What You Should Know About the Company Mining in Yogo Again
Yogo Mine in Montana, which produces the popular Yogo sapphires, was dormant for nearly four decades.

The mine, which produces the popular Yogo sapphires, was dormant for nearly four decades.
A few years ago, Yogold USA entered the arena. The mining company first entered into an exploration agreement, which ended December 31, 2022, and then it transitioned into a lease with an option to purchase.
Its lease and option consist of 1,563 acres of deeded ground, where the company is simultaneously engaged in commercial production and underground development as well as surface exploration, President Jerod Edington confirmed to National Jeweler.
There are two historic workings in the mine.
A British group conducted surface mining on top and eventually sunk a shaft to 250 feet underground.
A group of Americans, meanwhile, went straight into the side of the mountain and back about 700 feet, essentially hand mining the whole way.
The Kunisaki Group then purchased the mine in the 1970s and drove a haulage way parallel to the American mine; the haulage way is approximately 3,000 feet long and is referred to as the “Kunisaki Tunnel,” Edington said.
The first two seasons Yogold operated the Yogo Mine—in 2020 and 2021—the company was doing only surface mining with the intent of eventually moving underground.
This season, Yogold opened the Kunisaki Tunnel and portions of the American mine, which run parallel to each other. The company is about 700 feet back in the Kunisaki Tunnel now.
The team is using low profile underground excavators and hauling underground trucks, so right now they are producing about 75-100 tons of underground ore per day and will increase production as demand for its Yogo sapphires dictates.
This year, they installed buildings at the site so they can mine and process all winter.

Yogold splits cutting up by size—the company has financed its own cutting facility in Colombo, Sri Lanka for the smaller stones (generally under 0.5 carats), and there are three master cutters in the U.S. that focus on the larger stones.
The company is also working with some lapidaries on fantasy cutting—GIA defines this as concave cuts made on the back of gemstones—for some of the thinner stones that wouldn’t necessarily make sense to facet traditionally and could see a higher yield with an alternate cut.
https://www.gia.edu/munsteiner-gem-cut
One thing Yogold would like to be more involved in next year is jewelry production, Edington said. They have custom-made a few pieces to test ideas and develop samples.
For right now, though, its focus is on the wholesale side.
And so far, Yogold has been able to sell everything it produced.
“The demand is substantial,” Edington said. “We can’t even come close to filling all the orders that we have right now. That’s a great position to be in.”
The Latest

The superstar’s August engagement put the stamp of approval on an already hot engagement ring trend.

Retailers should offer classic styles with a twist that are a perfect fit for layered looks, experts say.

The nearly 7-carat fancy vivid purplish pink diamond could sell for around $9 million.

As the holiday season quickly approaches, consider stocking one category that sometimes gets overlooked: earrings.

Chief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille has reimagined the iconic design in both figurative and abstract creations.


Five dollars buys one vote toward an industry professional you want to see dressed up as a hero, or a villain, this Halloween.

Recently acquired by KIL Promotions, the November edition of the public show in San Mateo, California, will be held Nov. 7-9.

You deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.

The stone’s two zones, one pink and one colorless, may have formed at two different times, the lab said.

Hollywood glamour meets Milanese sophistication in the design of Pomellato’s new store in Beverly Hills, California.

The New York City store showcases a chandelier with 1,500 carats of lab-grown diamonds designed by an FIT student.

The Museum of Arts and Design's new exhibition features 75 pieces by the designer, best known for her work in the “Black Panther” films.

Making its auction debut, "The Glowing Rose" is expected to fetch $20 million at the November jewelry sale in Geneva.

It took the masked thieves less than 10 minutes to steal eight irreplaceable jewels from two display cases in the museum’s Apollo Gallery.

Gemologist Lauren Gayda has previously worked at The Clear Cut, Taylor & Hart, and Effy Jewelry.

In 2026, the jewelry retailer will celebrate a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.

The new showcase dedicated to Italian jewelry design is set for Oct. 29-30.

Take a gaze at the sky with this pair of platinum diamond-set star earrings with blue lace agate drops.

Jeffrey Zimmer's decades of leadership at Reeds Jewelers are defined by integrity, a love of sourcing gemstones, and a heart for community.

The new high jewelry design and production process takes 30 days or less from concept to completion, the auction house said.

The holiday catalog for 2025 features never-before-seen images of more than 100 one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

The brand has released a second installment of its collection of traditional and non-traditional commitment heirlooms.

Corey rescued New England chain Day’s Jewelers, preserving its legacy with strong people skills, pragmatism, and a “get-it-done” attitude.

Charles Robinson Shay was sentenced to life in prison plus 120 years while his accomplice, Michael James McCormack, got 75 years.

Timepieces at Luxury will take place at The Venetian and, like Luxury, will be invitation-only for the first two days.

The auction house named a new global head of jewelry, as well as a new head of the jewelry department for the Americas.

As chairman of Schwanke-Kasten Jewelers, Tom Dixon has been tasked with honoring the past and shaping the future of the family-run store.