Kyrgyz Methodical Geological and Economic Research Expedition, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan:

T. I. Moseiko, Head of Nonmetallic Crew, geoinvestkg@gmail.com

The article gives a brief history of exploration of ornamental stone reserves in the Kyrgyz Republic and a description of the deposits, occurrences and sites of ornamental stones per regions of the country. At the present time, Kyrgyzstan holds 216 registered deposits and geological occurrences of natural ornamental stone. The ornamental stone deposits in the Republic are explored nonuniformly. Out of all known deposits, 15 deposits are proved, which is 6.4 % of the overall amount of the deposits; 28 deposits are covered by preliminary exploration (10.6 % of total number); prospecting and appraisal have been carried out at 25 deposits (11.5 %); prospecting with different degree of comprehensiveness is performed at 119 deposits and occurrences (55 %); geological surveying at a scale of 1:25 000, 1:50 000 and smaller identifies 36 deposits (16.5 %). The register of the State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources contains 17 deposits of ornamental stone with the total reserves of the summed categories A+B+C₁ as 43391 thou m², category C2 as 7037 thou m³ and non-commercial reserves of 3930 thou m³. The largest despots of the economic reserves of over 2 Mm³ are limestone–shell rocks of Sary-Tash, black marmorized limestones of Bozbutoo, marbles of Chaartash and Akart, granites and grandiorites of Kainda deposit and Kyrtavalg granites. Out of all proved despots, periodic mining operations embrace marble deposits Arym I and Arym II, Kainda grandiorites and pink granites, limestone–shell rocks of Sary-Tash, Sartala, Aktash II, Chigirtash Severny and Sarykia-2, and Adzhike gypsum deposit. The rest economic reserves are the back-up supplies of the construction industry in the Republic. If needed to extend the raw material resources base, it is possible to carry out exploration in the identified promising areas. The available resources of natural ornamental stones, considering their promising growth, will ensure smooth performance of the stone dressing industry in the country for a long term.

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