In Part One of this two-part interview, Bruce Bridges discusses his father’s discovery of tsavorite, their mines in Kenya, and how the name “tsavorite” came to be.
Bruce Bridges is the owner of Bridges Tsavorite. Bruce’s father, Campbell Bridges, embarked on a lifelong adventure after discovering tsavorite in the 1960s. Tsavorite is a rare variety of grossularite (garnet) whose rich green color comes from traces of chromium and/or vanadium oxide. Compared to emerald in appearance, this lesser-known gem is actually rarer, more durable, and more affordable.
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Listen to Part Two here. (coming soon)
Full Show Notes
Growing up in the mines [3:00]
The discovery of tsavorite [7:30]
Tsavorite nomenclature [20:00]
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