIAL TOPAZ Ouro Preto, Iron Quadrangle, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Visita ao museu das minas e do metal em Belo Horizonte
Visita ao museu das minas e do metal em Belo Horizonte. Site do museu: . Muito bom!!!
Ouro Preto: Imperial Topaz Mine Uly4's photos around Rodrigo Silva, Brazil (rodrigo silva mg)
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Hematite Rose from Brazil - Lot #53151
An aggregate of bladed Hematites arranged in multiple, sub-parallel groups around a center point, this piece is from the Dom Bosco Mine in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Measuring 5 x 4 x 1.5.
Shot for Heritage Auctions in August 2013 for their October 19-20 Natural History Auction. See HA.com/5141 for details. Uploaded in 1080P Hi-Def format. Click the gear at the bottom of the viewing screen to select HD.
Brazil's Gem Stones and Mining History
From the Global Village Travel Guide and DVD, Brazil. Stock footage available from
Transcript:
THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS IS SO LITTERED WITH CRYSTAL,
SPARKLING ORES AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES THAT THE LAND
IS ALMOST ALWAYS SMOLDERING AS A RESULT OF SUN STARTED FIRES. 01.30.41
HERE THE EARTH'S CRUST HAS BLOSSOMED,
YIELDING BEAUTIFUL CLUSTER'S OF EVERY
IMAGINABLE TYPE OF NATURAL CRYSTAL.........
ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE UNUSUAL CRYSTALS ARE MERE
ATTRACTIVE CURIOSITIES, SOME OF THEM, SUCH AS
VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE BERYL FAMILY ARE AMONG
THE MOST VALUABLE SUBSTANCES KNOWN TO MAN.
WHEN THE EARLY BANDIERANTES BEGAN
SEARCHING THESE HILLS FOR DIAMONDS
AND EMERALDS, THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT
BRAZIL WOULD ONE DAY BECOME THE WORLD'S
LEADING PRODUCER OF GEMS AND COLORED GEMSTONES.
PERHAPS NO ONE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE FASCINATING WORLD OF
BRAZILIAN GEMSTONES THAN THE MAN WHO FIRST INTRODUCED
BRAZIL TO THE ART OF GEM CUTTING, JULES SAUER;
Brazil is the paradise of gemstones
and the aquamarine......primary deposits
.......In 1963 the first emeralds were found
........tourmaline
....... amethyst
brazilianite
OPAL
Imperial topaz
THE CAPOA MINE, OPERATED BY AMSTERDAM SAUER IN
RODRIGO SILVA NEAR OURO PRETO IS ONE OF THE FEW
PRODUCING IMPERIAL TOPAZ MINES IN THE WORLD TODAY.
HERE THE TOPAZ YIELDING MATERIAL IS HYDRAULICALLY
DISMOUNTED USING WATER FROM A NEARBY HOLDING POND.
THE MATERIAL IS THEN MECHANICALLY TRANSPORTED TO
THE BEGINNING OF A SERIES OF FLUMES AND SCREENS
WHERE IT IS CAREFULLY CLASSIFIED AND SEPARATED.
HERE THE MATERIAL IS FURTHER CLASSIFIED BY A VIBRATING SEPARATOR.
IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE PROCESS,
23.08~ BELTROUGH THE PROMISING STONES ARE HAND PICKED FROM AMONG
THE QUARTZ CRYSTAL AND OTHER MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN
CONCENTRATED FROM THE ORIGINAL SLURRY. EVEN IN THIS HIGHLY
EFFICENT MINE, IT TAKES TONS OF RAW MATERIAL TO PRODUCE
EACH CARAT OF PRECIOUS IMPERIAL TOPAZ
THE FINEST STONES FROM THE MINES IN MINAS GERAIS
AND ELSEWHERE IN BRAZIL EVENTUALLY FIND THEIR
A. SAUER SHOP
WAY TO THE JEWELER'S SHOP WHERE THEY ARE ARTFULLY
TRANSFORMED INTO THE CENTERPIECES FOR SOME OF
THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY.
BECAUSE OF THE LOW COST OF LABOR, AND THE AVAILABILITY
OF QUALITY GEMSTONES IN BRAZIL, THE BARGAINS TO
BE FOUND IN THE FINE JEWELRY SHOPS OF BRAZIL
BRING BARGAIN SEEKERS HERE FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE TO BUY THEM THAN IN THE
FINE SHOPS OF RIO .......
THE LURE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL STONES IS SO GREAT THAT
ALMOST NO ONE LEAVES BRAZIL WITHOUT AT LEAST ONE
OF THESE BEAUTIFUL COLORED GEMSTONES.
THE VALUES TO BE FOUND IN BRAZILIAN GEMSTONES
ARE LEGEND, BUT YOU MUST BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU BUY.......
EVERYONE HAS A BARGAIN WAITING FOR THE UNWARY TOURIST.....
......SOME OF THE CHEAPER ONES OFFERED BY THESE BOYS ON
THE STREETS MAY EVEN BE COLORED GLASS IMITATIONS...
AUDIO GUARANTEE
ANYONE SERIOUS ABOUT PURCHASING FINE JEWELERY
WOULD DO WELL TO LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT THE FOUR C'S.
BEFORE THEY BUY, AND TO BUY FROM ONE OF THE
ESTABLISHED REPUTABLE FIRMS THAT HAVE OUTLETS
A SAUER OUTLET SIGN
IN ALL THE MAJOR CITIES.
1.4 70ct Bright Terminated Gemmy Orange IMPERIAL TOPAZ Crystal Brazil for sale
Please visit us at to see this and over 2,000 more fine mineral specimens
Gem Stone Mining, Brazil
From the Global Village Travel Guide and DVD, Brazil. Stock footage available from
Transcript:
THE STATE OF MINAS GERAIS IS SO LITTERED WITH CRYSTAL,
SPARKLING ORES AND SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES THAT THE LAND
IS ALMOST ALWAYS SMOLDERING AS A RESULT OF SUN STARTED FIRES. 01.30.41
HERE THE EARTH'S CRUST HAS BLOSSOMED,
YIELDING BEAUTIFUL CLUSTER'S OF EVERY
IMAGINABLE TYPE OF NATURAL CRYSTAL.........
ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE UNUSUAL CRYSTALS ARE MERE
ATTRACTIVE CURIOSITIES, SOME OF THEM, SUCH AS
VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE BERYL FAMILY ARE AMONG
THE MOST VALUABLE SUBSTANCES KNOWN TO MAN.
WHEN THE EARLY BANDIERANTES BEGAN
SEARCHING THESE HILLS FOR DIAMONDS
AND EMERALDS, THEY HAD NO IDEA THAT
BRAZIL WOULD ONE DAY BECOME THE WORLD'S
LEADING PRODUCER OF GEMS AND COLORED GEMSTONES.
PERHAPS NO ONE KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE FASCINATING WORLD OF
BRAZILIAN GEMSTONES THAN THE MAN WHO FIRST INTRODUCED
BRAZIL TO THE ART OF GEM CUTTING, JULES SAUER;
Brazil is the paradise of gemstones
and the aquamarine......primary deposits
.......In 1963 the first emeralds were found
........tourmaline
....... amethyst
brazilianite
OPAL
Imperial topaz
THE CAPOA MINE, OPERATED BY AMSTERDAM SAUER IN
RODRIGO SILVA NEAR OURO PRETO IS ONE OF THE FEW
PRODUCING IMPERIAL TOPAZ MINES IN THE WORLD TODAY.
HERE THE TOPAZ YIELDING MATERIAL IS HYDRAULICALLY
DISMOUNTED USING WATER FROM A NEARBY HOLDING POND.
THE MATERIAL IS THEN MECHANICALLY TRANSPORTED TO
THE BEGINNING OF A SERIES OF FLUMES AND SCREENS
WHERE IT IS CAREFULLY CLASSIFIED AND SEPARATED.
HERE THE MATERIAL IS FURTHER CLASSIFIED BY A VIBRATING SEPARATOR.
IN THE FINAL STAGE OF THE PROCESS,
23.08~ BELTROUGH THE PROMISING STONES ARE HAND PICKED FROM AMONG
THE QUARTZ CRYSTAL AND OTHER MATERIAL THAT HAS BEEN
CONCENTRATED FROM THE ORIGINAL SLURRY. EVEN IN THIS HIGHLY
EFFICENT MINE, IT TAKES TONS OF RAW MATERIAL TO PRODUCE
EACH CARAT OF PRECIOUS IMPERIAL TOPAZ
THE FINEST STONES FROM THE MINES IN MINAS GERAIS
AND ELSEWHERE IN BRAZIL EVENTUALLY FIND THEIR
A. SAUER SHOP
WAY TO THE JEWELER'S SHOP WHERE THEY ARE ARTFULLY
TRANSFORMED INTO THE CENTERPIECES FOR SOME OF
THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL JEWELRY.
BECAUSE OF THE LOW COST OF LABOR, AND THE AVAILABILITY
OF QUALITY GEMSTONES IN BRAZIL, THE BARGAINS TO
BE FOUND IN THE FINE JEWELRY SHOPS OF BRAZIL
BRING BARGAIN SEEKERS HERE FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
AND THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE TO BUY THEM THAN IN THE
FINE SHOPS OF RIO .......
THE LURE OF THESE BEAUTIFUL STONES IS SO GREAT THAT
ALMOST NO ONE LEAVES BRAZIL WITHOUT AT LEAST ONE
OF THESE BEAUTIFUL COLORED GEMSTONES.
THE VALUES TO BE FOUND IN BRAZILIAN GEMSTONES
ARE LEGEND, BUT YOU MUST BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU BUY.......
EVERYONE HAS A BARGAIN WAITING FOR THE UNWARY TOURIST.....
......SOME OF THE CHEAPER ONES OFFERED BY THESE BOYS ON
THE STREETS MAY EVEN BE COLORED GLASS IMITATIONS...
AUDIO GUARANTEE
ANYONE SERIOUS ABOUT PURCHASING FINE JEWELERY
WOULD DO WELL TO LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT THE FOUR C'S.
BEFORE THEY BUY, AND TO BUY FROM ONE OF THE
ESTABLISHED REPUTABLE FIRMS THAT HAVE OUTLETS
A SAUER OUTLET SIGN
IN ALL THE MAJOR CITIES.
280 GRAM AMAZING HONEY COLOR TOPAZ WITH SMOKEY QUARTZ & MICA
280 GRAM AMAZING HONEY COLOR TOPAZ WITH SMOKEY QUARTZ & MICA
Golden Gate Mining Brazil - Project.wmv
This video shows Golden Gate Mining Brazil team exploring the Almas Project in Tocantins State, Central Brazil. We can see a vast region almost unexplored with recent artisanal gold works, with strong mineralized areas and visible gold. - June/2011
More details on goldengatemining.com
facebook/goldengatemining - @goldgatemining
White Topaz with Quartz & Mica from Afghanistan available
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if the link won't work: seller:seefeldt-minerals [copy paste]
mail us:
seefeldt.minerals@gmail.com
Thanks for watching!
GYPSUM RAMS HORN Morocco
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Tourmaline01
The Sapo Mine is renown for its rich mineral cornucopia, especially its Tourmaline - it is an important producer of this important Brazilian gemstone. In February 1997, a most unusual situation was encountered at the Sapo Mine: a series of three gem pockets were breached in the mine, all very close to each other. All three pockets contained Tourmaline BUT they were very distinctly different from each other: one pocket contained the renowned Sapo Blue Cap Tourmalines, one contained fine blue Indicolite crystals, and one contained GIANT Tourmaline crystals. These enormous Tourmalines were referred to as shaving brushes because of their complex shape - but as soon as they appeared, they vanished! There was no photographic record - just the legend of these massive crystals - until now. Evidently at some point these Tourmalines were whisked away from Brazil and ended up in the Hoppel Collection - where they remained out of the public eye, sequestered in a private museum, until now. When the collection was unveiled at the 2013 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, mineral dealer and Brazilian expert Luiz Menezes confirmed the origin of these Tourmalines.
This is the largest Tourmaline from that pocket (the second largest crystal is also in the Hoppel Collection) - measuring an imposing 16 inches (40.6 cm) tall. This giant group is composed of a multitude of sub-parallel crystals with pink bases and cores, that have been over coated with transparent blue-green Tourmaline that grades into a light pastel blue-green at the very tips of the crystal, resulting in a snow-on-the-roof effect that adds heightened definition to the overall aesthetic. Accompanied by a custom acrylic base.
Overall measurements: 16 x 7 x 4 inches (40.6 x 17.8 x 10.2 cm).
Visit the live auction at:
Auction closes on June 2, 2013.
Ouro Preto - cidades históricas de Minas
fotos do passeio em cidades históricas de Minas Gerais: Tiradentes, Ouro Preto, Congonhas e São João Del Rey - com passeio de trem turístico.
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A miscigenação ocorrida em Minas Gerais entre povos indígenas, africanos e o colonizador português deixou marcas características na cultura mineira, influenciando as artes, a culinária e o folclore.
Um dos mais importantes acervos artísticos e arquitetônicos do Brasil colonial está abrigado nas cidades mineiras, destacando-se Ouro Preto, Mariana, Diamantina, Congonhas, Tiradentes, Sabará e São João del-Rei.
O arquiteto e escultor Antônio Francisco Lisboa, conhecido por Aleijadinho, é o nome mais importante do barroco mineiro, tanto por esculturas avulsas quanto por realizações de maior vulto, como os profetas em pedra sabão e os passos da Paixão em Congonhas e a concepção arquitetônica de igrejas como a de São Francisco de Assis em Ouro Preto. Suas obras estão presentes em diversas cidades da região do ouro.
Também no século XVIII, o pintor Manuel da Costa Ataíde destacou-se pela ornamentação em estilo rococó de forros das igrejas da região do ouro. Sua obra mais importante é a pintura em perspectiva Glorificação da Virgem, na igreja São Francisco de Assis em Ouro Preto.E também as artes são demais.
ft:
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Minas Gerais was formed mainly by colonists who searched for veins of gold (discovered 1693) and gems, and later diamonds which come from the naturally occurring itacolumite rock that can be found in great numbers in the region. These helped to boost occupation of the inner lands and led to the foundation of several new villages. In 1697, the Portuguese used enslaved African labor to start building the Estrada Real, the royal road, that would connect the ports of cities of Rio de Janeiro and Paraty to the mineral-rich regions of Ouro Preto, Serro, and, at the northernmost point, Diamantina.[2] The first capital and seat of the local see was the city of Mariana; it was later moved to Vila Rica. In the late 18th century, Vila Rica was the largest city in Brazil and one of the most populous in America. As the gold mines were exhausted over the 19th century, the city lost its importance; it was later renamed Ouro Preto and remained the state capital until the construction of the all-new, planned city of Belo Horizonte at the turn of the 20th century. The gold cycle left its mark in cities such as Mariana, Ouro Preto, Diamantina, Sabará, Tiradentes and São João del Rei. The relative isolation from European influence, added to the huge influx of gold and other valuable minerals, helped the local people to develop their own style of art, which became known as Barroco Mineiro. Prime examples of this period are the richly decorated churches at the colonial cities, some of them preserved today as museums. The most important artist of this period was Antônio Lisboa, who became known as Aleijadinho. His statues and paintings are now highly valued by experts as one of the most refined artistic expressions outside Europe at that time. In addition to art and architecture, there was an explosion of musical activity in Minas Gerais in the 18th century.
Stones from Minas @ Smithsonian
Washington DC Museum - Smithsonian - Stones from Minas Gerais Brazil
Quartzo Pseudomorfo anidrita - quartz pseudomorph of Anhydrite
Quartzo com pseudomorfismo de anidrita originário de Ametista do Sul - RS - Brasil. QUARTZ PSEUDO ANHYDRITE - Brazil
Conheça o Museu Amsterdam Sauer de Pedras Preciosas e Minerais Raros
Confira o Museu Amsterdam Sauer na matéria da TV Brasil.
Amber's Designs Katy Texas Trip to Brazil Diamond Emerald Mines
Amber's Designs in Jewelry, Katy Texas Brazil emerald mines, diamonds, imperial topaz, aquamarine,
Chester Rockhounds A Night Before Christmas
Chester Rockhound attempts to aid in the education of children everywhere. He fails. And falls. And steps on a rake. Twice.
Chester Rockhound: Nick Sessions
Camera: Jennifer Sessions
1.2 23ct Reddish Orange IMPERIAL TOPAZ Terminated Gemmy Crystal Brazil for sale
Please visit us at to see this and over 2,000 more fine mineral specimens