Father & Son Mining Team Discover Never Before Seen Gold-Ore Gemstone
A Family in Scottsdale, AZ, have discovered the world’s newest gemstone in over 40 years. John Hornewer and his family have been gold hunters all their lives, always in search of that shiny nugget that can land them a big payday. However, during the depths of the pandemic in 2020, the father & son mining team unearthed a never before seen material, which the Gemological Institute of America has dubbed ‘the newest gold ore gemstone’.
They named the gem Sonoranite, after the rugged and beautiful Sonoran Desert in Arizona where their mine is located. While the family had already been mining this material since 2011, with the purpose of crushing it for its gold, they had only just recently realized the spectacular value of this gift from nature, containing gold, silver, copper, palladium, cobalt, yttrium, and other rare Earth metals in a silicified mix of Epidote, Pumpellyite, and Calcite.
In light of their realization of the true value of Sonoranite, they put it to the test by showcasing it at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. Finally revealed to the world, expert gemologists and lovers of fine gemstones all around the world were shocked that such a rare and exquisite beauty of nature has remained hidden in the earth’s flesh for so long. The showcase garnered enormous amounts of media attention, immediately skyrocketing demand for the gemstone, which still, to this day, has such a tiny amount of supply, that to get your hands on a Sonoranite gemstone is truly an accomplishment.
Found at just two to 4 ounces per ton of ore, the extraction of Sonoranite is challenging and requires painstaking effort. No explosives or fracturing methods can be utilized, only handiwork using small mechanical and electrical power tools can get the job done. The family-run mine claims that it took 8 years of intensive, hands-on efforts to bring the gemstone to the surface.
Described as a snow globe, with a three-dimensional quality that is further enhanced by sunlight. The tenacious crystal structure of the stone makes it all the more attractive, providing it plenty of value among collectors and connoisseurs from around the world.
Given this beauty, scarcity, and said challenging maneuvers required to extract it, the gemstone commands a premium, with rough pieces sold at $1 per gram, and finished products sold at $35 per carat.
The family’s mine in Arizona is the only known location of this gemstone at the moment, giving them plenty of pricing power. They choose who and how many are able to gain access to the gemstone and it is unknown yet to the wider world if this gemstone will ever even be available, in any other location in the world. Neither is known how much Sonoranite is actually even present in John Hornewer’s mine. It may very well be the case that the world supply of Sonoranite is dwindling, day by day. Purchasing it now may be the only chance one would ever have, to possess this gemstone.
John Hornewer’s family also mines some of the rarest fluorescent material in the world, along with Arizona Malachite, Turquoise, and Gem Silica among others. The father and son mining team do their own lapidary and gem faceting.
John Hornewer and Sonoranite will be doing the G&LW Show in Tucson from the 9th to 12th of September. Go see them if you want to find out more!
Media Contact
Company Name: Sonoranite Gems
Contact Person: John Hornewer
Email: Send Email
Phone: 602-616-9198
Address:28150 N Alma School Pkwy Suite 103-165
City: Scottsdale
State: Arizona
Country: United States
Website: www.sonoranite.com
