Imad Saba
Owner & Chairman
Multi-mineral mining group
From mine to market, across four continents.
Latin America to Africa, with trading desks in Miami, Dubai and Xiamen.
Global operations
Where we operate.
Active extraction, exploration and trading across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and North America. Click any marker to see the operation.
Commodities
- Gemstones
- Precious metals
- Industrial & bulk
- Critical minerals
- Commercial hub
- Strategic project
Regions
Click to filterLeadership
The operators behind the group.
Owner-operators with skin in the game across mining, trading and commercial.
02Fernando Barrios
Owner & Chairman
03Ignacio Martínez-Acuña
Chief Financial Officer
04Guzmán Ayala
Chief Operating Officer
Sol Barrios
Member of the Board
Yaguarí Barrios
Member of the Board
Team and fleet · Artigas, UY
Portfolio
Operations and frontiers.
Active extraction, industrialization and commercial nodes across four continents.
Core
Latin America — Core operations
Where the group was founded and where production runs at scale.
- UruguayAmethyst and agate mining in Artigas (Barrios Amethysts, 35+ years). 18 gold pedimentos across San José, Lavalleja, Rivera, Rocha, Treinta y Tres and Florida — one of the largest gold tenement positions in the country. Iron ore in Rivera; limestone in Lavalleja and Cielo Azul. Home to Proyecto Fenix — the largest mining project in Uruguay's history, in development.
- BrazilSoledade — one of the world's most advanced amethyst and agate industrialization hubs. Cutting, polishing, grading and trading at scale. Quaraí amethyst and agate extraction on the Brazilian side of the Artigas geological belt.
- PeruNazca — polymetallic processing plant project. Copper, silver and gold throughput.
Frontier
Africa — Active expansion
Entering Africa decisively. A coordinated push across the continent's most strategic mineral frontiers.
- SomalilandGold (Xarshow JV, Sanaag) and gold + black-sand rare earths in Awdal (northwest). Potassium feldspar with rare-earth optionality (LAFA).
- MalawiTwo gold quarries in operation: Matapila and Terranova.
- ZambiaGold project in development.
- NigerGold exploration.
- NamibiaGold mine and jade mine.
- AngolaDiamonds and gold in the north; black granite and marble quarries in the south.
- SudanGold exploration.
- UgandaGold exploration.
Commercial
Commercial network
Trading hubs and seasonal commercial operations on three continents.
Trading hubs
6- 01
Miami
United States
25.76°N · 80.19°W
amethysts.us HQ
LATAM consolidation, retail and partner network rollout.
- 02
Dubai / Sharjah
United Arab Emirates
25.20°N · 55.27°E
Saba Stones FZC
Premium B2B wholesale into the Gulf, Asia and the European luxury market.
- 03
Xiamen
China
24.48°N · 118.08°E
Asia trading
Distribution network with 70+ container capacity into Asia-Pacific.
- 04
Soledade
Brazil
28.81°S · 52.51°W
Industrialization
Industrialization hub for amethyst and agate. 4x expansion underway.
- 05
Montevideo
Uruguay
34.90°S · 56.16°W
Corporate HQ
Group headquarters and LATAM operations base.
- 06
Artigas
Uruguay
30.40°S · 56.46°W
Operational HQ
Heritage operation — 35+ years extracting amethyst and agate.
Seasonal calendar
- Feb
Tucson
United States
Tucson Gem & Mineral Show — North America's principal marketplace.
- Jun
Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines
France
Europe's premier mineral show.
- Sep
Denver
United States
Denver Gem & Mineral Show — year-end North America hub.
Recognized as one of the principal actors in amethyst trade and quality.
Brands.
Three entities, one vertically integrated group.
01Heritage
Since 1990 —
Barrios Amethysts
Uruguay's largest amethyst and agate operation.
Over 35 years extracting and exporting from Artigas, with the deepest catalogue of rough and industrialized stones in the country. Wholesale amethyst worldwide, agate to China. A recurring exhibitor at Tucson, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and Denver.
02Next big thing
Founded 2026 —
amethysts.us
The disruptive commercial arm in the United States.
Miami-based, founder-led, built to change how the world buys precious and semi-precious stones — direct-to-consumer and through a curated partner network. Backed by full vertical integration.
03Trading hub
Dubai · Sharjah —
Saba Stones FZC
B2B wholesale across the Gulf, Asia and Europe.
Free zone trading entity operating from Dubai and Sharjah. Direct sourcing from the group's own mines, certified channels into premium markets. Long-standing relationships with cutters, jewelers and institutional buyers across the Middle East and Asia.
Coming soon
Why Saba-Barrios Mining Group
Three reasons partners choose us.
- 01
Vertical integration
Mine, industrialize, export, retail. One group, every link of the chain.
- 02
Geographic diversification
Four continents, twelve-plus countries, twenty-plus active sites. Reliable supply across cycles.
- 03
Founder access
B2B partners deal direct with the operators. No middlemen, no layers, full traceability.
Site overview · Artigas
CAT 320D · Artigas, UY
Get in touch
Talk to the operators.
For wholesale, sourcing, partnerships or institutional inquiries.
Hours
Mon–Fri · 09:00–18:00 (UYT)
Offices6
- 01
Montevideo
Uruguay
Corporate HQ
- 02
Artigas
Uruguay
Operations HQ
- 03
Soledade
Brazil
Industrialization
- 04
Miami
United States
amethysts.us
- 05
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Saba Stones FZC
- 06
Xiamen
China
Asia trading