Nigeria is endowed with abundance of precious and semi-precious stones that can fetch billions of dollars on the world market. Gemstones like sapphire, ruby, aquamarine, emerald, tourmaline, topaz, garnet, amethyst, zircon and others are available in large quantities. Paraiba tourmalines found in Oyo state, for instance, could go for as much as $5,000 per carat, say experts.
