DUSHANBE, July 21, 2010, Asia-Plus -- Exploration of the ruby mine Barfi (Snezhny) in Murgab district, Gorno Badakhshan has resumed, the head of the Main Geology Directorate, Azim Ibrohim, said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, the ruby mine has been transferred from the books of the state unitary enterprise Chamast (Amethyst), to the Main Geology Directorate.

“Barfi is not yet considered deposit as its reserves have not yet been calculated,” said Ibrohim, “Those possible reserves of 52,000 carats that Chamast was going to defend at the National Commission for Reserves had been calculated in the Soviet time already.”

Moreover, Chamast was engaged in mining ruby at this field illegally because the company was granted license only for exploration of the mine, Tajik chief geologist added.

The ruby mine Barfi, which means “snowy”, was reportedly discovered during the 1980s.  The mine is located at Turakuloma, some 40 kilometers northwest of the settlement of Murgab, the administrative center of the Murgab district, at some 4,500 meters above sea level, in a mineralized zone of marbles.

According to estimates made in the Soviet time, the Barfi mine has possible reserves of 5,848 kilograms of raw corundum, 303,258 carats of jewelry corundum (ruby) and 573,500 grams of collection corundum.