ESMAZ ADVOCATES FOR MECHANISMS TO MAKE ZAMBIA’S GEMSTONE SECTOR MORE PRODUCTIVE

 The Emerald and Semi-Precious Stone Mining Association of Zambia - ESMAZ - has urged the government to develop procedures to make the Zambian gemstone sector productive.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Tucson Gem Fair in the United States, ESMAZ president Victor Kalesha says Zambia’s gemstone sector has the potential to become a major source of revenue if properly managed.

Mr. Kalesha contends that Zambia possesses practically every gemstone and that the country, which is now the leading exporter of emeralds to the global market, could draw a lot of buyers and investors if it began staging gem exhibitions locally.

He said the association wants to collaborate with Grizzly Mining Limited and other sector participants to study the emerald market as a way to shift the narrative in gemstone mining.

Mr. Kalesha believes that once Zambia’s emerald mining sector focuses on production, it will be able to hold shows like the Tucson event, particularly since emerald attracts a lot of attention.