Collector Spotlight: Noor Akbar

1. How many years have you been collecting and what started your passion?

I started collecting in the past 4 years. My brother was in the gems and minerals business and I was doing marketing job. After work I often went to my brother's office just to meet with him but in middle of a lot of rocks in his office, I was l soo relaxed and it felt like healing. Then I started doing regular visits to his office. An unknown feeling and love started for stones inside my heart, we all call it passion.

2. What's the focus of your collection and has that changed through time? Why?

My focus of collecting is Emerald, Aquamarine and Tourmaline. Yes, it changed with time, in the beginning it was only Aqua but later my love increased for Emerald and Tourmaline.

3. What do you like to do outside of mineral collecting? (hobbies, job, music taste, etc).

It is an interesting question for me. As i mentioned above, I was working in the marketing field and spent 10 years in marketing as a manager, but that job didn't give me relaxation of mind.

But now I join my passion as a business as well and I am much more comfortable here.

4. What's your favorite species? Why?

Tourmaline is my favorite because it comes in many colors and in attractive formations and combinations.

5. Where do you see yourself as a collector in 5,10 or 20 years?

I am seeing myself on a very good position in the coming 5 to 10 years because Almighty God gave me too much success in the gems and minerals business within a short period of time. Nowadays the gems and minerals business is growing too fast and there are a lot of opportunities for newcomers. It’s a wide field. If you join the business with a passion it will grow day by day because you will give more time and it will not be a burden of work on your shoulders because it will give you more energy.

6. If you could give any advice to someone new to the hobby, what would it be?

If you are new and it’s your passion then my suggestion is to join this passion as a business as well because I joined this business with passion and now I am seeing the positive results . Now my business is not a burden and that’s the reason of my success within short period of time.

7. What specific aspect of the hobby would you like to learn more about?

I want to learn the latest way of mining because I am going to start Emerald mining in Northern Areas of Pakistan and need to learn the advance way of mining to unearth the Treasures of Nature without any Damage. It’s my first priority now.