Gemfields PLC

Gemfields, one of the world’s foremost coloured gemstone producers, is found at the intersection of exploration, mining and marketing.

Natural, untreated gems are at the heart of the operation. Our focus – reliable and ethically-produced Zambian emeralds – uphold fair-trade practices while remaining in accordance with the highest level of environmental, social and safety standards. This mission holds true for every gemstone in our portfolio.

Gemfields’ unprecedented mine to market strategy allows us to guarantee the provenance of every gem: Our promise to both the trade and the consumer.

Supported by a world-class management team of seasoned industry experts, Gemfields prides itself on transparency. Business aside, our dedication to preserving the environment, nurturing relationships with local communities and upholding human rights remains paramount to our success.

Explore Emeralds

The mysterious deep green emerald is one of the most prized coloured gemstones on Earth. The most valuable of the Beryl group, emeralds are not easily categorised by conventional standards due to their unique characteristics and rare qualities. Although highly-saturated colours and inclusion-free gems are extremely rare and most precious, the unique identification of an emerald’s jardins, or fissures, can also contribute to its allure.

Physically, Zambian emeralds range in colour from a natural rich saturated green to a vibrant green with slight bluish undertones. Although less common than gemstones from Colombia, Zambian emeralds are available at significantly lower prices, opening up the market to new customers looking for beautiful gems at a spectacular value.

Zambian emeralds mined by Gemfields are unique in several other regards. Gemfields has created the world’s first integrated pipeline to bring emeralds directly from the mine to the international market. This means that consumers will now be able to trace the origin of each gem from the source and can follow its journey to purchase. With the democratically-elected Government of the Republic of Zambia as part-owners, Gemfields produces approximately 20% of the world’s emerald supply, which is renowned for a rich, deep colour and superior quality. This state-of-the-art mining facility is able to produce a reliable and consistent conflict-free emerald supply from a responsible source.

The Kagem Emerald Mine covers an area of approximately 43 sq km, located in the central part of NRERA, Zambia. There are six known Talc Magnatite Schists (TMS) belts with over 13 km of strike length within the licence area, the main current area of emerald extraction being the Fwaya Fwaya-Pirala belt, in which the TMS has a drill established strike length of 1720 meters. The primary production pit is FF-F10, located at the eastern end of the belt, which currently has a strike length of 920 meters.

The mine has consistently produced some of the finest Zambian emeralds since 1984. Kagem has sold 11.4 million carats, 13.7 million carats and 14.9 million carats of emerald and beryl, generating revenues of US$ 6.4 million, US$ 9.5 million and US$ 12.6 million in 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Several steps have already been taken to improve operations at Kagem including the following: 

- Mining capacity increased from 150,000 tonnes to 800,000 tonnes per month.

- Delegation of specific responsibilities and the definition of reporting structures has improved the operational performance.

- Staffing levels in various departments have been rationalised and skills development has been prioritised by way of training and recruitment.

- Management has been improved and strengthened. 

- The security department has been comprehensively revamped with the introduction of highly skilled and globally trained security personnel.

- Continuous improvement of infrastructure on the mine is ongoing, with additional buildings being erected for training, maintenance and various other facilities.

- Resource drilling is ongoing to define the resources of the FF-F10 pit and other prospects. Approximately 11,000 meters has been completed so far, conforming to internationally acceptable QA/QC standards.

- A resource base of 24 MT has been established in the FF-F10 pit area, up to a vertical depth of 150 meters. The mine plan in place is for ten years with the current base.

- Treatment plant capacity has been upgraded to 50 t/h to match the projected ore production.

- Introduction of optical sorting is in a trial stage and other processing technologies.

- State of the art equipment, instruments and intensive in-house training have been introduced for the standardisation of emerald grading.

Geology:

Like most rare gemstones, the mineralisation of Zambian emeralds can only happen when certain rock types under unique conditions come into contact with one another. For Zambian emeralds, it was the specific combination of the 1.6 billion year old high grade metamorphic rock named the Talc Magnetite Schist (TMS) and the younger 500 million year old intruding pegmatite.

The chemical interaction between the pegmatites and the TMS brought about a soft, thin black reaction zone where the emerald fluids collected and were allowed to crystallize into its perfectly hexagonal shape, over many millions of years. (Yes, this means that every emerald on earth has taken millions of years to form!) The metamorphic TMS provided the trace element-chromium-that has been absorbed into this rare gem and results in the rich and saturated green colour.

Ian Harebottle - Chief Executive Officer

Ian was appointed as CEO of Gemfields on 12th February 2009 and is a veteran of the coloured gemstone industry. Ian has been instrumental in pioneering many of the coloured gemstone industry’s most innovative strategies and has extensive operational experience spanning both mining and marketing. He graduated in 1985 and holds a Graduate Diploma in Management from Henley.  As if his career in the world of jaw-dropping gems is not enough, his hobby is motorcycling, which he shares passionately with his two sons. His motto is: “Spend more time with your kids…wave at them each time they pass you on the trail.”

Updated from company website 12/01/2012

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