When the diaspore reaches the gem level, it will refract brilliant light due to the extremely high fire, and at the same time has a strong pleochroism. Unlike other color-changing gemstones that change from one single color to another, it can At the same time, it reflects a variety of colors, the most notable being the intermixing of red and green. It is no wonder that the locals call it colorful. He didn't think of it when he heard Barov's introduction before. The moment he saw it with his own eyes, Roland immediately thought of this kind of stone.
In addition, when diaspore loses water, it will turn into corundum... and the gem grade of corundum is the famous ruby and sapphire. The latter is more famous than the former.
But it wasn't the gem itself that excited him.
"What about the residue dug out of the mine?" After a long time, the prince closed the wooden box and asked excitedly.
"You mean... the rubble dug up when the mine was opened?"
"That's right, not just stones, but also mud. How do you dispose of these wastes?"
"After they were shipped out, they were all piled up and unloaded at the foot of the mountain," Denver didn't seem to understand the meaning of the prince's question, "Your Highness, please rest assured, we have carefully screened these ores, either the quality is too poor, or they are being mined. It was broken during the process and could no longer be polished into gems. For the screening process, the most experienced veterans in the family are responsible for it, and there is no possibility of omissions."
"You're wrong," Roland shook his head with a smile. "Those things... are probably the real treasures."
"What?" Denver was stunned for a moment, and the expressions of the others looked quite surprised, as if they couldn't connect mud and treasures.
But he couldn't explain it because in this era, even making steel, let alone refining aluminum.
The main component of diaspore is alumina. At the same time, it is found as a by-product of bauxite, which means that there is a high probability of aluminum enrichment here, and both soil and rock can be used as raw materials for aluminum smelting. As the most abundant metal element in the earth, the reserves of aluminum are even higher than that of iron, and it is almost ubiquitous. In other words, just dig a stone out of the ground, Lucia can decompose a small amount of aluminum, but it is not cost-effective for industrial extraction, so only places rich in aluminum have the value of mining.
For example, the cave in front of you.
Roland called Pei Luo aside and asked in a low voice, "How did the Kelian family manage the gem mines for the past two hundred years? I mean... how did the previous lords pay them?"
"I have checked from the account book left by Osmond Lane, and the payment method is very simple, that is, the Kelian family can select a box of secondary gems from the collected gems as a reward every year, and said The way to measure wheat is basically the same.” Peiro explained, “The square box is about a palm long and wide, and half a palm deep. As long as the lid can be closed, you can put as many as you want. Of course, the rarest gemstones must be handed over to Lord."
"In other words, the two family collections he gave me just now weren't the best?"
"It's really the best in terms of texture, and he can't lie to you about that, but you know that the bigger the gem, the more expensive it is."
"You also received gifts from him, right?" Roland looked at Honeysuckle's eldest son with interest.
"Uh..." The latter replied somewhat embarrassedly, "Yes, Your Highness, I will give you the gem when I go back."
"Keep it, I don't care about this," the prince said indifferently, "I'm just curious, who will guarantee that this remuneration is true? What if the family secretly takes more during the mining process? Except for this kind of thing Turn the mansion upside down, or you won't be able to find it out at all, right?"
"Every batch of ore is transported out of the cave and screened will be supervised, and even if the Kelian family steals it, it will not be too obvious. This is a relationship of checks and balances. They are afraid of being discovered by the lord and will be severely punished, and the lord also I can't find so many people who know the mine well," Pei Luo paused, "Besides, even if you replace your own people, who can guarantee that you won't steal it?"
"I see," Roland nodded. "Then let's continue according to this rule. But in addition to the multicolored stones, I also want the gravel and mud dug up. After I go back, I will make a preliminary collection plan for you. Follow the above requirements first.”
"Your Highness, these mud... are really more precious than gems?"
"It depends on whose hands it is," replied the prince.
What is aluminum? Its uses are numerous. Its low density and corrosion resistance alone support half of the sky in industrial production, and it is an essential key material for aviation technology. It is true that aluminum smelting is a troublesome job, and the electricity consumption of electrolysis equipment is also an astronomical amount for Neverwinter, but with Lucia, you can always accumulate a batch. At that time, some weapons and equipment that are no less than miracles in this era also have hope, such as large airships.
Roland originally planned to focus on the development of two iron mines, but it seems that the plan has to be adjusted slightly now.
…
After inspecting the remaining two mines and a salt well, I returned to the castle, and the sky was completely dark.
After dinner, Roland couldn't wait to pull out a pen and paper and start planning the use of new resources.
The first is the steam engine.
Whether it is mine drainage, hauling or brine extraction from salt wells, steam engines can double their efficiency. The Maple Leaf and Wild Rose families have now been destroyed. He plans to recruit a group of skilled workers from the North Slope Mine, and then recruit a large number of employees in the Changge District, so that the two new iron mines can be put into operation first, and the ore can be hauled back to the border area for smelting. The gem mine needs to wait for Lucia to rush to Changge to check the aluminum content in each tunnel before arranging the next mining direction.
Another important point is the salt well.
It was close to what Roland had expected. In addition to using the steam engine to pump water to increase production, in order to obtain pure white salt, the remaining work that was lacking was cleaning. Considering the complex geological composition, he decided to take a tube of brine from each well and bring it back to the border area, and hand it over to the chief alchemist Kemo Strell to study the specific impurity removal steps. Large-scale production of salt.
Of course, the salt industry, like grain, should also be monopolized by the city hall. The salt wells of the Elk and Honeysuckle homes can obtain technical support from Neverwinter, but the refined salt produced must be sold to the City Hall at the prescribed market price, and they cannot be sold privately to gain profits. If a large amount of refined salt can be obtained at a low price, it will undoubtedly open up a new trade route for Neverwinter City.
Roland hopes that all this will be normalized after the fall of the Tifeko regime. (.)