Ten times rarer than diamonds, there is a precious stone sleeping beneath land settled by Turks thousands of years ago. According to recent news in Hürriyet daily, diaspore - a gem extracted in the mine of one Turkish entrepreneur - was introduced to consumers by Murat Akgün, the sole operator of the mine which extracts the stone, which can now be seen in the jewelry worn by Hollywood stars."Diaspore, an aluminum-based mineral, was first discovered in Russia and Pennsylvania in the 1800s. It is an opaque gem of impeccable quality and color-changing characteristics has only been found in Turkey. It was first discovered in aluminum mines operated by Etibank in the 1970s and was recognized around the world in the 1990s," Akgün said."Then, Diaspore crystal somehow found its way to buyers who obtained the stones illegally from villagers or local mine workers. The crystal was later sold to tourists visiting the region or given to geologists with keen interest in the stones, resulting in the stones eventually being sent abroad. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), a renowned institute on gemological studies, later published an article on Diaspore crystal in the 1990s. As a result, the whole world were enlightened about the gem." According to Akgün, in some regions of Turkey where the stones are extracted, they do not appeal to locals. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the mining of precious gems is not common in Turkey; compared to India where stones have been mined and carved since the 15th century. Although Turkey's gemological findings pale in comparison to those of India, the country is home to rare gems, one of which is Diaspore crystal. The most interesting thing about this stone has not been found anywhere else on Earth; only in the Turkish mine operated by Millennium Mining Inc.