Aquamarines are a beautiful blue-green gemstone that has been used in jewellery for centuries.  It is mined in many locations and traded globally so how ethical are aquamarines and how can you tell if you have an ethically sourced aquamarine or not?

Aquamarine crystals are found in many locations, though Brazil, Pakistan, Namibia, Nigeria, Sri Lanks and Myanmar are particularly well-known sources.  Brazil, in particular, is known as a high-quality source of Aquamarine.

There is very little traceability in the coloured gemstone sector as a whole, if you see a piece of aquamarine jewellery in a shop there is almost no chance that the vendor will know exactly where the stone is from.  If you dont know where the stone is from how can you have any idea if it was mined ethically or not?

At present, there are no independently audited, internationally recognised sources of ethically sourced aquamarine, such as there is for gold, eg Fairtrade and Fairmined gold.  However, there are vendors whose transparency about their source and operations give you a good idea of how ethical their product is.  

What are the issues with the aquamarine supply chain?

The issues with the Aquamarine supply chain start at the source, the mine.  Aquamarine crystals can be found in a number of locations often deep underground and this can present dangers for those working in the mines.  At worst people might be forced to work in very dangerous conditions with little or no pay. Many locations where aquamarine is found are remote and there is no way to verify conditions.  Once these stones enter the global trade there is no way to trace them.

Once the stones enter the trade they can pass through the hands of many vendors, crisscrossing the globe from trading centres to cutting centres, to jewellery manufactures and then to the final market.  Cutting centres and jewellery manufacturing present the potential for issues with working conditions and trade as a whole faces issues to with smuggling and money laundering, costing the economies of a developing nations money, not to mention the carbon footprint.

Is it best to stay clear or aquamarine?

Small scale mining provides a living for an estimated 100million people worldwide, often in places where there is no alternative employment and some of those 100million or so mine Aquamarine.  While conditions and pay can be dire, taking income away from these communities is detrimental if no alternative is provided. Being diligent about sourcing aquamarines to drive change in the industry is our advice, you can also donate to charities who tackle extreme poverty, the underlying reason why people put themselves at risk working in mines.

Companies who have closed supply chains, demonstrate transparency and limit the number of air miles their gemstones are the best way of mitigating these challenges.

Ethical sources of Aquamarine

Sri Lankan/British company Nineteen48 are a source of Aquamarine that is considered ethical by many.  The company own the mine and are very transparent about their process and conditions at their mine.

Ninteen48 are UK based and supply gemstones to the jewellery trade.

Brazilian Aquamarine.

The gemstone trade in Brazil is well developed and long-standing and the lack of widespread conflict in the country means you can be sure that gemstones from Brazil have not funded the purchase of weapons or the payment and recruitment of soldiers in that country.

Although Brazil has widespread poverty and is a particularly unequal society, it has lower rates of extreme poverty than other location where Aquamarine is found so pay and conditions are likely to be better than in other locations, though there significant issues with corruption in Brazil.