Adventures in a Zambian Emerald Mine, for Celebrated Living …

For the March/April issue of Celebrated Living magazine, I traveled to Zambia at the invitation of London-based Gemfield’s to learn about the process of mining emeralds at Kagem, a massive mine responsible for roughly 25 percent of the world’s emerald output. Gemfield’s took journalists into the mine and through the sorting and grading houses to see each step of the process, while we also visited the local health center, schools and farming cooperative also key to Gemfield’s commitment to this part of the world. It was a fascinating look at the growing importance of responsible mining and how a global company can both interact and lift up a local community.