The Volyn deposit is located in the southwestern part of the Korosten pluton. The pluton, whose area is about 10,000 sq. km, is located in the north of Zhytomyr Region (Ukraine). Its shape is reminiscent of an upside-down trapezoid with its base facing north.

The discovery and exploration history of the deposit goes as far back as to the XIX century. In 1867 pieces of smoky quartz and one blue topaz were first found on crop fields by the Polish naturalist G. Ossowski. He wrongly believed these minerals to have been brought to the Volyn region by a glacier from Scandinavia. In 1911 L. Ivanov, a famous geologist suggested the first theory about the existence of a deposit in the vicinity of Volodarsk-Volynsk. However, geologist V. Amburger was the first who discovered topazes, beryls and quartzes directly in the bedrock only in 1931-1933. Since that time the active exploitation of the Volyn deposit has begun, which has been lasting up until now.

The multiple pegmatites forming 15 relatively isolated sections are found in the vicinity of the urban settlement Khoroshiv and located within granites along their contact zone with the basic rocks of the like-named solid mass. Industrial pegmatite bodies are limited to a narrow 1-2 km wide strip stretching from the south-east to the north-west for 10 km from the village of Berezivka to the village of Vyshniakivka (Poromivka, Dvoryshche and Vishniakivka sections). Dozens of pegmatites with pocket type cavities are located therein. Morion, beryl and topaz crystals are contained in such cavities.

Large blue and wine topazes, golden-green heliodors and aquamarines with a gentle azure tint - each of unique pureness and quality - have been found at the Volyn deposit.

Minerals of the Volyn region are found in specific geological formations, i.e., pegmatites. Statistically, only 30% of all discovered pegmatites provide favorable physical and chemical conditions for the formation of free growth cavities.

These free growth cavities (or pockets in everyday language) are the place where perfect crystals are formed. Morion, beryl and topaz crystals are contained in such cavities.

The mined crystals are often very impressive: there may be morions weighing more than 1,000 kg, beryls with a weight of up to 16 kg and topazes with a weight of up to 117 kg. The deposit is known for other minerals also: they include zircon, ilmenite, pyrite, magnetite, rutile, fluorite, hematite, limonite, garnet, tourmaline, molybdenite, cassiterite, epidote and apatite. The mining depth of Volyn chamber pegmatites is 100 meters under the ground surface.

The deposit is about 2 billion years old, making it one of the world’s oldest gemstone deposits.

The main minerals mined in the Volyn region include:

• Quartz (varieties of): rhinestone, morion, citrine and smoky quartz;
• Topaz (varieties of): wine, blue and polychrome (bi-color);
• Beryl (varieties of): aquamarine and heliodor

Topazes were first discovered on the uninhabited island of Topazios (now Zabargad) in the Red Sea. Topaz is an aluminum fluorosilicate known to be a very hard mineral (scores 8.0 on the Mohs hardness scale) second only to diamonds and corundum (in terms of the above scale).

Topazes are difficult to process, but the result is worth it: the cut gemstone begins to shine beautifully bright making it difficult to resist its luminescence. The variety of colors and affordability of topazes makes them such a loved and appreciated mineral.

The color palette of topazes from the Volyn deposit is known to be widely diverse: light brown, pale blue, yellow wine, wine and orange wine colors can be found here.

There are polychrome (bi-color) topazes (where the blue zones turn smoothly into brown-wine ones) which are very rare. Nobody has managed yet to uncover the origins and causes of such a color combination. The Volyn deposit (Ukraine) is the sole source for the extraction of such unique polychrome (bi-color) topazes.

Generally, the weight of topaz crystals extracted at the deposit varies from 1 to 50 kg. The largest crystal was mined in 1964. Its weight was 177 kg.

The word quartz is derived from the German language and is translated as hard. It scores 7.0 on the Mohs hardness scale. Quartz crystals can scratch glass, but its hardness is inferior to corundum, topazes and diamonds.

Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the world. It is the ‘parent’ of the largest family of gemstones. Quartz from the Volyn deposit exists as morion, smoky quartz, citrine and rhinestone crystals.

Quartz has the form of extended hexagons similar to sharpened pencils. They often grow as druses. Pure quartz is a silicon dioxide SiO₂. Colorless and defect-free crystals of quartz are called rhinestones and conventional gemology believes them to be gemstones having a class of their own. Its elements, i.e., impurities and microscopic inclusions of other minerals, mainly iron oxides, provide for a wide variety of colors. The color patterns of some quartz varieties are specific to their nature.

The record-holder extracted at the Volyn deposit in Ukraine is a quartz crystal with a weight of over 10 tons.

At the beginning of the XIX century, French scientists discovered, on the territory of modern Egypt, traces of ancient stopes called Cleopatra's mines. Beryl beads with an estimated age of about 6,000 years were found.   

Beryl is an aluminum silicate of beryllium, a rare light metal, occurring as prismatic crystals, often with longitudinal striae. A characteristic feature of beryl is the high hardness of the mineral (scores 7.5 – 8.0 on the Mohs hardness scale), while emerald is somewhat softer than other beryl varieties.

The following stones enjoy wide popularity with both jewelers and jewelry lovers from all over the world:

• Aquamarine which, to a greater or lesser extent, reminds us of the color of seawater or an illuminated ice block. Because of the rather high level of production, its price is lower as compared to an emerald. Generally, it has a uniform color with varying intensity, but there are crystals with contrasting golden hues at the core and deep blue exterior layers.
• Heliodor is a light green beryl with a bright golden hue. There are completely transparent heliodors with a faint yellow tint. The price of gem-quality stones varies depending on the mineral purity.
• Goshenite or colorless beryl where the attention is drawn to the delicate brilliance of the transparent gem. Jewelry sets decorated with goshenite are, in spite of its lack of color, in great demand in the market. Jewelry with goshenite is an example of simple beauty and solemnity. 

Some crystals can reach a weight of dozens of kilograms.

Crystal druses are rather common. The largest beryl to have been ever extracted at the Volyn deposit weighed 66.5 kg with a crystal height of 130 cm.

The Company has been engaged in the extraction of gems and semiprecious stones at the Volyn deposit since 1931. It has been known to be a holder of the exclusive right to carry out such activities. The mining depth of Volyn chamber pegmatites is 100 meters under the ground surface. Today more than 1,000 pegmatite bodies have been discovered and more than 100 mineral types have been explored.

The main minerals mined in the Volyn region include:

- Quartz (varieties of): rhinestone, morion, citrine and smoky quartz;

- Topaz (varieties of): wine, blue and polychrome (bi-color);

- Beryl (varieties of): aquamarine and heliodor.

The mined quartz crystals sometimes attain an enormous size and have a zoned coloring, i.e., from rhinestone or citrine in the center to morion or smoky quartz on the edges.

Volyn topazes are world-famous due to their rich color. Bicolor, wine-blue gemstones are most renowned. Scientists have not yet managed to determine the nature of the origin of such coloring, which has almost no equivalents in the world. Beryls are very rarely found at the deposit. Only 1% of all discovered Volyn pegmatites have contained them to date, but there is no mineralogical museum, which does not have our beryls, either cut or as a collectible, on display. Volyn beryls are of special interest due to their etching patterns, which make each crystal individual and dissimilar to the others.

Our gem cutting factory is furnished with state-of-the-art equipment required to proceed with all gemstone processing stages:

• cutting
• faceting (manual or automatic) and polishing
• tumbling (stone processing to achieve a smooth polished surface).

The cutting/faceting of gemstones is done either manually – with help of the Israeli equipment – or automatically, in which case Korean machinery is being used.

The art of faceting is a complex and time-intensive process that requires very particular skills. Our craftsmen have completed training with leading Ukrainian and international professionals. 

The individual approach of the factory's masters allows us to make fancy or model cut shapes for a specific product according to the client's order.

The personalized approach of our craftsmen allows for the creation of customized fancy or fashionable cut designs for specific items.

The following forms of payment are available:

Cash payment may be made in any registered local office. 

Local offices:

• 8 Chkalova Street, Khoroshiv, Khoroshivskyi District, Zhytomyr Region (UA);
• Jewelry Factory of Kyiv “Ukrainian Gems” Showroom, 79/4 O. Honchara Street, Kyiv (UA);
• Brand store of the Jewelry Factory of Kyiv, 19 Holosiivska Street, Kyiv (UA).

Card payment. This option is available when buying in the official online store (on the company’s website) or the registered local office.

Wire transfer. Send a purchase order form with contact details to the e-mail address: gem@quarts.productions to have your agreement handled and executed. Our manager will contact you to check the order details.

Following the finalization of an order, the Goods are delivered with the FedEx Courier Service:   

• within 3-5 days in case of the domestic delivery (in Ukraine)
• within 3-10 days in case of international delivery (to other countries).

The price of the Goods is net of delivery (shipping) and mandatory insurance costs.

Delivery is paid for following receipt of the order.

The delivery cost always includes the cargo insurance costs.

Customer pickup / Ex-works (free of charge)

You can pick up your order yourself in any registered local office of the company.

Local offices:

• 8 Chkalov Street, Khoroshiv, Khoroshivskyi District, Zhytomyr Region (UA);
• Jewelry Factory of Kyiv “Ukrainian Gems” Showroom, 79/4 O. Honchara Street, Kyiv (UA);

• Brand store of the Jewelry Factory of Kyiv, 19 Holosiivska Street, Kyiv (UA).