It’s no secret that the Covid pandemic has affected everyone all around the world, and in different ways. To get an idea of how one industry figure in Switzerland confronted this crisis, we spoke with Elke Berr, a recognized expert in the gemstone field and accomplished jewelry designer.

The crystal-clear laughter echoed through the phone-it was good to hear that her energy level and optimism were still evident even during these unprecedented times. Elke Berr’s tone turned serious, however, as she described how she was able to muster the stamina and find the resources necessary to face this crisis, which began for her in March 2020.

“I can’t say that these last 18 months have been easy,” comments the gem expert and designer, who co-founded Berr & Partner with her husband in 1986, followed by the launch in 2003 of her eponymous jewelry company. She came to the gem industry as a teenager, and by the time she was 17, she was already deep in the mines in Sri Lanka to buy her first stones. “I learned very early on that our work has to be irreproachable, that we use unfailing discretion to carve out a place in this industry and maintain it.”

How then, did she maintain her place during Covid? “We had long-planned events in Kazakhstan and then in Palm Beach, Florida where we were going to showcase my latest pieces and meet our customers. We had worked very long months preparing for these special events but suddenly we found ourselves stranded in Switzerland. For the frequent traveler that I am, it was very hard.”

With travel then out of the question, how did Elke interact with her customers? “In Switzerland, we were luckier than most, because the country did not completely close in on itself as did some other nations. I was thus able to keep my team safe and working because they could telecommute,” she explains. “We also were able to get some shortterm work, as well as a loan to increase our cash flow and tide us over. Still, the impact of the pandemic was extremely strong.”

Since Berr’s workshops could stay open, this meant that the new collection would be ready for the Fall. Also, she maintained personal contact with her clients during this period, and so was able to produce custom and one-off pieces that account for nearly 60% of production.

Because of her established network and our long-term loyal customers, the designer was able to have some pieces ready for Cannes, which went ahead despite the pandemic.

“A bright spot for us at Cannes was that some pieces were worn by actress Frédérique Bel on the Red Carpet, and were on display at the Croisette,” she smiles.

While many companies increased their social media and embraced other online promotion during the lockdown, Berr was more cautious. “These are great tools, and I have seen interesting experiences,” she muses, “but I’m not necessarily comfortable with this type of thing myself. Having said that, however, we are beginning to expand our online presence. I want to take my time to ensure that it is a good fit for us. It’s important to have the brand message be coherent in all ways.”

In one of the first steps on her digital journey, Elke Berr joined the Gembridge initiative and was recently appointed as its ambassador for Switzerland. “This platform won me over with its goals and very strict framework. Quality and high standards, along with trust, are necessary in the gem business. I was also convinced by the principles of traceability. My experience of getting stones as close as possible to the extraction source is reinforced by the necessity of providing clear information to the buyer. Transparency makes all the difference in a period such as we are all going through.”

Berr goes on to add, “the current era has demonstrated that everyone must be adaptable and flexible when it comes to digital sales; understandably, customers are more focused on making their purchases with trusted third parties whose reputation and ethics are well established.”

On a more personal level, Berr notes that the demands on spirituality have increased, not just for her but for many of her colleagues. “During these traumatic times, I have been looking more inward, to be more in tune with my emotions,” she comments. “Although our lives were turned upside down because of the pandemic, we are all still looking for stability.”

She concludes that “showing humility and imagination seem to be the most important things when it comes to adapting to this crisis.”

Images are courtesy of Berr and Partner.

• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• Digital Developments in the Face of Viral Disruptions
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash
• A Thriving Jadeite Garden

The post Adapting to the Covid Crisis – Elke Berr appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

For millennia, from antiquity to the present, emeralds have fascinated humankind. The luscious green gem is found in many countries around the world, but emeralds from Colombia occupy an especially prized place in the gem and jewelry world. Even when faced with Covid, the nation’s emerald industry has continued to build customer confidence, improve logistics and increase social investment.

Although only about 20%-25% of the world’s emeralds come from this South American nation, they represent nearly 50% by value because of the 20%-30% premium they command. The deposits are found in two main areas in central Colombia, each created during a different period in geological history. Consequently, gems from each zone exhibit different types of mineralization and slightly different colors.

Over the last decade or so, the Colombian government has joined forces with the emerald industry to improve the sector and ensure best practices, including sustainability, transparency and corporate social responsibility (CSR), all while helping meet the
needs of small-scale miners. It also encourages foreign investors who bring state-of-the-art technology and financing for largescale gemstone mining in the region, and who can help improve the daily community life in the mining regions.

Yet no one could have predicted what befell the industry in early 2020. After the Tucson show in February 2020, everything changed—dramatically and swiftly—for our entire emerald community, as it did for the country as a whole. Faced with the worst pandemic of our generation, we were forced to find ways to be resilient and keep businesses alive.

The Colombian government quickly understood that mining industries bring cash to the economy. Thus, from the beginning, it allowed them to work uninterrupted. This was easier said than done, however, as it was almost impossible to open fully because Covid was spreading. As a result, most work continued but at a slow pace from March to July. In 2020, exports of faceted emeralds fell by 69%, while exports of rough gems fell by 54%.

Along with the pandemic’s impact, new challenges arose, mainly for improving logistics, export procedures and digital communications. In terms of logistics, New York became the main hub for Colombian emeralds as we started using more companies working in the transport of high-value goods, such as Ferrari and Malca. We basically sent the stones door-to-door, in escrow.

For communications, the government transformed all export procedures into digital formats, from mining reviews to customs documents. Using Zoom and other digital media, this brought more efficiency to the entire process.

The industry also took measures to protect our people, which meant using 100% of the money of the National Emerald Fund, which is derived from the 1% tax on exports. These funds were used to provide resources to artisanal miners and monies to the local ESE (local health institutions) in each of the 16 localities encompassing the emerald area. With over US$400,000 from the Emerald Fund and over other US$500,000 from the private sector, we provided food, money and health supplies to the people in the mining communities.

In 2021, although we still were very affected by the consequences of the Covid pandemic, we have seen demand for emeralds skyrocket. Sales in the first four months of the year outpaced those for the whole of 2020. We are seeing more and more customers coming every week to Colombia, as things are slowly returning to normal.

The pandemic taught us to build trust, confidence and create better logistics. And, while person-to-person transactions were the mainstream of our business earlier, we can, with the right tools, still conduct business, even if by Zoom.

Below is an example of how one of the major mining companies faced the pandemic. According to Gabbi Harvey, Head of Business Development at Muzo. “The Health, Social and Economic Emergency status was declared by the central government in March 2020 and it allowed partial mining operations. Our Puerto Arturo mine never shut down completely, as we went into a ‘care and maintenance’ status with limited staffing. Bio-sanitary stations, including underground, were also put into place with a very strong prevention and education program to avoid Covid-19 contamination. For months into 2020, the mine was free of Covid, but a small and controlled outbreak happened in early 2021. Production was minimal until December 2020, when we slowly increased operations until going back to work in January 2021.”

Harvey goes on to say, “Today, a strong reduction of employees coming in and out of the mine was instituted, and we still require a mandatory Covid-19 test for entry. The Muzo Companies joined the Colombian government’s private vaccination program with around 500 workers getting their vaccine at company expense. Some elder family members of employees also benefited. Today, production numbers have increased both in quantity and quality of emeralds and our staff numbers are again in the thousand range as production gets back to normal.”

So, what has helped us get through this crisis? Resilience! Throughout the entire Colombian emerald industry, we have seen, and continue to see, examples of toughness and resilience in our people, working together to overcome hardship during these very complicated times, to again have Colombian emeralds front and center on the world emerald stage.

(Photos are courtesy of the author unless otherwise indicated.)

• Living Life Dangerously
• Color-full Magnificence at the World’s Major Auctions
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash
• Emerald – Modern Gemmology
• Sri Lanka – Holding Strong

The post Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Australia is renowned for its deposits of opal and sapphire, which are mined predominantly by small mining operations—typically family businesses and small partnerships. Despite their size, they are generally well-equipped operations requiring significant capital investments and high operating and maintenance costs. How has Covid affected the supply chain?

Australia is renowned for its deposits of opal and sapphire which are mined predominantly by small mining operations, typically family businesses and small partnerships. Despite their size, they are generally well-equipped operations requiring significant capital investments and high operating and maintenance costs.

The current pandemic has had a considerable effect on the entire supply chain of these gems. All of the mining fields have felt the absence of international buyers who cannot visit due to the closure of Australia’s borders. Local buyers have also experienced access issues due to the sudden and frequent closure of internal state borders.

Since the Tucson 2020 show, most international trade shows have been cancelled, postponed or reverted temporarily to a smaller local version of their former configurations. With Australian borders closed and severe restrictions on travel being applied globally, dealers have been unable to display and sell their stock in the major markets. All of this has resulted in a major slowdown in the supply of Australian gemstones. The exception seems to be the demand generated through internet providers.

Opal Mining Fields

The South Australian opal fields of Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Mintabie have all experienced considerable downturns. Most miners have continued mining operations in addition to drilling and prospecting for new claims and areas. Justin Freytag, President of the Coober Pedy Miners Association, is confident that a 50 sq. km. area near the existing mining fields is highly prospective and the Association is working with Government to have the area designated as an opal prospecting area. The next steps would involve conducting large-scale resistivity monitoring, GPS plotting and mapping. Other miners in the region continue to work their mining claims knowing that production will be snapped up by buyers when Covid-19 is behind us.

In the remote town of Andamooka, the slowdown has impacted some of the town amenities which service some 163 registered opal miners. The supermarket, fuel outlets and hotel have all closed making life a little more difficult for the small community. The township of Mintabie located on Aboriginal land was closed down on 1 January 2020 by the State Government. All residents and businesses were ordered to vacate their leased premises and properties so that the native titleholders could reclaim the area. A small number of opal miners continued their mining operations remotely, but in July 2021 were forced to leave the area. Visits were restricted to prevent Covid 19 spreading to the susceptible remote Aboriginal communities.

At the Lightning Ridge opal fields, famous for producing the highly sought after Black Opal, there are some 3,120 mining claims. Sebastian Deisenberger, President of the Lightning Ridge Miners Association, estimated a production drop of more than 60% based on stones being presented to their pricing advisory service. The lack of buyers has slowed the sale of higher-end stones, while internet sellers are snapping up the low to medium quality.

Australian Boulder opal is mined in the state of Queensland. The effects of Covid-19 have been part of the reason for the reduction in productivity. The Queensland Boulder Opal Association (QBOA) has been working on resolutions that will allow a better flow of access to ground for existing and new miners and a more cost effective model for holding mining tenures. They would like to see the reduction of the term of an exploration permit making mining applicants use it or lose it within the allocated time frame. They are also asking for an increase in the allowable number of prescribed mining claims one applicant can hold.

In other news from this region, the QBOA made a decision that it will try to purchase unallocated state land inside the Opalton reserve, with the aim of building a major Information & Visitor Centre at Opalton to showcase and preserve its history. This would be an important tourist attraction for the region.

For the second year running the Lightning Ridge Opal festival was cancelled and rescheduled for July 2022. Similarly, the Australian Opal Exhibition at the Gold Coast scheduled for August 2021 was also cancelled for the second year running. These events are important showcases for opal production and valuable trade buying opportunities have been lost. Opal shows at Winton and Yowah went ahead, but were severely impacted by the temporary closures of internal state borders locking down around two thirds of the nation.

Sapphire Mining Fields

Sapphire mining in Australia first commenced in the 1890s and since then the areas around Anakie, Glen Innes and Inverell have produced more sapphire than any other location in the world. The deposits are located in tertiary volcanics, basalts and
pyroclastics. These alluvial deposits are found using open cut and shallow underground mining techniques. The soils are washed in rotating trommels with high pressure water jets. The gravels are then separated with vibrating sieves and pulsating jigs.

Production peaked in the late 1980s and it is estimated that today it has fallen to around 10% of the peak. Recent acquisitions might see a significant increase in production. The production to date has come from two larger scale miners and a handful of smaller operations. Recently, Fura Gems Inc. announced that it had bought two sapphire mining operations, Capricorn and Great Northern. They now have almost 20 sq. km. of mining area and a further 110 sq. km. with exploration licenses. We should anticipate that Fura will develop and improve these mining operations and then promote and market Australian Sapphire very heavily once the effects of Covid-19 have passed.

Australian sapphire expert Terry Coldham reports that the major issue for production and sales is the effect of the Covid-19 restrictions on the processors in Chantaburi, Thailand. As a result, some miners are now treating and cutting their own production. These delays and the lack of tradeshows around the world have severely slowed cut stones reaching the market place. Coldham says that these issues have come at a time when demand for Australian Sapphire exhibiting teal blue, green/blue, yellow, green and multicolored or parti colors has never been stronger.

• An Explosion of Color
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• North America – The Ethically Sourced Sapphires of Rock Creek, Montana
• The Larimar King Has Passed
• Trade Shows

The post Australia – Colored Gemstone Mining and Supply appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

With little to no warning, the Covid-19 pandemic hit Sri Lanka in full force in March 2020. The nation’s entire gem industry came to a grinding halt and the mining, cutting, and washing sectors were thrust into a two-month-long period of stagnation.

When Covid hit in March, the situation could have been worse. Timing-wise, Sri Lanka was lucky, as the mines were already due to close at the end of March/beginning of April for the Sri Lankan New Year. During the Punya Kalaya or Nonagathaya, all businesses close and people are encouraged to engage in New Year activities for around a week. When this period ended, however, miners found themselves out of work, and worried about what the rest of the year would hold.

A May 2020 UNICEF report about the situation in Sri Lanka stated, “The least affected industries include agriculture and mining, which would have a combined average reduction in income of between 13% and 20%.” These findings seemed to be accurate. During the lockdown, borders were closed and internal travel restrictions were implemented, but the resilient and supportive gem community-including exporters and gem dealers-kept in touch with the mining communities and their families, especially those relying on daily wages from mining. Support was provide to lessen the impact of the sudden halt in mining operations.

Slowly, the country began to reopen and by May 2020 cutting and processing factories were allowed to operate once again under strict safety guidelines. But the many Sri Lankan dealers who had traveled to different parts of Africa at the beginning of the year were unable to return home for almost four months due to the border closures and disruption of flights. When the repatriation flights finally began, the merchants had to undergo a long and rigorous quarantine process. The gemstones that had been purchased over a span of six months started once again entering a hungry marketplace.

In late July 2020, the gem industry was further helped by the new government’s policies that aimed to support the mining industry and increase exports. New procedures that simplified obtaining mining licenses and permits were put into place. These meant that thousands of upcoming eligible and ambitious miners had previously unattainable opportunities to grow and expand their sites.

As more people received licenses and new mines were opened, popular areas, such as Ratnapura, Elahera and Eheliyagoda, showed a clear escalation in mining. One such mining project was the previously dormant Kaluganga Haraniyawaka in the Kiriella Division of the Ratnapura district. It was reopened, thanks to the new policies, and recently held a successful auction of precious gems.

Markets that deal in rough as well as and cut gemstones have also become increasingly active. Because of travel restrictions, thousands of traders are conducting transactions using new and innovative hybrid online models to market their products. This transition has been relatively easy since the mobile phone penetration in the country is quite high, around 40 – 50%. This is 10% higher than the rest of South Asia. Therefore, browsing, accessing the internet and using it for consumerism and sales took a sharp rise, as it has across the world.

Even though local mining has been active since July 2020, foreign buyers have not been able to travel to Sri Lanka and many gem and jewelry shows have been canceled. This has not stopped Sri Lankan merchants, however, from being able to export a large number of shipments and gem parcels.

As a result, the country remains in a good position to supply existing international customers and buyers who have been eagerly awaiting a chance to buy new stones after months of closed borders. There has been so much pent-up demand for loose stones that, by the beginning of 2021, meeting that demand became challenging.

Consequently, this high demand from the global market, including countries such as China, USA, Australia and the UK, prices have increased by at least 20%. Export earnings of the first quarter of 2021 have thus been the fastest growing export category, and interest in production remains consistent.

Sri Lanka did not escape the second and third waves of Covid-19, and the gem industry faced another lockdown from May 2021 to the end of June. Trading markets and mining locations were again shut down. Fortunately, however, factories were able to operate and the cutting sector has even grown significantly, despite the challenges of the second and third waves, as many international customers continue to send their rough to Sri Lanka for cutting.

Overall, the Sri Lankan gem industry has met the challenges of Covid, while continuing to produce beautiful colored gems for the world.

• Color Predictions for a Bright Future
• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• Industry Upheavals – The Big Picture
• North America – Digging for Gems in Southern California

The post Sri Lanka – Holding Strong appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The impact of Covid-19 on the entire colored stone supply chain is undeniable. While most people have personally felt the effects in their environment, it is important to realize that the people working at the source also experienced the negative consequences of the pandemic. In this article, we aim to give you an overview of the situation in East Africa.

This general region of East Africa is an incredibly important supplier of many gem species but often remains out of the spotlight. Kenya and Tanzania are the major source of tsavorite garnets; Mozambique dominates the ruby supply nowadays; and sapphires are found throughout the entire region with Madagascar being a leader. The following is a country overview of the main producers.

Ethiopia

Africa’s second most populous nation has only become a source of gems for the last few years, but it supplies considerable volumes of opals and emeralds to the market. According to Mr. Biniyam Bekele, the Ethiopian governments and local NGOs have spent a lot of energy in creating awareness about Covid-19 during the first months.

Focusing heavily on the basic guidelines that could be followed by most people, i.e. washing hands and wearing masks, they tried to limit transmission with relative success. Governments also aimed to supply sufficient safety equipment such as surgical masks, gloves, etc., to medical personnel throughout the country.

On top of Covid-19, Ethiopia has been going through a lot of political changes that have only multiplied the challenges and insecurities brought on by the pandemic. The northern provinces where sapphires were mined, have been impacted heavily by this conflict. Conflicts in the southern provinces, where a variety of gems is found—with emerald being the most prominent one were more localized. Most of the gem mining takes place in remote communities by small artisanal mining crews, and as such they were not directly impacted by Covid-19. What hindered them most was the lack of stability in price and security, which made for unfavorable selling conditions for their materials. Due to district border closures, the link between buyer and miner was broken, creating a lot of uncertainty for the gem producers.

While this changed situation has led to an official decrease in production, it is generally assumed that less material is officially reported and that the amount of smuggled and undisclosed gem production has increased.

Kenya

Kenya has had a long history of mining, with significant gem deposits along the eastern part of the border with Tanzania. Other areas of the country also produce gems, but their local industry isn’t as mature as the one in the Taita-Taveta District, which hosts the major tsavorite and ruby deposits.

The Kenyan government reacted quickly to the spreading virus and enforced strict lockdowns in the affected areas, as well as restricting local and international travel.

A major local lockdown ended in the first quarter of 2021. This impacted larger gem mining operations directly because their staff couldn’t travel to and from the mines, since they were stuck in their native villages or in the capital.

While this impacted bigger operations with more staff, smaller mines also suffered. Nevertheless, small-scale, artisanal mines (ASM) could operate easier since they were too small to be affected by government restrictions or they were simply able to fly under the radar. According to Mr. Bruce Bridges (Bridges Tsavorite), most support was offered directly from employers. All staff members at Bridges Tsavorite were kept on full salary and received medical support. The government did play an important role in informing people about the virus, how to halt its spread, and measures that could be taken in basic circumstances.

The local restrictions obviously led to a reduced volume of gems, mainly tsavorite, from artisanal miners, coming out of the ground. However, the absence of international buyers allowed locals to buy this with little competition. This situation only lasted for a few months; by the end of 2020, international buyers (especially Sri Lankans) returned to the local markets.

Since direct governmental support was rather limited and established companies relied on their own reserves, ASM communities received strong support from a number of nongovernmental organizations. According to Mr. Marvin Wambua (Amor Gems), who is involved with several of them, their efforts were widely appreciated. The Association of Women in Extractives in Kenya (AWEIK) conducted a number of local training and sensitization sessions that focused on women miners. In addition to informing miners about Covid, they included some basics on gemology and economic empowerment. Many of these sessions were co-organized with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining as well as the State Department for Mining. They were held in several mining areas in Taita-Taveta as well as in the northern Turkana District. One of the most active gem-related NGOs in Kenya and Tanzania is GemLegacy, which donated food and other supplies to the ASM communities that were most severely impacted. When the mining activities restarted, they switched to supplying mining equipment.

Since direct governmental support was limited and established companies relied on their reserves, ASM communities received strong support from several non-governmental organizations.

Tanzania

While Tanzania and Kenya share a long border and have similar gem deposits, their reaction to the Covid pandemic couldn’t be more different. The Tanzanian government officially denied the existence of the Covid-19 virus and thus refused to take any formal measure. International travel was restricted, however, which did not allow buyers to travel and, in return, took away the incentive for the majority of ASM communities.

Some organizations tried to adapt to these new circumstances by moving their sales activities online. Small local buyers expanded their social media sales, while others relied on local representatives to purchase rough goods.

Production levels were distinctly lower than the pre-Covid era, but still some nice discoveries were made. During Q4 of 2020, a pocket of high quality spinel was discovered in Mahenge, and high value rough of different species such as tourmaline, garnet and sapphire were found in other areas.

Bridges observed that, while the reactions of Kenya and Tanzania to Covid-19 were extremely different, the impact on the gem industry is very similar. Mining activity in both countries decreased significantly, mostly due to a lack of international buyers whose regular financial input is critical to keeping artisanal and smaller mine operations running.

It is often overlooked how critical the mining communities in East Africa are for the entire gem and jewelry world.

Madagascar

Madagascar is an incredibly diverse gem source with many valuable minerals and specimens found in almost every corner of the island. Its richness in resources is not reflected in its economical state that was not optimistic even in pre-Covid times. Political instability created unfavorable conditions for market growth. This also allowed many opportunists to slip through the nets. The arrival of Covid-19 made a serious impact on the limited growth opportunities, but the near tabula rasa situation and halt of the trade also provide a platform for reforms/regulations that might benefit the trade in the long run.

Many of the Malagasy gem deposits are worked by artisanal miners, relying on international buyers that are based in the local markets.

The pegmatite mining areas in Central and Southern Madagascar were already unstable before the pandemic. The mines produce a wide variety of gems and specimens including beryl (aquamarine, morganite, etc), tourmaline and quartz. The main buyers are European and Chinese but, due to price fluctuations, purchases of these gems had already decreased. Nevertheless, a significant aquamarine discovery was made in early 2020, but the material was slow to reach the international market.

In the Ilakaka region, where the main product is sapphire, the buyers are dominantly Asian. Mr. Althas Cader, whose company JewelMine is active in mining and trading around Ilakaka, saw many of these buyers return to their home country. This caused a drastic drop in prices because competition was significantly lower. This quickly resulted in lower mining yields since the incentive for the independent miners was gone.

Administration is tedious and complex in Madagascar; as a result, buyers, sellers and miners often find alternative ways to procure the right documentation. With the increasing instability due to Covid, this became unreliable, and only those who were 100% in order with their paperwork were able to keep working. This trend was not exclusive to the gem industry but was also seen in other sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture.

With borders closed, transport services reduced, and administrative departments running at slower speeds, the situation for larger operations that have an established (internal) supply chain was also challenging. John Ferry (Prosperity Earth LLC), a partner in a large demantoid mine in the north of the country, mentions that their operations were only slightly disrupted. Located in a very remote area, they work with a completely local Malagasy mining crew. As such, they were not as strongly impacted by lockdowns and Covid itself. Their cutting facility in the capital Antananarivo was closed for a short time but opened quickly with ample safety measurements.

While their mining was virtually unaffected, they had some challenges in moving the stones out of the country. The reduced government services made export procedures even more tedious with goods often held for months by customs agents, while international travel restrictions did not allow for personal carrying of the goods, forcing them to switch to couriers.

Small-Scale Mining in Mozambique

Mozambique is known to most people as a ruby source, but it hosts a large variety of gemstones. In the central to northern part of the country, many varieties of tourmaline, beryl and garnet are being mined by artisanal miners. Mr. Marvin Wambua travels there regularly to source material from newly discovered pockets of gem material, even during Covid times.

Obviously, the pandemic slowed down international travel and the absence of foreign buyers was felt strongly, but this area of Mozambique presents another challenge. African gem traders are a critical link in the gem trade and in most areas, their knowledge of Swahili, English, and French allows them to communicate fluently with miners and the local communities. But in Mozambique, the Portuguese language creates another hurdle in setting up relationships with the miners.

The ASM communities are often remote and closed off from the outside, making them relatively removed from the impacts of the pandemic. Regular funding from West African gem traders allowed them to continue mining. Thus, new pockets of aquamarine, morganite, tourmaline, cuprian tourmaline and garnet were continuously unearthed. In the Chimoio area, which attracted attention after the discovery of fine purple garnet in 2016, cabochon grade fancy sapphire is being mined. The material has a variety of colors with the orange-pink variety being the most sought after.

Large-Scale Mining in Mozambique and Zambia

Gemfields operates two large mines in Mozambique and Zambia, mining rubies and emeralds, respectively. During the spring of 2020, activity at both sites was reduced to the minimum and production of gemstones was halted. In April 2021, both sites were brought back into full production. To allow for a safe return to full capacity, a strict set of measurements was implemented to follow local guidelines and minimize changes of Covid-19 transmission. This includes temperature scanning, rapid antigen testing, handwashing stations, etc.

Surrounding communities were included in these efforts by sharing equipment with medical facilities and setting up educational awareness campaigns. When vaccines became available, Gemfields set up a voluntary program for its staff.

While staff salaries were reduced during the year that mining was suspended, no jobs were cut and all benefits were restored when the mines fully reopened. Normally, the production of both mines is sold via auctions to international buyers but, in a world dominated by travel restrictions and quarantines, this was impossible. Logistics for the material were also a challenge, shown by the fact that emeralds sold in February 2020 only reached buyers’ offices after eight months.

Gemfields’ revenue from auctions in 2020 dropped dramatically compared to 2019. During the period that mines were closed, no additional gems were added to the company’s inventory. Towards the end of 2020, Gemfields introduced its Adapted Auction Model since demand from their clients was growing. These auctions allowed for convenient viewing of the gem parcels under the current circumstances, and to enter bids via an online platform.

While mining was severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for the goods from these mines remained and is expected to increase in the coming years.

Summary

The direct impact of Covid-19 was felt in different ways across East Africa. While many artisanal, small-scale miners were able to continue their work, they had little incentive to do so. The absence of international buyers disrupted the flow of rough gems and return of cash into the communities. On top of that, many artisanal miners returned to gold mining. This phenomenon is common when gold reaches high prices. During these times, it is more profitable to wash for gold dust rather than take the gamble of gem mining where the value extracted is never guaranteed.

It is often overlooked how critical the mining communities in East Africa are for the entire gem and jewelry world. They have suffered much during this period and are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to present their gems to the world, once international travel picks up again.

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to Althas Cader (Jewel Mine), Biniyam Bekele, Bruce Bridges (Bridges Tsavorite), John Ferry (Prosperity Earth LLC), Marvin Wambua (Amor Gems) and Peter Ngumbi (Vter Young) for their advice and insights into the East African gem mining scene.

• Trade Shows
• Australia – Colored Gemstone Mining and Supply
• Gem Painting – Where Art Meets Nature
• Sri Lanka – Holding Strong
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash

The post East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Sapphires from Montana have seen growing interest over the last few decades by a multitude of jewelers—not only in the U.S. but around the world—who feature the colorful gems in their collections. Montana sapphires are also attracting young brides who want to have an ethically sourced stone in their engagement ring. To learn more about the area and how mining fared during the pandemic, we spoke with Warren Boyd, Director of Marketing, Potentate Mining LLC, which has been active in Rock Creek since 2016.

Although much attention is paid to Montana sapphires today, they are not new. The first gems were discovered in 1892 by M.H. Bryan who was prospecting for gold on the West Fork of Rock Creek. He was intrigued by the shiny pebbles and scooped some up for his grandchildren. When they turned out to be sapphires, miners began to find them in abundance in the area. These American gems were then displayed at the Paris Exposition in 1902. One of the first jewelers to feature them was Tiffany & Co.

Sapphires are mined in several areas in Montana. Small-scale production is carried out in alluvial benches in the Missouri River, with a total of 3 tons of sapphire extracted since discovery. Mining, also alluvial, has currently dried up at Dry Cottonwood Creek as the area has been fully reclaimed.

Unlike the other regions, the sapphires from Yogo Gulch are found in hard rock. Most of Yogo gems are blue, with a very uniform, intense color, and they don’t require heat treatment. Up to 2014, about 3.5 tons were mined, although currently there is no production. Yogo sapphires appearing on the market today are from mine tailings or estate pieces, and very rarely are found in larger sizes.

The most prolific sapphire mining area is Rock Creek, where historically 91% of production in Montana has occurred. More than 65.8 tons of sapphires were mined from the early part of the 20th century to 2014. The gems are found in heavily weathered volcanic rocks and secondary concentrations in small gulches. This very rich deposit covers more than 3500 acres, of which 90% of this area is owned by Potentate Mining, which began significant production starting in 2016.

In addition to commercial mining, Potentate sells its rough sapphires to the local tourist operations through its CSR policies. Thousands of tourists visit these local operations—supported with sapphires from Potentate’s operation—so they can wash gravels to recover their own sapphires. Families arrive from all around North America to screen and pan gravel for these colorful gems.

So how has this all changed during the pandemic? “The smallscale producers at the Missouri River continued to operate,” says Warren Boyd. “And, we kept our commercial operations going, too, but with a smaller staff. But no visitors or tourists were allowed.” In 2019, Potentate commissioned a new plant, which allowed for less staff and increased volume, so that in 2020, the company was able to still produce about 80%-90% of what it did in 2019.

“Mining is seasonal,” adds Boyd, “It starts in late April, with processing in late May, until late October, thus summers are focused on production and winters are for sales.” Because Potentate sells almost all its gems as rough, Winter 2020 posed some logistical challenges in terms of getting the gems to clients. He notes that the company cuts, however, some of its gems, about 0.5%, that are very high-value stones.

Yet, he noted that Potentate’s customers, who had their stones cut in India and Sri Lanka, had a very hard time, since these cutting centers were working at only 30-40% capacity. For those who cut their stones in New Jersey, there was no slowdown as robots did most of the faceting.

For this 2021 season, Potentate doubled its staff, and is working double shifts. “Finding staff has been an issue,” he confides, “because of the government aid to workers. The company, on the other hand, did not receive any money from the government.”

In keeping with its target of environmental protection, it added a new water recycling plant that allows the miner to recycle up to 90% of the water. “We are the only colored gemstone operation in North America that uses water clarifiers,” he smiles.

The colors of the sapphires that come out of the mines in Rock Creek are generally blue-green, teal and greenish blue, while rarely, they find shades of padparadscha, orange, pink and even a few rubies. The largest North American colored gemstone producer, Potentate has many years ahead to produce these beautiful and ethically sourced sapphires from Rock Creek.

Photos are courtesy of Potentate Mining unless otherwise indicated.

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From the late 19th century through the first decade of the 20th, Southern California was the principal source of tourmaline in the world. In the 21st century, some mines not only continued commercial mining but also opened to the public who could try their luck on a fee-dig basis. One in particular is the Oceanview Mine. How did they manage during the pandemic? To find out, we caught up with Jeff Swanger, the mine’s owner at his Chief Mountain property near San Diego.

Over the last 125 years or so, many amazing gemstones have come out of Southern California. Gem quality tourmaline was first reported in 1872 at the Columbia Mine, and commercial mining began in 1898 with the discovery of tourmaline-rich pegmatite deposits that turned into the Himalaya Mine.

An early big boost to California mining came from China, where carving-grade tourmaline was in high demand. The lovely pink and red varieties of the gem were especially appreciated by the Empress Dowager Cixi, who controlled the Chinese government during the late Qing dynasty. As a result, many of the pieces that are on display today in the Treasure Gallery in Beijing’s Forbidden City came from mines in Southern California. Sales to China continued until the Chinese revolution in 1911.

As tourmaline was discovered in Asia, Africa, and Brazil, gem production in California began to fade. Yet, the 1950s saw a renewed interest in the glorious past of California’s gems. Starting in the 1970s and through the late 1990s, tourmaline was found in amounts close to the levels of the big boom of the early 20th century. Some deposits brimmed with magnificent rubellite crystals and some even had peach-colored morganite attached to them. They are among the most unusual and valuable mineral specimens ever found.

This resurgence in mining over the last couple of decades has been mostly at the highly mechanized mines of Oceanview, Pala Chief, and Elizabeth R (all three purchased in 2000 by Jeff Swanger), which produce a variety of gems. In 2005, significant quantities of morganite were discovered at the Elizabeth R Mine. In 2007, remarkable deposits of beryl—morganite and aquamarine—were found in the “49er Pocket,” named in honor of Swanger’s 49th birthday. Some crystals were even next to each other on the same specimen, and a few were bi-colored. From 2010 to 2012, the Oceanview Mine also produced several hundred kilograms of fine kunzite, including several notable crystals, while in 2011, the Pala Chief Mine produced hundreds of kilograms of straw yellow spodumene (triphane).

A year after purchasing the entire Chief Mountain where the three mines are located, Swanger opened the area to the public in 2001 on a fee-dig basis, so that rockhounds and other gem aficionados could try their luck at finding the elusive treasures. “The Oceanview Mine is open all year around, three days a week, and can accommodate 500 to 600 people a month by reservation,” explains Swanger. “We provide tour guides and the equipment for sorting and washing the gems.”

The Pala Chief Mine is open twice a month from October to June and is for those intrepid souls who bring their own tools and want a more rugged experience as they hike around the old mining dumps on the side of the mountain, looking for tourmaline, kunzite, morganite, aquamarine, quartz, garnet, and more.

Swanger lives in one of the two homes on the 60-acre mountain property, and enjoys a panoramic view of the San Luis Rey River basin. The site also includes The Miner’s Inn, perched on the top of the mountain, with spectacular views of Pala Valley and nearby Tourmaline Queen Mountain. Other facilities include an office, gift shop, equipment storage, and an area for visitors to sift through the dump piles that the miners haul out of the mine. Guests also get a jeep tour of Chief Mountain to see the famous Pala Chief and other historic mines.

Oceanview Mine not only attracts gem aficionados and collectors from all over the world, but also prominent members of the trade. “We have had gemologists and groups from GIA, Gem-A, Guild, and other labs and organizations as well as professional dealers come visit the mine,” he adds. “It is also popular with charter schools, which sometimes bring as many as 100 students, who have found some amazing gems over the years. The schools, however, stopped coming during Covid.”

While the schools temporarily stopped their trips to Oceanview during the pandemic, other visitors came out in force. “We didn’t close the mines during the lockdown and none of our miners or other employees got Covid,” he says. “We were anticipating a general slowdown in visitors but, unexpectedly, just the opposite happened. Last year was our busiest year ever. With so many indoor activities and businesses closed, people looked for ways to spend more time outdoors. Among our guests were parents with children of all ages, who came to spend a fun day on a mining site, hoping to find that perfect gem.”

When asked about the other mines in the area that also have fee-dig operations, Swanger responds, “They have all closed. We are the only ones left.” For this 40-year mining veteran and gem expert, he, too, is thinking about hanging up his miner’s hat. “We recently put the property up for sale,” he confides. “It’s been a lot of work and great fun, but the time has come to retire.” Until, then, there is no doubt that many delighted people will dig for gems in Southern California.

Images are courtesy of Oceanview Mine unless otherwise indicated.

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When life gives you a Monday, dip it in glitter and sparkle all day. For Beatrice Matiash, this is not merely a posting on her very popular Instagram account, but a way of life. To learn how her company, Tashka by Beatrice, not only survived but actually thrived during the pandemic, we caught up with her in her New Jersey office.

Even as a small child growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Beatrice had an affinity for color—lots of color. “Where I grew up, many people wore black or dark clothes, and I thought they should accessorize with color,” she reminisces. “I have always loved color. Color is happy and it makes people happy. There is strength in color.”

But “happy” colors are only part of her story. She was also attracted to fashion and design. So, it’s not surprising that the young woman attended New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, for a B.A. in Fashion Buying and Merchandising. She also took classes in designing jewelry, handbags, and “a little of everything.”

After graduation, she joined Federated Merchandising (now Macy’s Inc.) working in product development for dress accessories—mostly scarves, sunglasses, and hats. “It was a tremendous experience working with graphic designers to create colorful patterns for scarf layouts. I also loved working closely with the factories, sourcing materials, researching trends and, best of all, seeing our products come to life.”

After a couple of years, Beatrice was hired away by DKNY where she worked as merchandise manager for handbags. “It was there that my passion for bags really began.” And where the seeds of her own company sprouted. On her own time, while commuting into the city to work, she began crocheting handbags in colorful Italian yarns. Soon, she was making them for friends and a few local stores. “One day, a large order came in, so I needed to find people to help me.” She turned to friends and family, and her company was formed—Tashka by Beatrice. “Tashka is the word for handbag in Hungarian,” she explains.

After a couple of years, Beatrice was hired away by DKNY where she worked as merchandise manager for handbags. “It was there that my passion for bags really began.” And where the seeds of her own company sprouted. On her own time, while commuting into the city to work, she began crocheting handbags in colorful Italian yarns. Soon, she was making them for friends and a few local stores. “One day, a large order came in, so I needed to find people to help me.” She turned to friends and family, and her company was formed—Tashka by Beatrice. “Tashka is the word for handbag in Hungarian,” she explains.

In the spring of 2000, she left handbags and launched her jewelry company, keeping the same name. “I wanted to design colorful jewels that one dresses for,” explains Beatrice. Set in gold and silver in unexpected color combinations, her designs range from polished to playful, while her gems range from muted pastels to bright primaries. These demi fine pieces were often limited editions and one-of-a-kind. In addition to jewelry, she drew on her fashion roots to begin making special fabrics with gemstone motifs. Among the first items to “accessorize her jewels” were gembrellas—umbrellas featuring striking and dramatic gem patterns.

Sales were mostly wholesale through trade shows and a network of retailers. She also did trunk shows on high-end cruises for four years. Her website targeted stores and included a catalog but no pricing as retailers warned that her products would be dropped if she sold directly to clients from the site.

Yet, she could feel the industry was changing. More stores lowered their wholesale opening orders and others demanded memo. “We were not prepared to place our jewelry on consignment. It was something we could not do.”

Then the pandemic hit. “We were paralyzed for several weeks,” she laments. “There was so much uncertainty and people could not find masks.” Since Beatrice had the gemstone-motif fabric, she quickly tooled up to make masks and advertised them on Instagram and Facebook. “We sold out immediately. Our first shipments went out in early April. We ramped up production and were shipping 50-100 packages a day for the first few months. It was crazy busy.” She came out with new designs every week to meet demand. “An unexpected surprise was that the masks were attracting new customers for my jewelry,” she says. Because so many people were hurt by the pandemic, Beatrice donated a portion of the mask proceeds to five charities to give back to those in need, especially children.

With retail sales having fallen off in the early months of the pandemic, Beatrice decided to leave wholesale behind and concentrate on direct sales. In September 2020, she launched her own e-commerce site. She also expanded her non jewelry business with other gem-oriented fashion items such as sweatshirts, aprons, scarves, leggings, pillows, handbags, bedding, hair accessories, and more. She even found a new way to replace face masks sales. “We recently launched eye masks, and they are doing well, too.”

Probably, the most popular fashion items are pajamas. “When we launched them, we sent them to several jewelry influencers, and each time they wore them, sales went through the roof. PJs remain one of our bestsellers.”

Every month, the company comes out with new items, including collaborations, which Beatrice is starting to focus on. “There are many dynamic projects on the horizon,” she adds, “one of which is custom artwork on our original gem backgrounds.” These include working with Cheery Designs to create custom hand-drawn pets on the gemmy backdrops.

Jewelry still remains an important part of her business. While demi-fine pieces continue to play a major role, she is moving upmarket with finer stones set in 18K gold. “Since the pandemic, we are doing more custom work. Clients come to us for special stones, which we have cut for them and then create the design.”

“It has certainly been a trying year for the world,” she sighs, adding “and I am super grateful that we were able to transition to e-commerce. Without a website and focusing on retail, we could not have survived the pandemic.”

Today, Tashka by Beatrice has not only survived but is thriving. Beatrice Matiash dipped the pandemic in glitter and her company sparkles brighter every day.

Tashkabybeatrice.com Photos are courtesy of Tashka by Beatrice.

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In India, jewelry is not only for personal adornment; it’s a reservoir of wealth, a safety net, an insurance policy to be cashed when all other options have failed. Due to this sentiment, the sale of a family’s jewels has always carried an underlying sense of shame. Most (if not all) Indian families that buy jewelry will have a “family jeweler” they trust—the keeper of their secrets, insecurities, and hidden desires—who is considered a valuable member of their ecosystem.

In 2018, stakeholders in India’s premium auction house, AstaGuru, sat around a conference room table discussing whether they should dip their toes into the vintage and antique jewelry segment. Given the social stigma attached to jewelry sales, trusted specialists have always executed transactions behind closed doors on a no-name basis. AstaGuru had already garnered a loyal customer base in the art department, but jewelry was an unknown.

They launched the vertical with a jewelry auction in 2018 and one in 2019. Jay Sagar, jewelry specialist, AstaGuru, explains, “It was tough when we started. Our primary focus was vintage and estate pieces, with resources and
effort on due diligence and plugging into a formidable network of experts to curate a distinctive collection. Initially, families would only share smaller pieces to test the strength of our platform. Vintage jewelry has always been a niche segment in India, with a handful of dealers facilitating transactions. Before the pandemic, our transparent, online auction format-where estimates, prices, and detailed descriptions-are published online was a scary concept for sellers and buyers alike. But that changed in 2020.”

Fear emanating from superstition about an old jewel being a vessel of bad luck kept many away from the vintage jewelry segment in India. However, an era of instant cross-cultural influence fueled by digital media consumption (magnified during the pandemic) has played an active role in smudging geo-cultural boundaries.

As weeks of lockdown in India rolled into months, a pent-up desire to consume jewelry started brewing. For some, it was boredom; others were concerned seeing the rising gold prices. Savings due to significantly reduced celebrations, inability to travel, and an inherent appreciation for precious metal, diamonds and gems led many to seek avenues for acquisition. Sagar adds, “We benchmark ourselves against leading auction players on the global stage. The user experience, whether on our website or social media platforms, is seamless, delivering rich visuals and considerable information within a few clicks.”

But being online was not enough. With their customers stuck at home, unable to attend any viewings, AstaGuru came up with a concierge service, through which vaccinated individuals personally brought jewels to the homes of their regular bidders across the country. Providing their clients with the comfort of examining and wearing jewels (before bidding) without leaving their abode instilled confidence. On the supply side, unable to open their jewelry salons, dealers were more amenable to selling their stock of estate jewelry via AstaGuru’s online auction.

Fear emanating from superstition about an old jewel being a vessel of bad luck kept many away from the vintage jewelry segment in India.

Sagar summarizes, “Our most successful online auction was conducted when India was in the throes of the second wave in April. It was a monumental challenge for our team to keep things moving while also caring for their families. The main source of heritage jewels for us has been families whose children are either not interested in jewelry or prefer more wearable pieces. Interestingly, during the pandemic, we have seen increased engagement from first-time bidders. As a result, AstaGuru will be expanding its jewelry vertical and spending more resources on educating the market, drawing new customers. The current generation of buyers is happy to pay with credit cards, bank transfers, or checks.”

Online jewelry auction is a microscopic segment of the more significant jewelry industry in India. The success of AstaGuru’s online auctions represents a tectonic shift in attitude. For Indians, jewelry is not an accessory, but an intrinsic part of one’s attire, an active participant in ancient ceremonies passed down through the ages that, as per cultural beliefs, continue to underline the journey of a soul in its physical manifestation.

Images are courtesy of AstaGuru

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