A new grant from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation will enable Saleem Ali, the University of Delaware Professor of Energy and Environment, to create a knowledge-hub on coloured gemstones, including signature projects in Madagascar and South Asia focused on miner education and health and safety outreach.

According to Ali, there are significant social and environmental concerns around the supply chain of coloured gemstones from mines to markets, but also many opportunities for creating sustainable economies from sale and resale of gemstone products.

A large majority of the world's coloured gemstones are currently mined by hand. While the market price for these gems continues to increase, many individuals who mine coloured gemstones remain in poverty. At the same time, most gemstones are mined at a small, artisanal scale, which is poorly regulated, creating occupational health risks too.

With $350,000 in support from The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, Ali will create an open-access repository for existing global knowledge around coloured gemstones and target critical research necessary to surmount challenges facing individuals involved in coloured gemstone mining and manufacturing.

"The Tiffany & Co. Foundation has long supported standard setting for the artisanal mining of precious metals and diamonds. The creation of a knowledge-hub for coloured gemstones is a key step in addressing issues faced by the miners, cutters and polishers of coloured gemstones," said Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chairman and president of The Tiffany & Co. Foundation. "By bringing together expertise from leading universities, the hub will be a valuable tool for the industry to better understand the sector's complexities, increase transparency, advance sustainability and improve conditions on the ground."

Collaborators on the project include colleagues at University of Queensland, Australia, and University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

Research will centre on the four main themes of the mining and geology of coloured gemstone deposits; their processing and manufacturing; gender analysis of coloured gemstone supply chains and the economic development impact of the coloured gemstone sector.

Two signature projects will focus on empowering miners in Madagascar — particularly women — with skills, training and mentoring to increase their revenues from coloured gemstone mining, and investigating health and safety aspects surrounding coloured gemstone mining and processing in South Asia.

"The number of women involved in artisanal mining across the globe is increasing, yet little is known about these women because they typically operate outside the formal economy, are easily exploited and only sell the smallest of stones," explained Ali.

Knowledge transfer from best practice among women gemstone miners globally will be encouraged on the knowledge hub and through training and mentoring.

In South Asia, the research team will consider concerns about silica, especially fine particles of quartz. Silicosis is a respiratory distress syndrome often found in miners who go into narrow, confined spaces. Silicosis is considered to be a major occupational health risk associated with the mining, cutting and polishing of gemstones.

"This is a huge problem. We plan to test and deploy equipment in partnership with industry that miners and gem cutters who are exposed to mineral dust can wear to monitor particulate matter around them," Ali said.

https://www.gemkonnect.com/news/tiffany-co-grant-create-coloured-gemstone-knowledge-hub