GJ Town India

Kagem emerald promotion Emeralds from Zambia’s Kagem Mine continue to impress and capture the eye of some of the foremost gemstone buyers and jewellers around the world. Growing popularity of the ‘evergreen’ gemstone from Lufwanyama is in part thanks to a growing love for the green gems but also the relentless passion for and promotion of the responsibly sourced gemstones by parent company Gemfields. “We are excited because appreciation of Zambian emeralds is gaining momentum internationally given the uniqueness, clarity and transparency that is characteristic of the gemstones,” said Gemfields’ gemmologist, Elena Basaglia. Kagem is  the world’s largest emerald mine and source of ‘Inkalamu’ – the ‘Lion Emerald’ – a 5,655 carat Zambian emerald crystal with remarkable clarity and a perfectly balanced golden green hue - one of the most outstanding and unique stones to have come from the mine. Jewellery featuring Zambian emeralds includes Fabergé’s  Lady Libertine II t

Kagem emerald auction earns Forex of $28.4m for Zambia US$28.4 million in foreign exchange earnings has been raised from an auction of high-quality Zambian emeralds – including the exceptionally rare 5,655 carat (1.13kg) Inkalamu emerald - held in Singapore last week. The sale of gemstones from the Kagem mine in Lufwanyama was witnessed by Mr Paul Chanda, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development along with other officials from the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development, Zambia Revenue Authority and the Chief Executive Officer of the Industrial Development Corporation Mateyo Kaluba. “All of the proceeds from the auction will be repatriated back to Zambia,” confirmed Sean Gilbertson, Chief Executive Officer of Kagem and Gemfields, which owns 75% of the mine in partnership with the Zambian government through the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia, which owns 25%. The auction saw 40 companies placing bids and generating tot

Invested US$11 million in new equipment To increase operational efficiencies Kagem Mining has invested US$11 million in new equipment to increase operational efficiencies at the world’s largest emerald mine, creating further skilled local jobs in the process. The equipment includes 13 Articulated Dump Trucks (ADTs) with a rated capacity of 45 tonnes each; two 6-cubic-metre Hydraulic Excavators and service equipment such as Water Bowser with 36,000 Litres carrying capacity, Tyre Handler, Telescopic Handler and other supporting equipment. These machines feature state of art technology to facilitate smooth, safe and productive operations. Kagem General Manager Prahalad Kumar Singh said: “This additional capital infusion will improve the productivity with enhanced efficiency at reduced operational cost.   This is in line with our philosophy of continuous process improvement.” With the support of Gemfields’ management, the purchase of Kagem’s new machinery has res