Responsible Mining in Colombia
Since the 1990s, considerable efforts have been made improve the image of mining practices and to bring prosperity to the region of Boyacá, where the mines are located. A modern mining code exists and all operations have to be licensed. There is a system of fees, sales taxes and export taxes, a portion of which benefits social projects in the region. Environmentally harmful open-pit mining is prohibited. Child-labour is prohibited. There is a national minimum wage and traditionally, the miners get a share of any new discoveries. Strict safety regulations exist and have to be adhered to. The use of explosives is strictly supervised by the army and handlers of explosives have to be properly trained. Emerald mining does not involve any harmful chemicals.
Emerald miners are proud and mining is a way of life to them. Tunnel mining is hard work, mostly manual labour using powerful drills, and only very occasionally aided by the use of explosives. Once a pocket of emeralds is found, they are carefully excavated using hand tools. Every emerald found here is worth its price and the miners deserve to be remunerated for their hard labour! Emerald deposits are hard to predict and success can be erratic. This is why the cost of mining in Colombia is much higher than the cost of the industrial-scale open-pit mining in Zambia.
There are dozens of mines dotted around the localities of Muzo and Chivor and while we work with some of the big traditional Colombian mining operators, we also like to partner with some smaller, artisanal operations, which provide a livelihood to many locals and which are deeply rooted in the local communities. Colombia has a large home-grown lapidary industry that provides an income to thousands.