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Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, Gemstone Mining

A Hard Time for Gemfields in Mozambique – by Rachael Taylor (Rapaport Magazine – March 6, 2025)

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Regional violence and financial difficulties have beset the miner’s ruby operations in the African country. How will that affect supply?

On December 24 last year, the Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) operation in Mozambique — one of Gemfields’ most prized assets — was thrust into chaos. A violent confrontation erupted as more than 200 illegal ruby miners stormed the residential village next to the mine, which the company had built to house MRM workers.

The attackers set fire to buildings and attempted to invade the ruby deposit that Gemfields controls. They were met with force by security teams consisting of military and police positioned to protect Gemfields’ interests. This resulted in two of the invaders getting shot and killed at the mine site.

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Cash-keen Taliban betting on Afghanistan’s mines – by AFP/RSS (Republica.com – February 2, 2025

https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/

Emeralds, rubies, marble, gold and lithium: the resources buried across Afghanistan’s rocky landscape are estimated to be worth a trillion dollars, according to US and UN assessments from 2010 and 2013.

GOSHTA, Feb 2: A miner in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan poured water over a block of jade, exposing the green stone that is part of the Taliban authorities’ push to capitalise on the country’s rich mineral resources.

Touting the return of security, the Taliban government is rushing to court local and foreign investors to exploit the country’s underground wealth and secure a crucial revenue stream — though experts warn of the risks of cutting corners.

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World’s Top Ruby Mine in Mozambique Stormed After ‘Fake’ Notice – by Matthew Hill (Bloomberg News – October 20, 2024)

https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/

About 300 people on Sunday invaded a pit at Gemfields Group Ltd.’s ruby mine in Mozambique, which accounts for about half the world’s supply of the stones, executive officer Sean Gilbertson said. Two people were shot and injured by police, he said.

A crowd of about 500 people later gathered at a village near the Montepuez ruby mine in northeastern Mozambique intending to enter the mine, Gilbertson said by text message.

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Camping through northern Ontario includes Ouimet Canyon and Amethyst Mining – by Dave Gilchrist (Niagara On The Lake Local – October 17, 2024)

https://www.notllocal.com/

The canyon and the mining operation both offer interesting sights to see.

As we left the Sibley Peninsula on our camping trip through northern Ontario, we backtracked a bit to see two sites that we had wanted to experience in the area.

The first was the famous Ouimet Canyon located several kilometres north of the Trans Canada Highway. The canyon is 100 metres (330 ft) deep, 150 metres (490 ft) wide and 2,000 metres (2 kilometres; 1.2 miles) long and is protected as part of Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park. The morning we visited the canyon it was misty which added an almost surreal feeling to the view.

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Rubies Are Red-Hot Right Now – and Expensive – by Jennifer Heebner (Rapaport Magazine – October 9, 2024)

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Gem-quality rubies keep getting pricier and harder to find. Dealers weigh in on why they don’t expect this situation to change.

Anyone in the industry who’s wondering why ruby prices continue to rise need look no further than rough-ruby auctions and the scarcity in overseas markets. Gemfields’ rough auction this past June garnered the mining firm’s highest per-carat sum to date — $317 — while dealers who routinely travel to Bangkok, Thailand, to source goods often come home disappointed.

“There’s a lot of demand and not enough supply,” says William Hakimi of New York-based ruby dealer A. Hakimi & Sons. “Anything over 3 carats [in gem quality] is not easy to find.”

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Coloured gemstones: Historic emerald mine returns to life – by Arthur Tassell (Mining Review – September 20, 2024)

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The Gravelotte emerald mine, which was in operation from 1929 to 2002 and was reportedly the world’s biggest emerald mine in its heyday, is once again in production, albeit initially on a very small scale. The company behind the revival of the mine is LSE-listed junior GEM Resources (previously URA Holdings). ARTHUR TASSELL recently spoke to its CEO, DR BERNARD OLIVIER, to learn more about the operation, which is South Africa’s only producing emerald mine.

The mine is located near the town of Gravelotte in Limpopo Province, approximately 50 km west of Phalaborwa and close to the well-known Consolidated Murchison antimony/gold mine. The emeralds are primarily found in biotite schist, which is part of the Gravelotte formation.

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Who Is Behind the Murder of a Powerful Colombian Emerald Dealer? – by Helen Murphy (Insight Crime – August 23, 2024)

https://insightcrime.org/

Colombia’s emerald trade, renowned for the exceptional quality of its gems as well as its relentless violence, has suffered another blow to its reputation with the professional assassination of a top dealer. The killing has sparked speculation over which criminal powers beyond the jewel business could be at work, and what they may gain from the hit.

Juan Sebastian Aguilar, 58, was shot in the chest by a proficient sniper who reportedly spent days lying in wait in the mountains above his target’s upscale home in northern Bogotá. The marksman, according to media reports, escaped on horseback into the lush mountains behind the housing complex, ending an almost cinematic killing. His exit also complicated police efforts to track his movements.

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No Stone Unturned: Unearthing the Gems of Africa – by Salon Privé (Salon Privé Magazine – August 2024)

https://www.salonprivemag.com/

Gemfields announces new book “No Stone Unturned” exploring real-life gemstone adventures in Africa over 60 years, written by Richa Goyal Sikri.

These narratives, vividly recounted by influential figures in the gem trade to the author Richa Goyal Sikri, showcase the dynamic and dramatic essence of the business. They also highlight significant historical moments related to notable gem deposits in Africa.

Each story vividly portrays the exhilarating highs and treacherous lows of the trade, offering an insightful glimpse into the vibrant journey of coloured gemstones from mine to market.

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AN OZARK JOURNEY: The Great Ozarks Pearl Rush: Seeking fortunes in Ozarks streams – by Wayne Sayles (Ozark County Times – 06/10/2021)

https://ozarkcountytimes.com/

In our constant forays online searching for tidbits of historical information, we recently came across a reference to the “Arkansas Pearl Rush.” That casual encounter led to a revelation that few today would ever have expected.

Our first inclination was to assume that this was just an “Arkansas” folktale and to ignore it. After all, this continuing series is about our (Missouri) Ozark Journey. But something inside pushed me on. It turns out that the Arkansas Pearl Rush was actually a big thing, and it did spill over into Ozark County.

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Madagascar: for better or for sapphire – by Lola Fourmy and Martin Huré (Equal Times – July 12, 2024)

https://www.equaltimes.org/

Madagascar is the fifth poorest country in the world, yet it accounts for almost 40 per cent of global production of one of the most sought-after precious stones: sapphire. Several deposits discovered in 1998 in the south of the country continue to attract miners and buyers. These stones are prized by investors as “safe haven” assets, and the emergence of the middle classes in China and India has sent the prices soaring.

The mines in the south of the island are the scene of outdated working conditions and proven cases of child labour, and violent crime is plaguing the region. French journalists Lola Fourmy and Martin Huré take us on a journey to the heart of dreams of economic emancipation that, for many Malagasy people, has turned into a nightmare.

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Opinion: Kashmiri Sapphires Set To Dazzle The World Again – by Shantanu Guha Ray (NDTV.com – February 26, 2024)

https://www.ndtv.com/

A decade after a 19.88-carat Kashmir sapphireshattered auction records in Geneva, the potential return of the priceless gems from the strife-torn region to global markets is on the horizon.

The cushion-shaped sapphire, known as the Star of Kashmir, surprised buyers in 2013 with a sale price of nearly $3,483,017 (approximately ₹ 20 crore). Now, officials claim that more peacock blue-coloured sapphires will be mined in the Paddar region, one of the most inhospitable terrains in the bordering state.

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The former Afghan soldiers turning to gem mining to survive – by Kern Hendricks (Al Jazeera – August 18, 2023)

https://www.aljazeera.com/

In remote Nuristan province, some who lost their jobs after the Taliban takeover are now working in artisanal mines to support their families amid a struggling economy.

Nuristan, Afghanistan – Like a crack of thunder, a deep blast echoes down a tree-lined valley a few kilometres from Parun, the capital of the northeastern Afghan province of Nuristan. At the base of a rocky hillside, smoke and chunks of rock spew from the mouth of a low tunnel. Some of the debris reaches the edge of a glassy river which runs through a small valley, causing ripples on the water’s surface.

Sheltering to one side of the tunnel entrance is Abdul Qader Abid. As the final pieces of shrapnel clatter to a standstill, he squints into the darkness of the tunnel. Rising, he wraps a green shawl around his mouth and nose, and heads into the billowing dust. There’s a payday glimmering in the rubble, and he’s eager to find it.

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Rarest of Rare: The Legendary Story of Muzo Emerald Colombia – by Katerina Perez (Jewellery Insights by Katerina Perez – May 28, 2024)

https://www.katerinaperez.com/

When the Conquistadors landed in the New World, in their quest for El Dorado at the end of the 15th century, they searched incessantly for emerald mines. It would take another hundred years until the first emeralds were extracted from Muzo at the heart of Boyacá, 60 miles northwest of Colombia’s capital, Bogota.

From the 16th century onwards, Muzo emeralds have held a lofty position in the mineral world thanks to their rich green colours, wonderful clarity and distinctive crystal formation. First, they were prized by the Spanish and European royal courts, followed by the Mughal rulers of India, and then by contemporary waves of celebrities, such as Elizabeth Taylor.

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Gemfields sapphire miners relieved as Queensland government halts small-scale mining claim reforms – by Jasmine Hines (Australian Broadcasting Corporation – April 18, 2024)

https://www.abc.net.au/

When Amber Betteridge moved her family to Queensland’s Gemfields to hunt for sapphires, she never imagined she’d become locked in a “David versus Goliath” fight against the Queensland government.

Soon after she arrived, the state government put forward a proposal to limit small-scale mining claim tenures to 15 years to crack down on people living on claims without mining them. It was a nightmare for Ms Betteridge, who wanted certainty for her young family.

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How illegal mining is threatening imperiled lemurs – by Paul Tullis (National Geographic – March 19, 2019)

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/

A rush for Madagascar’s gemstones is exacerbating destruction of critical wildlife habitat.

AMBATONDRAZAKA, MADAGASCAR — Indris, at two feet tall the largest of Madagascar’s lemurs, are big sleepers. The primates awaken two or three hours after sunrise, forage for leaves high in the canopy during the day (amid frequent naps), and choose their spot for the night well before dark.

On our trek into the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor, a protected area known by its French acronym, CAZ, photographer Adriane Ohanesian, translator-guide Safidy Andrianantenaina, and I often heard their calls. The sound, a bit like someone blowing a trombone for the first time, can carry up to a mile through the dense forest.

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