(IDEX Online) – In a public statement on the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Jewelry Guides, the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) said it welcomes the release following six years of consultation with the industry.

 

“This document plays an important role, alongside other applicable norms and standards, in protecting consumers from deceitful communication by marketers. The DPA commits to respecting the FTC Guides – as it has always done – in its communication, and in particular as it pertains to the way it describes synthetic diamonds – diamonds created in a laboratory – and natural diamonds. We note and welcome synthetic diamond manufacturers’ public pledge to respect the new Guides.

 

“The DPA appreciates that the FTC still requires marketers of man-made stones to differentiate their product conspicuously from natural diamonds in their marketing communication. While we disagree with the change in the FTC’s definition of a diamond, we want to remind the industry that all other norms and standards continue to support that a diamond is a mineral of natural origin, and to clarify that the FTC Guides continue to ask marketers to qualify the use of the word “diamond” to describe any product that is not “a mined stone.”

 

“Furthermore, the DPA expresses deep concerns that the new Guides fail to provide the clarity required to avoid more consumer confusion and deception, instead introducing unnecessary ambiguity. In particular, the Guides support the broad use of terms which – while potentially incorrect and misleading – can be qualified through communication to avoid consumer deception. This is the basis on which the FTC approves the qualified use of the term “cultured diamonds” even though it has been demonstrated that the majority of consumers mistakenly interpret “cultured” as a description used for natural diamonds. The DPA believes that this principle, if widely applied, would open the door to yet more consumer confusion and deception and would require the agency to address a large number of claims on a cumbersome case-by-case basis. DPA had hoped that the agency would provide clearer guidelines for industry on these important issues and looks forward to engaging further the FTC on the subject.

 

“Finally, the DPA is surprised at the wide use of the expression “mined diamond” throughout the FTC Guides in lieu of “natural diamond”, a terminology heavily promoted by man-made diamond producers. Indeed, “mined diamonds” refers to an extraction process, and not to a creation process, and the vast majority of the world’s diamonds will never be mined, making this an incorrect qualification.”

The name ‘toramalli’ (the Sinhalese word for “gems of mixed colours”) was originally used to describe these unknown coloured crystals.

The tourmalines are a group of mineral species called borosilicates, that is, they are silicates containing boron, but also a mix of other elements.

Consequently, they have a similar crystal structure but their varying chemical composition means they have different physical properties. In particular, the inclusion of other elements, such as chromium, iron and manganese, creates the variety of colour for which tourmaline is famous.

The major tourmaline species are elbaite, liddicoatite, dravite, uvite and schorl, but most gem tourmalines are elbaites, which contain sodium, lithium and aluminium. Coloured by traces of various other elements, elbaites can be blue, green, yellow, pink to red, colourless or zoned with a combination of colours.

Traces of manganese, for example, are thought to produce reds and pinks, although pinks may also owe their hues to colour centres caused by either natural or laboratory-induced radiation.

Some varieties of tourmaline flaunt trade names such as ‘rubellite’, the name given to a range of red tourmalines, often tinged with orange, purple or brown. Some members of the trade argue that terms such as rubellite are archaic and varieties should be named after their colour and species alone.

Tourmaline typically forms as long prismatic crystals, allowing some unusual long slender cuts. Pink to red crystals often have more visible inclusions than other coloured varieties although clean crystals are not uncommon in sizes under 2 carats.

Nearly all tourmalines display differential absorption of light, where the hue and sometimes tone vary with the orientation of the crystal. Pink crystals appear darker pink in the direction of the optic axis (parallel to the length of the crystal), and lighter pink perpendicular to the optic axis.

This enables a degree of control over the depth of colour when fashioning a stone. Carefully controlled heating or irradiation can also alter colour, and while the results of both methods are rather uncertain, these treatments are still extensively used commercially, and are often very difficult to detect.

Known for showing multiple colours in a single crystal, ‘watermelon tourmaline’ is a particularly desirable parti-coloured variety. Looking exactly as it is named, these impressive crystals show pink in the centre, running down the crystal axis with a concentration of green around the outside. It is typically cut into slices to display this astonishing colour arrangement.

The warm hues of tourmaline display a wide range of colour intensity and tone and while rubellite is generally a more available coloured variety of tourmaline, those with a hue and depth of colour that approach the intensity of fine ruby and pink sapphire can attract higher prices.

A vibrant and impressive gemstone, tourmaline will continue to rival its precious counterparts with a seemingly endless array of colours.

Everything was passed on from one generation to the next. Sitting alongside another bench jeweller and learning their techniques was one of the traditional methods of learning.

Unfortunately a lot the ‘old guards’ who have retired never ended up training younger jewellers. Their businesses have closed and their jewellery manufacturing techniques – like the art of engraving and diamond setting – are no more in vogue. Many techniques are now computerised, with many jewellers having adapted by solely using CAD/CAM to design jewellery.

This means there are many jewellers who have never been taught how to set or properly repair pieces.

How’s that for doom and gloom?

Now, I don’t think the industry is actually doomed – I think we just have a lot that needs to be worked out.

For starters, jewellers who are entering the trade need to be trained in all of the fundamental techniques. At gemmological associations for example, trainees are tested on their competencies, where they’re marked against a set of criteria. I think after this, these young trainees need to be followed up on, to ensure their techniques are still current and that they can do the tasks they’re set.

Training facilities also need to be protected notwithstanding the dwindling funds. Those entering the industry need to be able to replace a claw or a broken shank or know how to restore jewellery back to its pristine glory; as my father said, “Even if you hire somebody, you need to know they’re going to do the same standard as what you would do yourself.”

As well as continuing to take on apprentices, we should also be making sure that we do everything within our power to bolster the reputation of manufacturing jewellers. People search for a good hairdresser or cabinetmaker based on quality of work, so our industry needs to do the same.

Legal professionals or accountants always have testimonials from customers on their website and list their credentials so that the customer knows exactly who they’ll be dealing with – again, I believe we should be doing the same too.

Yes, it’s good to embrace all these new technologies because it seems quite inevitable that’s where the industry is heading; however the importance of traditional techniques is being lost. I have too many potential customers come to our store who stand at the front and ask, “Is there a jeweller on the premises? Is everything repaired on site or is it sent away?”

That says a lot to me about the current state of the industry. It’s an issue of education – our customers assume that there is no longer a jeweller on the premises! They think that all their work will be sent offshore and returned six weeks later.

Another way we can ensure the mystique behind hand-made jewellery won’t be lost is to keep educating our youth. I’m all for fostering an interest and explaining the values of the industry in kids from an early age.

I do some informal teaching at primary and secondary schools, where I introduce students to gemstones and jewellery as part of their geology and other classes. Many of these kids are looking forward to using their hands in the future – and you could say I’m also looking at many future potential customers.

What else can be done? Unfortunately, there seems to be a notion that jewellers think they know it all and refuse to adapt to change. I worked beside another jeweller for 28 years, but he was reluctant to change any of his techniques during that time. You have to be a bit of both – you have to carry on with some of the original techniques as well as take on all the new ways that might actually be better.

I think we also need to make sure we never stop learning. There’s a variety of online tutorials and old-fashioned books you can flick through to get outside your comfort zone and try something a little more ornate, rather than just having everything ‘bread and butter.’ After all, when you get too complacent you get redundant.

I’ve been around in the trade for 40 years, and I’m still adapting, still making changes and trying to figure out what’s the right thing to do.

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Name: Alfie Gryg
Business: Allgem Jewellers
Position: Master jeweller
Location: Perth, WA
Years in the industry: 38 years

The men’s watch market has been inundated with smartwatches and wearables for a few years now. Some international suppliers are now even producing ‘hybrids’ – traditional watches that integrate smartwatch functionalities – in order to keep up with the times.

Despite this, traditional timepieces have maintained their relevance and stature as the go-to male accessory, assuring many within the industry that a classic timepiece that reflects the wearer’s personal style is still the most important aspect for male consumers.

Stuart Smith is the group marketing manager of Seiko Australia. He notes technological innovations only continue to propel the category forward.

“The mechanical side of the business has improved with technology over the years and is a lot more stable,” Smith says.

“Many of the ranges have changed over to solar technology, where previously we had mechanical movements and mechanical moved into quartz movements and then quartz moved into quartz-solar. Nowadays, watches have a lot more functionality.”

David Faraday, general manager of Oozoo, Dukudu and Pernille Croydon distributor hiPP, believes consumers are gravitating back towards the beauty of analogue watch faces.

“While smartwatches have their market, they are not for everyone or for every occasion. Traditional watches are still very much sought after as they represent fashion, style and classy aesthetic values,” he says.

“In a fashion-driven world, people are always conscious of being on point – men included.”
Faraday also believes the fast-fashion landscape means men are now more inclined to own more than one watch in order to keep up with rolling trends.

“Men are now much more likely to add to their collection, rather than just having one higher-priced watch that they wear for years as they did in the past,” he notes.

MECHANICAL WATCHES

 

Timely trends

Minimalistic designs have been one of the biggest trends in the watch industry in recent years, according to John Wohlers, a retailer who runs his namesake business in Wangaratta, Victoria.

“In our regional area, we sell a lot of everyday work watches. These are mostly minimalistic designed watches on leather bands of 38 to 40mm,” Wohlers says. “Digital sports watches are also very popular.”

Faraday agrees with those sentiments. “We still see consumers leaning to classic, vintage slimline styles, particularly with oversized case diameters; however, textured faces and rugged strap styles are popular in the casual styles,” he adds.

Mulco Watches Australia CEO Randolf Ramos says a combination of simple and elegant features continue to prove popular this season. “Watches are a very personal purchase; for many, they are after something quite particular,” he says. “Elegant watches with leather bands and stainless steel bands are proving to be popular, with silicone bands now part of the smart casual look.”

Smith notes a penchant for dark dials, classic bands and hardy materials.

“Stainless steel is still popular with many models featuring dark blue and black dials. In terms of casing materials, black hard plate is very popular – it almost looks like a dress design but is quite hardwearing. Black and gold is also quite a popular colour combination with men,” he says.

Sam’s Group Australia managing director Sam Der Bedrossian offers a differing view. He notes his consumers have been bucking the minimalistic trend, instead purchasing more ‘complex’ designs in recent months.

“Generally speaking, the change in demand for men’s watches has shifted from basic to more complicated styles, like chronographs, tourbillions, multi-functions and automatic watches, and accordingly a larger-size watch case,” he says.

“Skeleton automatic watches, where the movement is visible through the front or back of the watch, have also been performing well.”

Changing attitudes

Ken Abbott, managing director of Timesupply, says he has noticed a shift in how men purchase timepieces. He believes they assess whether the watch will work as a fashion accessory, rather than viewing timepieces as long-term investments.

“There are so many things now taking the place of what watches used to do, such as phones, fitness trackers and smartwatches,” he notes. “The opportunity for sales is now in selling watches as fashion accessories, which are being treated more like a piece of jewellery – it’s a short term or seasonal purchase now.”

Der Bedrossian believes consumers who prefer traditional watches do so because they present an opportunity to express their own personal style.

“Traditional watches will always maintain their elegance and timelessness and can be worn like an item of jewellery; there will always be a market for them,” he says.

Phil Edwards, managing director of Duraflex Group Australia, agrees. He goes on to offer his view on the smartwatch market and how it consequently affects retailers selling traditional watches.

“The market has changed significantly in numerous ways; there are more competitor brands now in the market and customers are spoilt for choice,” he says.

“You’re either a traditional watch customer or a smartwatch customer; we quite simply don’t need to try to compete.”

Smith concurs, adding that consumers sway towards either category exclusively, which is ultimately a positive for retailers.

“I think smartwatches are good for some people; however, they have a completely different DNA when compared to the watches that have been on the marketplace for over 100 years,” he says.

“People associate with the DNA of a watch brand and the style that brand actually brings with it. Smartwatches are still growing – the technology is changing quite rapidly at the moment – so I tend to think that what is happening now with smartwatches might not be happening in the future.”

Hans Marti of Swisstime HQ believes smartwatches are most popular “at the younger end of the demographic”, and rely heavily on social media and influencer marketing, whereas traditional timepieces have other means of drawing in consumers.

“Influence is dominated by social media and peers but it is also very fickle; brand loyalty is not strong in this market as these items are usually positioned at the ‘throw-away commodity’ end of the market. Therefore, traditional watches will continue to prosper,” he declares.

LEATHER WATCHES

 

Time to sell

Abbott says retailers looking to capitalise on men’s watch sales should focus on what trends are making waves locally and abroad.

“In order to forecast trends, retailers only need look to places like the United Kingdom to see what is popular in the season ahead,” he says, adding that suppliers do much of the trend analysis already.

“Ultimately it is up to the brands to have a grasp of what is on-trend or even to create the products to push that trend; if the retailer has a good supplier and a good brand in stock then they should already have an understanding of the trends on the market.”

Ramos says retailers can maximise their watch sales by stocking products that have strong brand recognition, as he believes loyalty in this category is stronger than other sectors of the jewellery industry.

“In a brand’s online presence, ‘influencers’ are very effective in selling men’s fashion watches. All the brands are integrating online sponsorship into their digital marketing strategies,” he explains.

“Retailers who are a bit scared about stocking new watch collections may find security in brands with these partnerships. In my opinion, the retailers need to be more focused on display and should offer more styles, especially something different to their customers.”

Marti agrees with these sentiments, adding, “Influence at the traditional watch level is dominated by traditional print, sporting events like Rolex at the tennis, social marketing influencers and ambassadors. Traditional watches are aspirational so loyalty is very high.”

Ramos acknowledges the apprehension some retailers may face when wanting to introduce new watch brands and recommends starting with around 12 watches, as well as carrying products across various collections.

“We are flexible with our brand and are always happy for our stockists to switch collections and models on display,” he says. “It is about finding what products fit best for their store and their customers.”

Wohlers believes it is ultimately the responsibility of the retailer to conduct thorough research before stocking new watch brands.

“Do your homework, explore the watch market and see what brands are selling well both in store and online,” he recommends. “If stocking a new brand, make sure you can compete with online sellers and ask distributors about advertising.”

There’s no doubt that the men’s watch category is replete with choices for stylish, fashion-forward males. Retailers would do well to ensure they’re keeping up with the latest releases and stocking accordingly.

The staple timepiece is here to stay.

Capitalising on sport watch sales is easy. Here’s how:

Bezel ready – ensure all staff know how to use chronographs and bezels so they can show their customers with ease.

Ask questions – find out what physical activities customers partake in and what functions they require in a sports watch; there’s no point in an abseiler seeking out a diver’s watch!

Keep it simple – if the salesperson cannot explain the technicalities of a complicated sports watch, learn it or do not stock it. To avoid confusing customers who know little about timepieces, never introduce them to more than three brands in a single visit.

Staff specialists – designate specific sales associates to become experts on various brands. The store then has a go-to person for times when tough product questions arise.

Educate – regularly invite representatives from every watch manufacturer represented in your store to provide training sessions for your sales staff.

 

Diving into sports watches

Men’s lifelong love affair with the sporting world is reflected in the continuing popularity of sport watches, which offer functionality, style and adventure all in one.

Seiko Australia’s Stuart Smith says one key feature of sports watches is their durability in various environments, including ranging temperatures and water resistance.

“Men do still want to buy a mechanical watch, especially divers; they’re certainly well sought. People appreciate the mechanical movement but there are many more options available for professional divers, and this covers sports watches overall,” he says.

In order for this category to gain traction in the market, Hans Marti of Swisstime HQ says suppliers of sport watches must continue to offer a variety of products to suit every man.

“Our traserH3 appeals to those pursuing sports, military and outdoor activities, marketed for the adventure type person,” he says. “On the other hand, we also carry design-focused products like the XEMEX or Jowissa for the style-conscious man.”

SMARTWATCHES

Keeping watch on sales

Fall back on these timeless tips to increase men’s fashion watch sales:

Know the customer – select watch brands that match the store’s demographic. Consider the generation’s interests and see if there are any brands on the market that reflect these.

Scout trends – dedicate time to researching watch trends online through various resources. This will assure customers that staff are up-to-date on the latest styles.

The mighty touch – get the customer to hold the watch while describing its features. All customers appreciate the tactile elements behind watch shopping.

Show passion – get excited about the product. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Take care – when showing expensive watches, wear one, not two gloves. One glove suggests care and prestige, while two can be pretentious and off-putting.

Career milestone – for young consumers, buying a quality timepiece is less of a necessity than it once was. Help them to perceive the purchase as a rite of passage of a young professional. In doing so, the retailer can hope they will return later at different points in their professional career.

Fresh language – avoid repeatedly using the phrase “watch”. This can be swapped out for “timepiece”, “masterpiece”, or the name of the particular model. In doing so, the presentation of the product has more finesse and the customer acknowledges the important nature of purchasing the watch.

This led to correspondence between Lucas and Teweld Abay, director of the Mineral Marketing and Value Chain Directorate over the next several months to coordinate a joint project between GIA and the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Tucson 2017 and 2018 were abuzz with interest regarding Ethiopian emeralds and to a lesser degree Ethiopian sapphires. A few Ethiopian dealers showed sapphires at the show that were obviously magmatic in nature. Most of the gemstones were very dark blue and heavily included with silk. There were some bright blue stones, however, that sparked a great deal of interest. News of the sapphires had begun entering the gem trade in early 2017.

As much of the talk in the gem trade was of this upcoming source of gemstones, GIA was compelled to conduct firsthand on-the-ground research. The Ethiopian Ministry of Mines also wanted third-party expertise to be involved in joint research on the Ethiopian gem deposits.

The decision was made for GIA to visit the main gem producing areas of the East African country of Ethiopia, including sapphire, emerald and opal mining areas. The expedition dates were set for the end of February 2018 through the third week of March and the first mining areas to be visited during the visit were the sapphire fields.

Ethiopia

Ethiopia is composed of over one million square miles with elevations that range from 125 m below sea level to 4,550 m with a mean elevation of 1,330 m. The terrain is dominated by high plateaus, which are divided by the Great Rift Valley.

The population of over 105 million makes it the second most populous in Africa. Ethnically, Ethiopia is composed of several ethnic groups with the two largest being Oromo (34.4%) and Amhara (27%). While the official National language is Amharic, local states will also designate working languages such as Oromo for the State of Oromia, Somali for the Sate of Sumale, and Tigrinya for the State of Tigray.

Approximately 80 per cent of the population lives in rural areas and this reflects that about 72 per cent of the workforce is involved in the agricultural industry.

Approximately 43 per cent of the population is Ethiopian Orthodox Christian, 33 per cent Muslim, and 18 per cent Protestant. Many of the tourist attractions in the country are to do with religious sites such as the Rock-Hewn Churches at Lalibela, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This site consists of 11 medieval monolithic cave churches from the 12th to 13th centuries and are still a place of pilgrimage and worship today.

Sapphire fields near Chila

Our expedition started with the sapphire fields near Chila. This was an area where we had the least information as to what was going on and did not know what to expect as far as the size of the mining area, the amount of miners involved or the nature of the mining. While much of what we witnessed met our preconceived ideas of the artisanal mining operations, seeing the exact nature of the mining proved very interesting, as well as learning about the reported transformation of the socio-economic nature of the area.

Geology

Based on analytical results, it is clear that the sapphires are related to alkali-basalt flows. According to geological maps, there are several alkali basalt outcrops in the area, but the maps don’t indicate their presence around Chila. However, there are clearly basalt flows near the sapphire mines. Basalt flows can cover incredibly large areas with thick layers of molten rock, often in successive events.

Based on our observations, the sapphire-containing basalt flows were deposited on a flattened basement. This basement contains heterogeneous rocks of a granitic composition that belong to the Precambrian era (older than 540 Ma). The basalt flows are much younger and were deposited in the Cenozoic period (younger than 65 Ma). The basalts erode much easier than the basement, creating a very wide valley flanked by flat plateaus.

In the centre of the valley, we could see exposed basement. The sapphires have been released from their basalt host rock by weathering. The richest sapphire concentrations are found in the centre of the valley near the riverbed, although many miners are also working on the hill flanks. According to the locals, sapphires have also been found on top of the basalt plateaus, indicating that a lot of the basalts are sapphire bearing.

Mining

All of the mining we saw was classic artisanal mining on the secondary deposits. The deposits are ideal for artisanal mining techniques and family/community mining efforts. We saw no mechanisation in the mining whatsoever. All the miners in the area first dug pits with picks and shovels. Then, the gravel was taken out of the pits, often by just flinging it to the top of the pit with a shovel or by using buckets. It was then sorted through for sapphires by hand, often with just dry picking.

It appeared that the dry sorting missed many of the smaller size sapphires and that most of the stones the artisanal miners were recovering were above one gram. This was also evident when we tried to buy samples for research in one-carat to half-gram sizes. It was difficult to find any sapphires in that range with most of the miners and traders offering one gram and larger sizes. There are potentially numerous rough sapphires under one-gram sizes being left behind in the gravels sorted by the artisanal miners.

When the miners hit ground water in the pits, they would bring it up by bucket for a very rudimentary use of water during the sorting process, which in either case was done right at the top of the pit by the small group working that pit. We did not see communal sorting or washing efforts.

The mining efforts were very labour intensive. We saw approximately as many women miners as men and the women were often performing the same heavy labour tasks such as digging with picks and shovels. The mining was always a team effort at each pit with some members digging while others went through the gravel for sapphires. The teams were almost always less than 10 people and appeared to often be family and extended family groups.

The pits themselves were often very shallow although the depths varied depending on their location. The pits that were at the bottom of the Granite Gorge were the shallowest as the weathered granite bedrock was reached after just digging to between half a metre and one and a half metres. Many of these shallow pits were being mined.

Others were abandoned after the bedrock had been reached and the potential gem-bearing gravel processed. As the mining moved away from the valley centre, up the hill flanks, the depth of the pits would often increase as bedrock was not reached until six metres in some cases. These were the deepest pits we saw. They are often approaching agricultural land or in some cases agricultural land is dug up to search for sapphires.

The deeper pits often had a problem of hitting ground water and filling up partially or completely overnight. Even some of the shallow pits had this problem if they were right at the riverbed. The miners would then have to remove the ground water first thing in the morning before mining could continue.

They usually accomplished this by hand held buckets with a miner standing in the water and shopping it up, then handing the bucket to a miner at the top of the pit who would toss it aside. If the pits were on the deeper range, there would be two miners in the pit to hand it up to the miner on the top of the pit. They may also have to continually remove water during the entire day to keep mining.

We only saw two diesel pumps being used to remove the water as the cost for the pump and fuel was likely prohibitive for most of the artisanal miners. At one crowded mining location, we saw an ingenious foot pedal powered pump to remove the water. Camels were commonly used as beasts of burden to haul material, while cows were commonly seen wandering through the mining areas.

Business and social aspects

The Government issues six-month licences for exploration. After the exploration licence, the parties can apply for a mining licence with the Ministry of Mines by showing them the results from the exploration, which includes the amount of material recovered. If the Government approves, the parties are issued the mineral rights for the property.

The mining along the gorge by artisanal miners is considered legal, however, the mining that moves up the hills, and is on agricultural land, is not legal at this time. Even with permission from the landowner, the mining operations are not lawful because the landowners do not own the mineral rights for their land.

The landowners usually make an arrangement with the miners that the proceeds from any sapphires found while mining on their property would be divided, usually 50/50. Many farmers are also getting involved in sapphire mining, especially the younger generation helping their family’s farming business.

We saw no foreign buyers in the sapphire fields or in the local trading town Chila. Foreign buyers are not allowed in the sapphire bearing area. In fact, it is difficult for any foreigner to come to the area. When travelling to the mining sites, we saw soldiers monitoring who was accessing the sapphire mining areas.

Since we were with the Ministry of Mines, we had permission. We were provided an official letter allowing us into the area and into the mining sites, while being accompanied by someone from the ministry.

Foreign buyers are not allowed to buy directly from artisanal miners, even in the trading town of Chila or in the nearby larger city of Aksum. Foreigners must buy from licensed brokers in Addis Ababa that have a permit to export. Most of the foreign buyers for sapphire in Ethiopia are Sri Lankans and Thais.

Gemmology

A preliminary study of the Tigray sapphires by GIA provides some technical information. Chemical analysis has shown that all sapphires have high Fe-content and no detectable Be or Cr concentrations. The high Fe-content, certain inclusions and a typical UV-VIS-NIR spectrum show that the sapphires are related to alkali basalt extrusions. This type of deposit commonly produces blue, green and yellow sapphires, all of which are found in Ethiopia.

Blue stones are dominant, with yellow and green stones being much rarer, although green zones are common in the larger stones. Parti-coloured stones are also seen.

Some dealers have also reported purple sapphires, which might be an indication that some corundum contains traces of Cr (red colour) in combination with Fe-Ti pairs (blue colour).

Most stones exhibit strong blue-green dichroism, but a considerable number have a milky appearance, which scatters the light and gives a yellow cast to the stone when illuminated from the side. These stones generally have a lighter body colour and are considered more attractive for buyers.

Summary

When the sapphire mining started, it was estimated that 4,000 people became involved very quickly and today over 10,000 people are involved in artisanal sapphire mining. Within a year, the sapphire trade made a huge impact on Chila, the local trading town.

Before the sapphire mining rush started, there was one bank office, but at the time of our visit, three banks had a branch there and the police station had expanded. We could also see many construction sites all over town. When we visited, more than 20 Ethiopian gem dealers had an office in Chila.

The deposits are potentially large. Qualities can vary depending on the exact mining location. There are three major areas being worked on, with one producing high quality bright blue stones that are smaller than the other areas that produce larger but often darker material. The average size of the sapphire rough is reported to be 3 to 7 grams. However, some of the larger stones we saw had good colour and quality, and sizes ranged from 10 to 20 grams. Other colours produced include yellow and green, but the most are blue.

With the size of the deposits and variety of qualities, mining is economically viable for the local artisanal miners. Demand from Sri Lankan and Thai buyers seems to remain strong and prices offered by miners and dealers firm. The sapphire deposits have definitely transformed the economic nature of the local communities and the town of Chila, that can be observed with the small town going from one bank to new ones opening up constantly.

The Ethiopian Government looks to work with the country’s gem trade to achieve the greatest potential from their sapphire deposits, as well as other gem deposits in their country. They are looking to brand Ethiopian gemstones and hoping to bring in investment and training to better exploit their deposits and bring new skills so the people of the country can move up the value chain into manufacturing in the future.

Ethiopia’s government and industry want to tell the story of their gemstones themselves to the global industry. For this purpose they are working with international organisations for research and training. This up and coming gemstone producer is proud of their gem wealth and looking to capitalise on it for the future of the country.

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About the authors

Andrew Lucas is Manager of Field Gemology for GIA in Carlsbad. Wim Vertriest is Supervisor Field Gemology for GIA in Bangkok, Thailand. Daniel Girma is an analytics Technician for GIA in New York. Teweldbrhan Abay is a director for the Mineral Marketing and Value Chain Directorate within the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines Petroleum and Natural Gas in Addis Ababa. Biniyam Bekele is a geologist for the Ethiopian Ministry of Mines Petroleum and Natural Gas in Addis Ababa.

This article was first published in Summer 2018 edition of InColor magazine: incolormagazine.com

Reprinted with permission from International Colored Gemstones Association: gemstone.org