The country of Namibia on the South Western coast of Africa is a land of extremes. Large tracts of it are an arid semi-desert vastness, but it is the source of some of the greatest mineral wealth in the world The southern coastal stretches of the country, where the icy cold South Atlantic ocean washes up onto miles of sandy beaches, includes a forbidden area, sealed off with impenetrable fences, guarded by roving bands of heavily armed men and vicious dogs. This area is literally strewn with incredible wealth. Diamonds washed up from the sea onto this sandy shore, and mined by De Beers, the famous South African mining house, and world’s great producer of rough diamonds are found here in great abundance. So closely is this wealth guarded that cars that do somehow enter into this secret area, can never emerge again, in case they have hidden diamonds secreted somewhere in their chassis. Instead they remain in vast parking lots, to rust and gradually fall apart, never to be driven out again.

However there are many other areas in this starkly beautiful land that are accessible, albeit with some difficulty, to the intrepid collector of mineral specimens. One of the most famous is the area of the Great Brandberg Mountain, where some of the world’s finest Quartz Crystals are to be found.

Nowadays the Brandberg Mountain itself is off bounds to would be collectors and even the local residents who have long mined its treasures, are no longer allowed free access to its slopes. However there are pockets of these magnificent quartz crystals still to be found in the surrounding mountains and hills in the vicinity of the little nearby town of Gobobos. Intrepid locals journey up into these arid hills, where there are no roads, and even the hardiest off-road vehicles would labor and strain to pass, and prospect for the hidden gemstones. Spending days of searing heat and nights of freezing cold on the mountainsides, they dig and search for pockets of Brandberg crystals, only returning when they have a few trays of these beautiful quartz gems, which they then hope to sell to visiting collectors and tourists who have braved the extreme conditions to reach the area.

For anyone who has made the trek once, the lure of this strange and magical land always beckons them back, but be forewarned, unless you have the help of a local who trusts and has befriended you, your chances of finding bargains are slim indeed. Language barriers and local customs make this a very different scene to that which the sophisticated western traveller has experienced in other parts of the world!

Fortunately there are collectors who have managed to obtain choice Brandberg crystals and some are willing to part with them. This is probably the best way to obtain any for one’s own collection. Good luck! They are worth the effort!