Emeralds galore
Even though Colombia was the host nation, other significant emerald deposits around the world were topics of discussion. Gaston Giuliani, research director at the Institute for Research and Development (IRD), gave an overview of the major emerald deposits around the globe, while Gemfields executive director Sean Gilbertson spoke about emeralds in Zambia, currently the world’s largest emerald-producing nation. He also detailed the company’s involvement in modernizing the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia (where one gram of emerald is found for every five million grams of rock removed).
Gemmologist Warren Boyd, president of R.T. Boyd in Canada, provided an in-depth look at emerald mining in Russia. The world’s largest producer from 1830 to 1917, Russia today produces significant quantities of emeralds only from the Malyshev mine in the Urals. He explained Russian material is similar to gems from Colombia’s Cosquez mine, meaning a bright and light material.
Gary Bowersox, president of U.S.-based GeoVision, is an expert on Afghan emeralds. While the country continues in geopolitical turmoil, “its emeralds are world-class and rival those of Colombia and Zambia,” he said. On the other side of the planet, Brazil is the world’s third-largest producer of emeralds after Zambia and Colombia. Marcelo Ribeira, director of the Belmont mine located in Minas Gerais, stressed the company’s dedication to social and environmental responsibility.
Responsible mining
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) featured in many of the discussions. Charles Burgess, director of MinerÃa Texas Colombia, manages the strategic business and operations of the famed Muzo mine, formerly known as the Tecminas/Port Arthur mine that was owned by the infamous ‘Emerald Czar’ Victor Carranza. Burgess’s talk centred on the arrival of MTC at a time when the Colombian government was ready to modernize its emerald industry and raise it to international standards, along with promoting emeralds and encouraging CSR. Since acquiring the legendary mine six years ago, the Muzo companies have reportedly invested more than $50 million U.S. to modernize it with the latest mining extraction methods, technology-driven craftsmanship, transparency, mine-to-market traceability, and a safe and fair employment environment in the Boyaça region. Burgess added the Muzo companies provide more than 800 jobs, of which nearly 500 are in the communities surrounding the mine.
Jean Claude Michelou, the international co-ordinator of the symposium and co-chair of ICA’s Fair Trade and Ethical Mining Committee, reported on the traceability of coloured gems in general with an update on current initiatives and how the industry is moving forward. He stressed consumers want to have confidence in their purchases, which is helped by proper identification of gems and their origins, as well as the knowledge they are extracted in an environmentally friendly and ethical manner. “The global coloured gemstone industry accounts for $10 to $12 billion U.S. per year, with 80 per cent coming from small-scale informal mining. The supply chain from mine-to-market is extremely fragmented with a high degree of opacity.”
Sean Gilbertson, executive director of Gemfields, discussed the company’s CSR involving responsible mining and transparency initiatives against the backdrop of its policy of acquiring gem production around the world. Specifically, he described Gemfields’ involvement in modernizing the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia. He also spoke about developing ruby mining in Mozambique and other areas around the world. In addition, Gilbertson discussed the company’s recent move into Colombia with the purchase of 70 per cent of the Cosquez mine, one of Colombia’s major emerald-producing areas, and the acquisition of mining titles covering 20,000 hectares in the general Muzo and QuÃpama districts.
