Mineral Digital Fingerprint project
The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy, in association with the Colombian Geological Service and the National University, has budgeted US$30 million for a five-year “Mineral Digital Fingerprint” project that started in 2018. This project is based on a technique developed in Australia and applied in South Africa as a control mechanism for the commercialization of gold and precious stones.
The goal of the Fingerprint (La Huella) project is to provide an understanding of the particular conditions and physical-chemical characteristics that were present at the time of the geological formation of a mineral, which then gives a specific geo-chemical DNA. This Fingerprint can also be traced at the different stages of exploitation, refinement and commercialization of the minerals.
The “Mineral Fingerprints” will be identified in the deposits where the minerals are formed as well as in the transformation processes such as smelting, refining, cutting, and polishing. In the case of transformed minerals, this technique can be used to determine whether they came from a deposit or if they were recycled.
The infrastructure of the project will include accreditation by a certified laboratory, the construction of a data bank of Mineral Fingerprints, and the generation of a certificate validating the origin of the minerals.
“Thanks to Mineral Fingerprints, it will be possible to strengthen the audit process for control in the mining production chain, increase technological capacity in the generation of tools for the identification of the lawful and indisputable origin of minerals, and expand the knowledge and geological cartography of the subsoil,” explains Dr. Arce Zapata, outgoing Minister of Mines. “It will take Colombian mining to another level.”
The Second World Emerald Symposium will present a wide range of topics, from geology to mining, from responsible sourcing to ethical standards along the supply chain, from new technologies applicable to the supply chain to artisanal small-scale mining and formalization, from gemology to gem origins, from harmonization of descriptions to proof of origin, and from marketing/branding to jewelry design.
These topics will be addressed by a veritable Who’s Who of the Gems and Jewelry world. Among the many delegates from academics, industry and laboratories including, Dr. Maria Fernanda Suarez, Minister of Mines and Energy, National Mining Agency, Colombia; Ahmed Bin Sulayem, CEO, DMCC; Gaetano Cavalieri, President, CIBJO; Pramod Kumar Agrawal, Chairman, GJEPC, India; Dev Shetti, CEO, Fura Gems & Jack Cunningham, Head of Sustainability, Gemfields.
The final list of speakers and the symposium's agenda and schedule will be announced soon. Also confirmed for panel discussions are representatives from the world’s primary laboratories and major mining companies, as well as from the eight emerald-producing countries: Colombia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Zambia, Brazil and Madagascar.
The Second World Emerald Symposium is a unique opportunity to meet in one place, during three days, the world emerald community, from emerald mining companies to laboratories, from educational institutions to global luxury brands. It is scheduled during the October 12 to 14 at, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Bogota.
