Tensions on the Ground Are the Latest Obstacles to Gem Supply

The biggest forces shaping gemstone mining in 2026 — from Colombia’s emerald belts to Mozambique’s ruby fields and Zambia’s emerald operations — are no longer geological ones. Incursions, high operational costs, community relations, and geopolitical instability are having an increasing impact on legitimate mining projects.

In Colombia, emerald production and exports have declined measurably over the past year. In 2024, the country exported $162 million in rough and polished emeralds, according to Edwin Molina, president of the Association of Colombian Emerald Producers (APRECOL) and CEO of the Santa Rosa (Cunas) mine. As of October 2025, that figure stood at $116 million.

One major contributor to the decline has been the temporary shutdown of miner Fura Gems’ operations following escalating conflict with artisanal miners over the past six to 12 months. Fura’s Coscuez mine has “been placed under care and maintenance until security issues are solved,” a company spokesperson confirms. Negotiations with both the mining community and the government are ongoing.

“The situation between the mining companies and the community are very complicated right now,” states Guillermo Galvis, president of the Colombian Emerald Exporters Association (ACODES). “Responsible mining builds confidence among consumers, but for these mining operations to be sustainable, all parties must work together to achieve lasting social solutions.”

Rerouting the flow

Colombian emeralds entering the US currently face a 10% tariff, prompting suppliers to reroute goods away from the American market. Molina confirms that a growing share of Colombian production, which the country has traditionally sent to US wholesalers to distribute globally, is now going straight to Europe and Asia, bypassing US buyers entirely. 

At the same time, mining companies in the South American country are shifting their sales strategies at home. There’s been a noticeable move away from selling directly to international jewelers and designers, and toward domestic transactions with Colombian businesses. Local wholesalers and dealers are increasingly active at mine auctions and sales events, paying in cash without requiring lab certification. For certain categories of emeralds, miners are reportedly achieving 30% to 40% higher prices domestically than at international shows, while also avoiding certification costs and export friction.

The Africa angle

Industry sources estimate that Africa is responsible for 70% to 80% of colored-gem supply. The bulk of the Big Three — emeralds, rubies and sapphires — come from Zambia, Mozambique and Madagascar respectively. While sapphire and other gem-mining operations in Madagascar tend to be on the artisanal, small or medium scale, Zambia and Mozambique are home to large-scale mining projects by companies like Gemfields, Grizzly and Fura.

Gemfields in particular operates one of the world’s largest mines for emeralds in Zambia and for rubies in Mozambique. In fact, having shelved its non-core projects due to setbacks, Gemfields is “now fully focused on the responsible mining of emeralds and rubies” in those two locales, according to CEO Sean Gilbertson. But difficulties remain.

“In Mozambique, Montepuez Ruby Mining (MRM) continues to operate in a particularly challenging environment, with considerable daily illegal mining intrusions and a persistent insurgency in Cabo Delgado province,” he reports. “Ruby production has been below expectations throughout the year, and we are certainly seeing the impact of the product that has been removed by illegal miners and smuggled out of the country by the syndicates.”

Positive developments

Still, there were bright spots in 2025.

“The MRM team has done well delivering our second processing plant against this [challenging] backdrop, and we expect it to make a big difference in 2026,” says Gilbertson. “We have seen no negative impact from tariffs, and in fact, our September emerald auction yielded very healthy prices. We also look forward to our February 2026 auction of rubies, deferred from November/December 2025.”

At Colombia’s Muzo emerald mine, production under Esmeraldas Mining Services has been steady over the past 12 to 24 months and improved in the final quarter of 2025, say industry sources.

Molina, meanwhile, has invested in upgrading the Cunas mine’s infrastructure and has plans to restart mining at deposits that have not been operational in 10 years. “Combined, these projects have the potential to lift Cunas production by more than 50% in 2026,” he says.

Fura, for its part, is cautiously optimistic about its ruby production in Mozambique and expects to start commercializing sapphires from its exploration project in Madagascar later this year. The company, which is hoping to get Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) certification early this year, also owns the Capricorn Sapphire and Great Northern Mining operations in the highlands of Central Queensland, Australia.

“Australia is producing well,” reports Gianluca Maina, Fura’s chief marketing officer. “The increased appreciation in the market for Australian sapphires is reassuring and is reflected in a steady increase in price per carat. In Mozambique, we hope to produce slightly larger sizes. The ruby color from our mine has a more open red hue [than] other Mozambican production, and our pink sapphires are also selling well.”

The company has shifted its rough-gem sorting facility from its headquarters in the United Arab Emirates to Bangkok and Mozambique, underlining the importance of those two locales in the miner’s supply plans.

Main image: Santa Rosa emerald miners. (Santa Rosa)