.
Tin was discovered in central Phuket hundreds of years ago, quickly becoming an integral part of the island's commerce and trade. The value of this "black gold" was so great that tin was considered a form of currency until as late as 1932.

Phuket's success as a tin mining centre and the island's subsequent wealth were in part due to the Na-Ranong family: one of the founding fathers of both the Na-Ranong clan and Phuket's flourishing economy, Khaw Sim Bee, played so integral a role in the island's development that King

Chulalongkorn awarded him the royal title of 'Phraya Rasada Nupradit'. Today a commanding statue of him sits atop Khao Rang overlooking the town, a testament to his leadership and vision. Today there are only three tin mining sites still active in Phuket. Few of the island's inhabitants know about their rich industrial past. Indigo Pearl is a striking, poetic reminder - of raw beauty, of vision, of a rich, bygone era.

http://www.indigo-pearl.com
.
.