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First ever sale of dedicated GemFair parcels of rough diamonds completes mine to market journey for the De Beers Group initiative

De Beers Group is pleased to announce that GemFair, the company’s programme to help formalise the artisanal and small-scale diamond mining (ASM) sector, has sold its first dedicated parcels of ethically sourced, traceable ASM diamonds via De Beers Group Auctions.

A variety of rough diamonds sourced from GemFair-registered ASM sites in Sierra Leone were made available for sale at the auction event. The lots presented for sale contained diamonds of varying qualities and sizes, with the largest weighing 11 carats. Following good customer interest, all the gem quality lots were sold.

Steve Allan, Head of GemFair, said: “This is a very exciting milestone for GemFair and the artisanal miners who are part of our programme. Since starting operations in 2018, we’ve been focused on bringing beautiful, traceable, ethically sourced ASM diamonds to market and to demonstrate that buying diamonds from artisanal and small-scale miners in a responsible way is the right thing to do and has the potential to be transformative for the sector.”

Since beginning as a pilot in Sierra Leone in 2018 with 14 registered ASM sites, GemFair has expanded to nearly 200 sites participating in the programme today. While GemFair has been purchasing rough diamonds from its members since the programme’s inception, bringing those diamonds to market required a considered approach, including the creation of the GemFair ASM Assurance Programme, the development of a digital traceability solution, the production profile of the goods, and the impact of the pandemic on volumes.

“We’ve had a lot of interest from diamond buyers and jewellery designers in GemFair diamonds. We will continue to work at finding the best ways to bring the unique story of GemFair diamonds, and the role they have played in providing equal opportunity and enhanced working standards for artisanal miners, to a wider audience. Despite the challenges, we are inspired by the partnerships we have built with the artisanal miners in Kono and look forward to continuing to expand and deepen our impact,” Steve said.

GemFair is focused on connecting artisanal and small-scale miners to the global market through digital technology and assurance of ethical working standards. By providing a secure, traceable route to market for ethically sourced ASM production, GemFair works with artisanal miners to raise standards and improve the livelihoods of the communities that depend on this important sector. To participate in GemFair, miners must meet baseline ethical sourcing standards, attend formal training sessions, and agree to ongoing monitoring. For more information, visit www.gemfair.com.

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Notes for Editors

Images of the GemFair programme are available to download here.

Contact

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About GemFair

GemFair SL Ltd, is a company incorporated in Sierra Leone and a wholly owned subsidiary of De Beers United Kingdom Ltd., which was established on 28th February 2018 with the goal to support the formalisation of the ASM sector by raising standards, delivering fair value and tracing the diamonds that artisanal miners recover from the mine onward. GemFair uses digital technology to trace ASM diamonds from the time they are discovered at the mine site and requires all participating sites to meet minimum operating and ethical standards aligned with the OECD Due Diligence Guidelines for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals. Ultimately, GemFair is focused on creating equal opportunities, and supporting the formalisation of the ASM sector.

About De Beers Group

Established in 1888, De Beers Group is the world’s leading diamond company with expertise in the exploration, mining and marketing of diamonds. Together with its joint venture partners, De Beers Group employs more than 20,000 people across the diamond pipeline and is the world’s largest diamond producer by value, with diamond mining operations in Botswana, Canada, Namibia and South Africa. Innovation sits at the heart of the De Beers Group strategy as it develops a portfolio of offers, including its jewellery houses, De Beers Jewellers and De Beers Forevermark, and other pioneering solutions, such as diamond sourcing and traceability initiatives GemFair and Tracr. De Beers Group is committed to ‘Building Forever,’ a holistic and integrated approach for creating a better future – where safety, human rights and ethical integrity continue to be paramount; where communities thrive and the environment is protected; and where there are equal opportunities for all. De Beers Group is a member of the Anglo American plc group. For further information, visit www.debeersgroup.com.