Social Issues

In a sector that ranges over 50 producing countries, a multitude of cultures, environments and minerals, social issues in gemstone production and manufacturing are complex. At a mining level they include a host of issues such as:

• Local community development
• Migration and community displacement
• Social ills and afflictions

At a manufacturing level they include empowering small-scale enterprises and integration to formal tax structure. Labor issues such as equitable wages and prices paid for rough gemstones, child labor control and health and safety concerns also need to be addressed. This list is by no means exhaustive as there are also a host of other geopolitical, economic and market issues involved. 

This project will bring together case studies from different countries and strives to investigate and support the development of best practices in the sector.