US$20,000 - This option is really rock bottom. From this a factory can be build up but it will take some time and the machines will have to be build by engineering workshops, costing more money. Selling a thousand gemstones is considerably easier than selling twenty pieces. This operation will have to start off in South Africa, thus will be prone to labour problems as well.
US$30,000 - A far more viable option and meant for a private investor.   We can start manufacturing our own machines, (perhaps even sell some) and produce quite a large number of gemstones per month. Expansion is going to be somewhat slow.
US$80,000 - This option is the optimum option and more viable for a Government funding, international aid group or large corporate investor. The money needs to be available over a period of three months, estimated at $26,600 per month. The reasons being to expand, train people and establish a number of sub-lapidaries around the country. The aim of this project is to cut more than 60% of the country's own mined gemstones.

PLEASE NOTE: With careful purchasing we should be able to save on most of the budgets stated below. This breakdown is only an indication as it may change in composition and value. I have worked with a large safety margin and every option is negotiable with the investor.

As I will personally be involved with the setting up the lapidary and training of personnel, I would only be able to accept one of the above options.  From the profit thereof further lapidaries will be established. The ideal would be to start off with $80,000, establish the main factory and from the profit start the sub-lapidaries and village operations.

MACHINERY:  US$5,000-00

1. Table top metal lathe, 500 mm bank
2. Milling machine with 500 mm bed and bits
3. Miniature lathe & milling machine combo, 20 mm bank
4. Arc welding machine
5. Angle grinder & guide
6. Electric drill & bits
7. Work bench, screw & hand tools

MATERIAL: US$6,000-00

1. Stainless steel plates & shafts ± 500 kg
2. Mild steel plates & shafts ±600 kg
3. Copper ±70 kg
4. Aluminium blocks ±50 kg
5. Spring steel plates 2 kg
6. Assorted bearings, clips & pipes
7. Assorted springs
8. Assorted screws
9. 5 x 1.5 kw electrical motors
10. V-belts and pulleys
11. Protractor, index gears, dials, switches etc.

CONSUMABLES: US$7,000-00

1. Various cutting & polishing grits, resin etc.
2. 6 x 320 mm diamond laps (cast iron)
3. 6 x diamond sawing blades
4. 5 x 320 mm polishing laps
5. Assorted grinding wheels

WORKSHOP: US$5,000-00

1. Workshop, 60 sq.m low rental
2. Electricity for two months
3. Salary & wages - 12 people, 2 months

ROUGH MATERIAL: US$7,000

1. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, garnet, tourmaline, amethyst, quartz, etc.

• 4 x Trimming saws
• 2 x Pre-form machines, semi-automatic
• 4 x Faceting machines, semi-automatic, four heads each
• 4 x Cabochon machines, from pre-form to polishing stage.
• 5 x Engravers
• 2 x Polishing machines.

Employment will be for 16 people, excluding sales personnel and management. The people can mostly be of the lower IQ group and more than 60% employment will especially be suitable for disabled people, such as landmine victims.

Production should vary between 6,000 and 8,000 gemstones per month. Due to the precision of our machines, we will be able to change the stones from machine to machine, thus enabling us to run mass production.

MACHINERY:  US$5,000-00

1. Table top metal lathe, 500 mm bank
2. Milling machine with 500 mm bed and bits
3. Miniature lathe & milling machine combo, 20 mm bank
4. Arc welding machine
5. Angle grinder & guide
6. Electric drill & bits
7. Work bench, screw & hand tools

MATERIAL: US$18,000-00

1. Stainless steel plates & shafts ± 1,500 kg
2. Mild steel plates & shafts ±1,800 kg
3. Copper ±210 kg
4. Aluminium blocks ±150 kg
5. Spring steel plates 6 kg
6. Assorted bearings, clips & pipes
7. Assorted springs
8. Assorted screws
9. 15 x 1.5 kw electrical motors
10. V-belts and pulleys
11. Protractor, index gears, dials, switches etc.

CONSUMABLES: US$21,000-00

1. Various cutting & polishing grits, resin etc.
2. 18 x 320 mm diamond laps (cast iron)
3. 18 x diamond sawing blades
4. 15 x 320 mm polishing laps
5. Assorted grinding wheels

WORKSHOP: US$16,000-00

1. Workshop, 100 sq.m low rental
2. Electricity for two months
3. Salary & wages - 25 people, 2 months
4. Sales personnel, training & marketing

ROUGH MATERIAL: US$20,000

1. Emeralds, rubies, sapphires, garnet, tourmaline, amethyst, quartz, etc.

• 12 x Trimming saws
• 5 x Pre-form machines, semi-automatic
• 12 x Faceting machines, semi-automatic, four heads each
• 12 x Cabochon machines, from pre-form to polishing stage.
• 5 x Engravers
• 8 x Polishing machines.
• 2 x Inlay & art units

Employment will be for 50 people, excluding sales personnel and management. The people can mostly be of the lower IQ group and more than 60% employment will especially be suitable for disabled people, such as landmine victims.

Production should vary between 18,000 and 25,000 gemstones per month. Due to the precision of our machines, we will be able to change the stones from machine to machine, thus enabling us to run mass production.

To establish a full laboratory as well will cost about US$100,000 at a later stage.

SUB-FACTORY:
STANDARD: $15,000
$4,000 - Material for machinery
$4,000 - Consumables
$3,000 - Workshop & wages
$4,000 - Rough material

EQUIPMENT:

• 4 x Trimming saws
• 2 x Pre-form machines, semi-automatic
• 3 x Faceting machines, semi-automatic, four heads each
• 3 x Cabochon machines, from pre-form to polishing stage.
• 3 x Polishing machines.

Employment for 15 people cutting 6,000 to 8,000 gemstones per month.

MINI FACTORY: $4,500 (Self help village set-up)
$1,500 - Material for machinery
$1,000 - Consumables
$1,000 - Workshop and generator
$500 - Rough material

EQUIPMENT:

• 1 x Trimming saws
• 2 x Cabochon machines, from pre-form to polishing stage.
• 1 x Polishing machines.

Employment for 4 people cutting 400 to 800 gemstones per month.

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E-MAIL: emeraldmine@hotmail.com . . . . . . . .Last Updated: 12 June 1998