Although Ouro Preto now relies heavily on the tourism industry for part of
its economy, there are important metallurgic and mining industries located in
town, such as Novelis, formerly Alcan, the most important aluminum factory in
the country, the Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, and others. Main economic
activities are tourism, transformation industries, and mineral riches such as
deposits of iron, bauxite, manganese, talc and marble.
Minerals of note are: gold, hematite, dolomite, tourmaline, pyrite,
muscovite, topaz and imperial topaz. The imperial topaz is a stone only found
in Ouro Preto.
