Was wondering if possibly anyone in here has been or is a state of Ohio mine inspector. Was looking at possibly doing it as a next step in my career but was wondering what the day to day typically looks like? How often are you away from home? Etc. Any input or opinions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Here’s how I’d explain the path from a drill hole to a number in a press release. A company drills to answer a question: is mineralization there, does it extend, or does it hold up between holes already drilled. The drill brings up core or chips, geologists log the rock and choose intervals, and a lab assays the samples. The release then ties the grade to an interval, a hole and a location.

That’s the view from the reading end, and I’d like to hear it from people closer to the rock. What gets lost between the core shed and the press release? And what do you wish readers asked before getting excited about a headline intercept?

Disclosure: I work for Minestarters, where our team includes geologists with 30+ years of experience. We’re building a tool called Atlas for reading junior-miner releases.

Ratnapura is one of Sri Lanka’s most famous gemstone-producing regions. Besides the traditional alluvial gravel layers, gemstones can also be found in soil layers just 5–10 feet below the surface. These gem-bearing layers are locally known as “Goda Illam.”

Although many locations have already been mined, some areas still contain unexplored gem-bearing layers.

We recently started a new gem mining operation at one such location. In this video, I’m sharing the beginning of our journey to explore what lies beneath the ground.

I’ll share more updates as the mining progresses.