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The idea to market Chimwadzulu's rubies as all-natural gems came from Eric Braunwart of Columbia Gem House in Vancouver, Washington in the United States. Braunwart developed the world's first collection of gemstone jewelry with guaranteed origin, the Gemstones of America collection in 1990. Gemstones of America featured Montana sapphire, Oregon opal, Arizona peridot and other gems in styles designed and manufactured in America.
Gemstone mines generally sell what they find to dealers in rough gemstones who mix parcels and sell to cutting factories, who sort material by size, color, and shape, but the origin of each gemstone is lost forever. The cut gems are later sold to manufacturers who sell to retailers. If you want to know where a gem is mined, you take it to a laboratory. Tests for inclusions and trace elements can sometimes indicate the origin of the gem.
Braunwart, who has exclusive contracts direct with miners, his own cutting facilities in the US and China, and a jewelry design and manufacturing workshop in the United States, was uniquely positioned to track each rough gem from the mine until it reached the jeweler's showcase.
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“This tight control of the supply chain is the only way to ensure that no treatment of any kind has been done to the gemstones. The control also guarantees the origin of the stones, allowing us to bring the unique history and beauty of the land and its people to the consumer as part of the beauty of the gemstone, ” Braunwart says.
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He created a market for American gems and, with the control systems in place, later expanded the concept to certify many of the gems he sells as Fair Trade Gems: gemstones mined, cut and set in facilities which respect both the environment and the workers who create the gems and jewelry.
Braunwart reasoned that consumers would appreciate all-natural rubies from Malawi more if they understood where they came from, the people who produced them, and why they are rare. Collectors who buy the world's finest ruby at auction have long awarded a huge premium to gems that could be certified as all-natural, thanks to their rarity.
He decided that, given a chance, buyers of engagement rings and birthday earrings, and anniversary necklaces would feel the same way, preferring rubies from Malawi to those of other countries thanks to their all-natural guarantee. He agreed to take responsibility for world-wide distribution of the Malawi gems, guaranteeing the mine's survival.
To gain recognition for the special characteristics of these rare all-natural gems, he named them Nyala™ Ruby and sapphire, after the rare antelope in Malawi that lives in a game reserve not far from the mine.
To help distinguish the new gems, he decided that all Nyala™ rubies would be exceptionally well cut. This is rare for ruby and sapphire, which are so valuable that many producers sacrifice brilliance for weight. Nyala™ Ruby and Sapphire are available in a variety of shapes including brilliant and Portuguese rounds, emerald cuts, ovals, cushions, and trillions. Also, since Nyala rubies and sapphires are mined and cut with high environmental and labor protection, the gems can be included in the pioneering Columbia Gem House Fair Trade Gems program.
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» Continued
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