(IDEX Online) – Gemfields said it has discovered a 5,655-carat emerald crystal which it says has “remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue” which it has named the ‘Inkalamu’, the Lion Emerald.

Inkalamu was discovered at Kagem, the world’s largest emerald mine, which is 75% owned by Gemfields and 25% by the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia which belongs to the government of Zambia.

“The discovery of this exceptional gemstone is such an important moment both for us and for the emerald world in general,” commented Elena Basaglia, Gemfields’ London-based gemologist.

“We are experiencing strikingly increased demand for high-quality Zambian emeralds from the major brands, particularly in Europe, all of whom admire the rich color and unique transparency of our gems – qualities that make them unique among emeralds,” she said. “It’s difficult to estimate how many individual gems will be cut from Inkalamu, but the cutting expertise of Gemfields’ auction partners will mean that this gemstone will make its mark in the history books of exceptional gemstones. This lion’s resulting offspring – ‘The Pride of Inkalamu’ so to speak – will continue the legacy for generations to come!”

Inkalamu was discovered in the eastern part of Kagem’s largest open-pit mine on 2 October 2018 by geologist Debapriya Rakshit and veteran emerald miner Richard Kapeta, who has more than a decade of experience mining Zambian emeralds for Gemfields. This area of the mine has proven to be particularly fertile in recent months with the Kagem team recovering several significant crystals there, but none with the combined size, color and clarity of the Lion Emerald, the miner said.

Gemfields chose the name ‘Inkalamu’ (meaning ‘lion’ in the local Bemba language) in honor of the work carried out by two of Gemfields’ conservation partners, the Zambian Carnivore Programme (https://ift.tt/2Smezyp) and the Niassa Carnivore Project in Mozambique (www.niassalion.org). These partners work tirelessly to smooth the relationship between Africa’s carnivores and local communities across vast, remote and challenging areas. The health of carnivores, being at the apex of the food chain, is widely regarded as a good indicator of the health of the wider eco-system.

Gemfields has three-year philanthropic sponsorships with each organization in order to aid them in wildlife conservation, promote community development and stem the problem of poaching by developing alternative livelihoods. In addition, Gemfields will divide 10% of Inkalamu’s auction proceeds equally between the two carnivore initiatives.

The Lion Emerald will be offered for sale at Gemfields’ next auction in Singapore in November to approximately 45 approved auction partners, chosen by Gemfields for their shared values in responsible practices, the firm said. In contrast to the diamond industry, the price for exceptionally large emeralds like Inkalamu is particularly difficult to predict.

 “We expect a number of large, fine-quality cut emeralds to be borne of the Inkalamu crystal” said Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ Managing Director for Product and Sales. “These important pieces are what return value to the buyer, and there might be hundreds of offcuts that are fashioned into smaller gems, cabochons and beads, but the key lies in recovering the fine quality pieces. Given this emerald is such a rare find, it is also perfectly conceivable that the buyer will choose to purchase it as an investment.”

The miner added that the Lion Emerald will benefit from the Gübelin Gem Lab’s ‘Provenance Proof’ nanotechnology in which nano-sized particles encoded with the mine-of-origin will allow identification of the gemstone’s place of origin for decades to come.

(IDEX Online) – With the 2018 CIBJO Congress set to open in Bogotá, Colombia, on Monday, agendas and related documentation for the sessions and meetings that will take place during the event are now available online.

The schedule of the CIBJO Congress includes a series of meetings of different working groups, called sectors and commissions, each of which focuses on a different sector or field of interest in the jewelry industry. The Digital Binder includes the agendas and documentation related to each of their sessions, as well as those sessions that encompass the entire CIBJO membership.

The congress venue will be the Grand Hyatt Bogotá, situated in the heart of Ciudad Empresarial Sarmiento Angulo, in the city’s commercial district, from October 15 to October 17, with pre-congress meetings starting on October 12. The World Emerald Symposium will take place at the same venue from October 12 to 14.

Serving as the official venue for the meeting of the CIBJO Assembly of Delegates, the CIBJO Congress gathers the members of national jewelry and gemstone associations from more than 40 countries and representatives of many of the industry’s most important commercial bodies. During the event, the organization’s Diamond, Coloured Stones, Pearl, Coral, Precious Metals and Gemmological Blue Books, which are industry’s most widely accepted directories of uniform grading standards and nomenclature, are discussed and updated.

The congress is being hosted by Fedesmeraldas, the National Federation of Emeralds of Colombia, and CDTEC, Colombia’s leading gemological institute.

Contained in a Digital Binder, they can be downloaded from the dedicated congress website.

(IDEX Online) – The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy, in association with the Colombian Geological Service and the National University, has budgeted US$30 million for a five-year ‘Mineral Digital Fingerprint’ project that started earlier this year.

The project is based on a technique developed in Australia and applied in South Africa as a control mechanism for the commercialization of gold and precious stones.

“The goal of the Fingerprint (La Huella) project is to provide an understanding of the particular conditions and physical-chemical characteristics that were present at the time of the geological formation of a mineral, which then gives a specific geo-chemical DNA,” according to a statement. “This Fingerprint can also be traced at the different stages of exploitation, refinement and commercialization of the minerals.”

The ‘Mineral Fingerprints’ will be identified in the deposits where the minerals are formed, as well as in the transformation processes such as smelting, refining, cutting, and polishing. In the case of transformed minerals, this technique can be used to determine whether they came from a deposit or if they were recycled. The infrastructure of the project will include accreditation by a certified laboratory, the construction of a databank of Mineral Fingerprints, and the generation of a certificate validating the origin of the minerals.

“Thanks to Mineral Fingerprints, it will be possible to strengthen the audit process for control in the mining production chain, increase technological capacity in the generation of tools for the identification of the lawful and indisputable origin of minerals, and expand the knowledge and geological cartography of the subsoil,” explained Dr. Arce Zapata, outgoing Minister of Mines. “It will take Colombian mining to another level.”

The Second World Emerald Symposium, running from October 12 to 14, will present a wide range of topics, from gemology to mining, responsible sourcing to ethical standards in the supply chain, new technologies applicable to the supply chain to artisanal small-scale mining and formalization, and from harmonization of descriptions to proof of origin, and from marketing/branding to jewelry design.

Also confirmed for panel discussions are representatives from the world’s main laboratories and major mining companies, as well as from the eight emerald-producing countries: Colombia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Zambia, Brazil and Madagascar.

Trips are also being arranged for those interested in visiting the major emerald mines in Colombia (Muzo, Cunas, and Coscuez) with an additional trip to Chivor. More information is available at https://ift.tt/2Pet71d.

(IDEX Online) – The Second World Emerald Symposium will be held in Bogotá, Colombia, from October 12-14, the organizers have announced.

Devoted entirely to emeralds, the Second World Emerald Symposium follows the first such event held in 2015.

The organizers have confirmed the attendance of delegates from 25 nations, and the participation of eight emerald-producing countries: Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Pakistan, Russia and Zambia.

The three-day event will address the challenges and opportunities faced by the emerald industry, with presentations by more than 60 speakers and experts, panel discussions, working groups and hands-on training sessions.

Topics to be discussed will focus on the challenges relating to mining and geology, gemology and laboratory testing, harmonization of color names and practices, consumer education and awareness, Corporate Social Responsibility, traceability, compliance, ethics, sustainability, branding and marketing, along with discussions on new technologies, such as blockchain, that are impacting the emerald industry.

Among the speakers due to take part will be representatives from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), the Dubai Multi-Commodities Centre (DMCC) and global luxury brands such as Van Cleef & Arpels and others.

The world’s major trade associations will also be in attendance, including the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, the Thai Gem & Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA), China’s National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC), the Gemstone Association of China (GAC), India’s Gem & Jewellery Export Council (GJEPC), and others. The world’s leading gemological laboratories will also be represented.

The event is organized by Fedesmeraldas – the Colombian Emerald Federation – with the support of the Emerald Producers Association (APRECOL), the Emerald Exporters Association (ACODES), the Emerald Dealers Association (Asocoemeral), and the Ministry of Mines. Among the special sponsors are Mineria Texas Colombia (MTC/Muzo), Emeraldas de Santa Rosa (Cunas Mine) and Fura Gems (Cosquez Mine).

In addition, mine tours have been organized to visit Colombia’s three important mining areas following the symposium.

For more information, email: wes2@emeraldsymposium.com or visit www.Emerald Symposium.com

(IDEX Online) – The Asia office of the Natural Color Diamond Association (NCDIA) has opened in the 59-storey Jewelry Trade Center (JTC) in downtown Bangkok providing a base in Asia for NCDIA members around the world, the organization said.

The Bangkok office will be a place to stage seminars for interested consumers to educate them about natural colored diamonds.

A goal of the NCDIA is to bring information to consumers about natural colored diamonds.

“NCDIA Asia is fortunate to be located in the same building as the Bangkok Diamonds and Precious Stones Exchange (BDPE),” said Barbara Wheat, director of NCDIA Asia.

“NCDIA Asia and the Bangkok Diamonds and Precious Stones Exchange’s board of directors are in alignment and will speak with one voice to the Thai government for promulgation of laws that facilitate and promote the diamond business as a whole.”

The BDPE is a member of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), a global diamond industry body with 30 affiliated bourses representing the diamond trade across the world.

The Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) lab, which is also based in the JTC, is working on issuing a quality mark to raise awareness and appreciation of natural colored diamonds, added Wheat, who is vice president of international relations and business development of the Ho Group of Companies, including AIGS.

NCDIA Asia is also working on an exclusive Colored Diamond Exhibition to be held in China in 2019.

Chirakitti Tang, President of the Thai Diamond Manufacturers’ Association and the Lifetime Chairman of the Executive Board of the BDPE, said: “I welcome the opening of a representative office of the NCDIA in Bangkok. Its presence will be beneficial by way of educating the buyers in Asia, which has become the largest market for diamonds and colored diamonds in the world.”