This is the Jewelry Museum in Iksan-si, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea.

This is the Iksan-si Gem Museum in Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. Definition of Gem The number of minerals discovered by mineralogists is about 3,500, but only about 100 of them are used as gemstones because they have elements such as beauty, durability, rarity, tradition, and portability. In the past, only inorganic minerals and organic substances such as coral and pearls that are found in nature were considered gemstones, but recently, synthetic stones and artificial stones have been included in the category of gemstones. The definition of a gemstone is a work of art created by skilled polishers by carefully polishing a raw stone that has been collected from nature in its natural state, that is, in a state that has not been processed. Distribution of major gemstone mines in the world Gemstone minerals are especially concentrated in South America, southern Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Brazil, and are classified into igneous deposits, sedimentary deposits, and metamorphic deposits depending on the method of formation. The place where minerals are buried is called a deposit, and the site where they are actually developed is called a mine. Since diamonds were discovered in India around the 5th century BC, they were only owned by a privileged few due to their small production, but they were discovered in large quantities in South Africa in the late 19th century and became popular gemstones. They are mainly produced in Africa, Russia, Australia, Canada, etc. Not all mined gemstones are commercially viable. Only about 15-20% of the total production is of gem quality, and the rest is classified as industrial or near gemstones. Natural diamonds are decreasing by an average of 5% every year due to mine aging and depletion, and it is expected that by 2050, the current production will decrease by 65-90%. The Korea age During the Goryeo Dynasty, techniques for engraving pictures, patterns, and letters on accessories were prominently developed, and gold and silver inlay techniques were particularly active. In addition, the organization called Gwangyaseo specialized in producing metalwork such as silversmiths, cosmetic white coppersmiths, ironsmiths, padaejangs, goldsmiths, and saengcheoljangs, which further developed the jewelry culture. The Chosun era ~ today The characteristic of jewelry in the Joseon era is that due to restrictions on clothing and the influence of Confucianism, the use of necklaces, bracelets, and earrings almost disappeared, while hair ornaments and norigae developed in various ways. The main materials for jewelry were white jade, crystal, amber, and agate, which were mainly used for women's rings, hairpins, and necklaces, and men's buttons and hair ornaments. In the mid-18th century, the development of gold and silver mines was promoted due to the strong claims of Silhak scholars. However, during the Japanese colonial period, gold and silver were mined and exported to their own country, and domestic reserves were depleted. Afterwards, the Korea Mining Promotion Corporation (1965) and the Precious Metals and Jewelry Processing Complex (1976) were established, creating conditions for fostering and developing the precious metals and jewelry industry. #Domestic travel #Travel plan #February travel subsidy event