Mine Kings

Mine Kings

Synopsis

Ace gem hunter Guy Clutterbuck has put together an elite team to make a killing in the gem trade. But the stakes couldn't be higher. A group of strangers, they are all risking their own money, time and reputations on Guy's promise of adventure, gems and big profits. Their first quest brings them from every corner on Earth to the remote island of Sri Lanka, where fortunes can be made or lost. Here they hope to dig up, cut and sell enough sapphires to hit the jackpot. But they will have just six days to complete their mission.

Episodes

Season 1
  • King Sapphire

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    The Mine Kings head to South Sri Lanka and the city of Ratnapura on a quest to find a small-scale ethical mine that could produce the ultimate in gem stones. Known as the King of Sapphires - or the Padparadja - this stone is the rarest Sapphire in the world and has even adorned Maharaja's crowns. But these gems are rare for a reason; and to be in with a chance of finding the ultimate prize, the team negotiate some of Sri Lanka's notoriously dangerous mines. As monsoon season kicks in, they battle the rising water risking life and limb, leaving Aussie Jimmy out of his depth in a flooding mine. Elsewhere, in a desperate attempt to make fast progress,...

  • Black Opal

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    The Mine Kings travel to Lightning Ridge, north of Sydney in Australia, on the hunt for a small-scale mine that could produce one of the rarest and most valuable opals on the planet - the Black Opal. To find it they must negotiate with Ozzy outback miners who are wary if strangers, especially those wanting access to their mines. With no equipment they must charm local miners to give them the tools they need at prices they can afford and only then can they explore and dig. For once Jimmy is on his home turf and his reputation is on the line. Remote, hot and harsh - this is underground outback mining at its hardest. High risk, but high reward. When...

  • Seven Sapphires

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    The Mine Kings travel to Lightning Ridge, north of Sydney in Australia, on the hunt for a small-scale mine that could produce one of the rarest and most valuable opals on the planet - the Black Opal. To find it they must negotiate with Ozzy outback miners who are wary if strangers, especially those wanting access to their mines. With no equipment they must charm local miners to give them the tools they need at prices they can afford and only then can they explore and dig. For once Jimmy is on his home turf and his reputation is on the line. Remote, hot and harsh - this is underground outback mining at its hardest. High risk, but high reward. When...

  • Dynamite Garnet

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    Ace gem hunter Guy Clutterbuck has put together an elite team to make a killing in the gem trade. But the stakes couldn't be higher. A group of strangers, they are all risking their own money, time and reputations on Guy's promise of adventure, gems and big profits. Their first quest brings them from every corner on Earth to the remote island of Sri Lanka, where fortunes can be made or lost. Here they hope to dig up, cut and sell enough sapphires to hit the jackpot. But they will have just six days to complete their mission.

  • African Aquamarine

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    The Mine Kings travel to Zambia on the hunt for an ethical small-scale mine producing one of the most sought after stones in the country - the highly elusive double blue aquamarine. The Mine Kings travel to Zambia on the hunt for an ethical small-scale mine producing one of the most sought after stones in the country - the highly elusive double blue aquamarine. Guy's been dealing gems in the Zambia for 30 years, and rarely seen this stone. This will be no easy task. The team must forge strong bonds with chiefs and miners in the tribal heartlands, battling raging fires and waterlogged mines. Discovering some of the oldest mining methods known to...

  • Explosives And Emeralds

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    On the fringes of Zambia's industrial 'Copperbelt' is a vein of some of the richest emeralds in the world. But the area is notoriously filled with illegal mining and smuggling. To protect this rich gem fields the whole area is secured by armed guards within a cordoned off military zone. Sentries with AK47's control checkpoints and hold a curfew - not letting anyone in or out after six in the evening. The Mine Kings venture into these African bad-lands to find a small scale mine that could produce the clearest and purest of emeralds, known as 'Hamish' - a local name meaning as clear as water. But there's a reason emeralds are so expensive. The...

  • Blood Red Rubies

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    The Mine Kings touch down on the top of the world: Greenland. Melting ice caps have exposed a wasteland of barren rock and brilliant gems and for the first time, locals are permitted to mine their own land. But these rookies need help. Guy Clutterbuck's team have less than a week train them, to build a mine from scratch and to find a gem worthy of Greenland's great new ruby enterprise. It's a groundbreaking adventure as they battle the iceberg-ridden North Atlantic and face brutal trek through treacherous mountains. Toiling in almost perpetual daylight, can they kick start the ruby industry of an entire country?

  • Colombian Emeralds

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    Expert gem hunter Guy Clutterbuck has assembled a crack team of miners, engineers and mechanics from around the world, to find the world's most precious gems. But Guy wants to do it the right way. Gem mining has had a bad press and Guy's plan is to find small scale artisanal mines that have minimal impact on the environment and treat their workers fairly. He then sends his team of four miners to find and help a local mine produce more efficiently, and most importantly forge a lasting relationship that will make them preferred suppliers in the future. It's a risky business plan, but based on Guy's thirty years' experience in the gem trade. In this...