News Bureau

Emerald buyers visits Kagem mine

Recently gemstone buyers from across the world were treated to a tour of the Kagem emerald mine in Lufwanyama District on the Copperbelt. The buyers, who are in the country for the mine’s regular auction of high quality emeralds, spent a day at the mine learning about the operations and processes, from extraction, washing, sorting and grading, giving them a valuable insight into the origin of the gemstones.

The Kagem mine is 75 per cent owned by London-based Gemfields in a model partnership with the Zambian government, which owns 25 per cent. Gemfields is dedicated to putting Zambia’s emeralds on the world map and building a positive lasting impact in the communities surrounding the mine.

 “As a leading supplier of responsibly sourced coloured gemstones and long-time passionate advocate for sustainable mining operations, we wanted to share with buyers an insight into the origins of our emeralds and bring significance to the pioneering proof-of-origin emerald tagging we are deploying at this Lusaka auction,” said Gemfields’ chief executive officer, Sean Gilbertson.

The group visited Kagem’s famed mine pit and sort house along with a stopover at some of its community projects in the area, before a demonstration of Gübelin Gem Lab’s “Provenance Proof” - a game-changing technology for the industry, which uses customised DNA-based nanoparticles to enable traceability of emeralds back to the mine of origin.

The nanoparticles are applied at source onto the rough emerald crystals and can be retrieved and decoded at any stage along the supply chain by Gübelin Gem Lab. The technology offers miners (both big corporates and cooperatives of small and artisanal miners), governments, trade organisations, industry watchdogs, jewellery brands and final customers a completely new level of transparency that instils further confidence and creates trust across the sector.

“The importance of gemstone origin is of ever-increasing significance to buyers. Proving the origins of our gemstones and seeking greater transparency for our customers means they can be certain their gemstone was mined according to Gemfields’ values and contributes positively to its place of origin,” said Mr Gilbertson.

Since Gemfields acquired 75% of Kagem in July 2008, Kagem has contributed US$91 million in corporate tax and production royalties to the Zambian government as of the end of Kagem’s last financial year, being 30 June 2017, plus a further US$12.5 million in dividends, meaning some 21% of revenue (not profits) has been contributed to government by 30 June 2017. A total of 27 emerald auctions generating revenues amounting to US$506 million have been held to date.

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