Abril 2011
Aguascalientes - Elements of the Group's Foreign Ministerial Police detachment in the municipality of Calvillo, achieved the arrest of Edgar Lara Pasillas, "The Guaje", 23, occupation laborer, and who lives in Calle Felipe Angeles, El Terrero in the community of La Labor, Aguascalientes, who was seized with a bag containing 22 kilos of stones called "agate fire "valued at the amount of 30 000 pesos. The arrest of "Guaje" took place on March 25, the victim was presented to the agent of the Ministry 's Office, and said that a year ago, has leased the mine called "La Chispa" , located in the community of El Terrero, which removes a stone called "agate fire", same as that used for the production of trinkets. He noted that two weeks ago were carried out several excavations at the site and extraction of about 60 kilos of stone, which were stored in a quarter brick which is located 200 meters from the mine site that was well guarded by a chain and padlock. He said that on March 23rd, at approximately 19:00 hours, one of his employees informed him that someone had entered the room where he stored the stone and had stolen a bag of just over 20 kilos of "agate fire , "the complainant that the stone in the state in which it was stolen is valued at 30 thousand dollars, but once it is polished its value is an amount close to $ 28 million. Because of this, the ministerial agents, were given the task of investigating establishments engaged in the stone and managed to establish that Pasillas Edgar Lara, "El Guaje" was offering to sell a bag with about seven kilos of "agate of fire ." After making several inquiries "The Guaje" was located on the street El Plan in the community of El Terrero, who once was reported in relation to the facts investigating the ministry said that on March 23 to work out the property called "El Llanitos" around 10:30 hours, then move to the mine, "the spark" with the intention of stealing something of the place, as in past dates had stolen tool varies and it destroyed the guard lock with which the room-enabled as a warehouse. He further stated that would be 11:00 am when he arrived on the scene and was for several hours observing the movements of employees and would be two in the afternoon, when everyone left the site and then decided to enter the cellar, going to force the lock and once inside, found nothing of value chosen, just sacks that were in place, realizing then that these were full of stones known as "agate fire " and decided to take one and then move to the rural property known as "El Llanitos," where he hid the package in a dried cactus. Hours later he returned to the scene and took part in the stone with the intention of seeking a customer to sell it. In the archives of the state police found that Pasillas Edgar Lara, has been arrested three times on charges of robbery, attempted rape and indecent assault.
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Aguascalientes - Elementos del Grupo Exterior de la Policía Ministerial con destacamento en el municipio de Calvillo, lograron la detención de Edgar Pasillas de Lara, “El Guaje”, de 23 años, de ocupación jornalero y quien habita en la calle Felipe Ángeles en la comunidad El Terrero, perteneciente a la comunidad de La Labor, Aguascalientes, a quien se le decomisó un costal de ixtle en color blanco que contenía 22 kilos de piedras denominada “ágata de fuego” cuyo valor asciende a la cantidad de 30 mil pesos. La detención de “El Guaje” se realizó debido a que el pasado día 25 de marzo del año en curso, el afectado se presentó ante el Agente del Ministerio Público, y manifestó que desde hace un año, arrendó la mina denominada “La Chispa”, que se ubica en la comunidad El Terrero, en la comunidad de La Labor, en la cual se extrae una piedra denominada “ágata de fuego”, misma que se utiliza para la elaboración de “dijes”. Señaló que hace dos semanas estuvieron realizándose diversas excavaciones en el lugar de donde se extrajeron aproximadamente 60 kilos de piedra, los cuales guardaron en varios costales de ixtle, mismos que fueron almacenados en un cuarto de ladrillo que se ubica a 200 metros de la mina, sitio que fue perfectamente resguardado con una cadena y un candado. Dijo que el pasado día 23 de marzo del año en curso, aproximadamente a las 19:00 horas, uno de sus empleados le informó que alguien se había introducido al cuarto donde estaba almacenada la piedra y habían hurtado un costal de poco más de 20 kilos de “ágata de fuego”, agregando el denunciante que la piedra en el estado en el cual fue robada tiene un valor a los 30 mil pesos, pero una vez que es pulida su valor asciende a una cantidad cercana a los 28 mil dólares. Debido a lo anterior, los agentes ministeriales, se dieron a la tarea de investigar en los establecimientos que trabajan la piedra y lograron establecer que Edgar Pasillas de Lara, “El Guaje”, estaba ofreciendo en venta una bolsa con aproximadamente siete kilos de “ágata de fuego”. Luego de realizar varias indagaciones “El Guaje” fue localizado en la calle El Plan, en la comunidad El Terrero, quien una vez que fue informado en relación a los hechos que investigaban los ministeriales, señaló que el pasado 23 de marzo salió de trabajar del predio denominado “Los Llanitos”, alrededor de las 10:30 horas, para luego trasladarse a la mina “El Chispazo”, con la intención de robar algo del lugar, ya que en fechas pasadas ya había hurtado herramienta varia y para ello destruyó el candado con el cual resguardan el cuarto que tienen habilitado como bodega. Señaló, además, que serían las 11:00 horas cuando arribó al lugar y estuvo durante varias horas observando los movimientos de los empleados y serían las dos de la tarde, cuando todos se retiraron del lugar y en ese momento decidió ingresar a la bodega, volviendo a forzar el candado y una vez en el interior, al no encontrar nada de valor optó por revisar los costales de ixtle que se hallaban en el lugar, percatándose en ese momento que estos estaban repletos de la piedra conocida como “ágata de fuego”, decidiendo tomar uno para luego trasladarse al predio rústico conocido como “Los Llanitos”, donde escondió el bulto entre una nopalera seca. Horas más tarde regresó al lugar y tomó parte de la piedra con la intención de buscar un cliente. En los archivos de la Policía Ministerial se encontró que Edgar Pasillas de Lara, ha ingresado en tres ocasiones por los delitos de robo, violación en grado de tentativa y atentados al pudor.
Enero 2011
Weather around the town of Calvillo has been pretty fierce (and frozen), ice and frost have made the trip up to the mines almost unbearable. Besides the frozen ground which makes for harder digging conditions. Some of the miners are hoping to start mining again in Febrero when things start to warm up a bit. It has been so cold this winter that many of the guayaba fruit (gauvas) were damaged by the freezing weather causing the prices to more than double on Calvillo's number one export. (alot of miners take work picking the fruits during guayaba season) The traditional 'Feria de la Guayaba' takes place the beginning of December, just less guayabas this year for the festivities.
'LOS
MINEROS' MEMORIAL
ROUGH AGATE FAQ
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 M e x i co G e m s t o n e s Colima, México |
Agosto
2008
At
2am this morning the soldiers came and evacuated the residents of low lying
Calvillo, the rains
are still
coming hard and the dam is overflowing! Our miner amigos, just last week
went up into the mines one day and when they returned they were stopped
by a raging river that cut across the mountain trail - one miner said surprisingly, "the new river was full of fish, there
hasn't been any flooding and never been any fish in the rivers here in
the last 40 years!??" So
with what few stones they were able to wade across with is time, is probably
all there will be
for awhile
- the mines are again innundated with water and collapsing.
If there is a positive side to this, the miners did catch alot of fish for their families, which is a refreshing addition to the nopales (cactus), beans and rice. Please say a prayer for the miners of Calvillo and only buy fire agate that is truly from the miners - not the sharks and thieves that are taking advantage of the current situation and literally stealing from these amazing, humble people.
Julio
2008
The
rains are back! A couple mines that were in the process of being cleaned
out have now filled with water. The Chispaso mine now is an 8 meter deep
swimming pool of mud. It has been a tough year for the miners, they need
the rains to assure the town of water throughout the year because the state
of Aguascalientes is always on drought alert. But, it financially hurts
the livelyhood of the miners and their families as well.
Junio
2008
Over
the past couple of months the Negrita, La Joya (La Trinidad) and the Las
Armarillas mines have become accessible as the miners dig through the dried
mud to
try and
get back to business. A new vein has opened up in the Negrita mine that
is producing small, yet very high quality multicolored fire agate nodes.
Our miner says you cannot see the fire until you crack them open and they
are alot
harder
to
crack than any other agates he has come across - he recommends that only
extremely experienced lapidarists try these new agates. We currently have
some of the new batches of rough available for sale on our fire
agate website - remember, half of all fire agate purchases go
directly to the miners and their families, as has been our agreement from
day one in negotiating
with our miner amigos for the best rough available on the mountain.
Febrero
2008
Things have been tough
for the miners these past few months... devastating rains have collapsed
and damaged all of the mines. The final storms were last September, but
there has been no access or mining going on since. Most mines are either
now filled with dried mud, or have tons of rocks and boulders blocking
the entrances. Heavy equipment is going to be needed to open
a few mines this
year (hopefully by this summer). Some mines could take years to get back
to the depths of agate that were being mined prior to July 2007.
Alot of miners have started new businesses while waiting for the government to help fund the miners in 2008. Some of Calvillo's best polishers are currently growing guayaba fruit (Calvillo's number one export) or nopali cactus, rough lots of fire agate and polished cabochons are scarce! Some miners still have small personal stashes from before the rains, but are hesitant to part with them until the prospects in the Sierras start to look better again.
Junio
2007
After two days of torrential rains in the Sierra Mountains above
and around Calvillo, the entrance to one of the major mines has collapsed. 'La
Trinidad' is no longer accessible, a
mudslide above the mine entrance has totally covered the area in deep mud and
rock. It may be a few months before it is safe to make a new opening, the miners
want to make sure the walls are stable first so they don't possibly lose the
entire
mine.
Mayo
2007
Waiting to get the machine back, venturing to
some of the higher up mines in the Sierras, the rains washed away part of some
mine floors and erroded the mouth of another, found some good multicolored and
purple
gems, a good week.
Abril
2007
Finally dry enough to dig, dug 12 feet into the mine floor at 'Armarillo'
- some amazing stones! The best we have seen in a year and a half, everybody
is excited.
Febrero 2007
Been raining heavy for 2 weeks... the digger is stuck at the mine - too
dangerous to go up, some mines are flooded, a couple are about
to collapse.
Febrero
2007
Finally received the digger from the government, we have one week before they
move the machine for another group of mineros to use.
C O M I N G S O O N
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