SSEF Expeditions

Vietnam - June 2011

Luc Phan and Prof. Henry Hänni visited gemstone and pearl producing areas of Vietnam in June 2011. They visited ruby and spinel mines around the Luc Yen area and cultured pearl farming areas in the Halong Bay. Below are some pictures of travels there and some of the collected specimens that can now be found in the SSEF Collection.

 

 

A woman miner showing us a rough spinel sample in Yen Bai mining area, Vietnam. Photo: Luc Phan

 

Collection of rough blue spinel specimens at Luc Yen gem market. Photo: Luc Phan

 

 

Prof. Henry Hänni, associate researcher with SSEF, examining rough samples from the Luc Yen mining area. Photo: Luc Phan

 

Yen Bai spinel mining area. Photo: Luc Phan

 

Akoya cultured pearl encountered at a pearl farm in the Halong Bay, Vietnam. Photo: Luc Phan

 

Akoya cultured pearl farming lines in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Photo: Luc Phan

 

Akoya cultured pearl farm in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Photo: Luc Phan