Zambia has some of the finest gemstones in the world but a significant percentage of the country’s precious minerals found in New York and other parts of the world is often unaccounted for as it is shipped out of the country unofficially and indirectly.
Zambia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Lazarous Kapambwe has disclosed that about 33 percent of Zambia’s emeralds found in New York is indirectly exported as it is routed through other countries in Asia and the Middle East before arriving on the New York market as Jewelry.
Amb Kapambwe said some of Zambia’s gemstones such as emerald are close to the surface and are easily mined by ordinary citizens, who have no capacity to process and add value to the gems hence the minerals finding their way of the country as raw products.
Amb Kapambwe however said it is encouraging that there are Zambians who have taken up the challenge of mining and processing gemstone in Zambia and are working at sourcing market for Zambian made jewelry at the international market such as in New York.
A Zambian gemstone company, Jewel of Africa is currently in the United States and last week charmed several diplomats accredited to the United Nations at an exhibition held at the Zambia Mission in New York.
The Mission hosted the exhibition to showcase Zambia’s wealth in gemstones and its ability to mining and processing as opposed to exporting emeralds in their raw form.
“Few people know that 33 percent of emeralds found in New York come from Zambia. The emeralds however come to New York indirectly as in many cases, it has to go through either India or Israel before it hits the New York market as cut pieces or jewelry. But now we have a Zambian company, Jewel of Africa that is not only mining but is also processing and adding value and we have Zambian processed jewelry on the New York market,” Amb Kapambwe said.
And Jewel of Africa Director of Sales and Marketing Rashmi Sharma said Zambia is the only country in the world blessed with eight (8) different gems and that her company has embarked on business programme of maximizing the country’s potential to be one of the leading manufactures of jewelry.
Ms Sharma said Jewel of Africa has taken up the challenge to mine, process and market the country’s gems including finished the products to halt the business trend of shipping out of the country raw gems from which the country is losing the real value of its precious stones.
She said Zambia’s potential in the mining and processing of gemstones has not been widely recognized and that Jewel of Africa is therefore looking to partner with large companies in the world including the United States which are ethically involved in the business of processing precious stones in Zambia.
Jewel of Africa holds annual shows in several states in the United States, where various gemstones found in Zambia including Aquamarine, Tanzanite Amethyst and Emeralds are exhibited.
This is contained in a statement issued to Money FM News by Permanent Mission of the Republic of Zambia to the United Nations First Press Secretary Wallen Simwaka.

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