This content was first published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review no. 6 in 2019. The information provided here is therefore current as of the original publication date.
The launch in Tucson, in February 2019, of what is considered the first coloured gemstone blockchain is a step that all future initiatives of responsible sourcing have to come to terms with. “Initiated by the Gübelin Gem Lab, in cooperation with technology provider Everledger, the Provenance Proof Blockchain is a true industry solution, free for all, and open to every participant of the global gemstone and jewellery sector”. This first paragraph of the official Press Release clearly explains the reasons why the announcement is a benchmark for the gemstone and jewelry business.
In fact the proposed Blockchain complements the Gübelin Emerald Paternity Test, the first procedure, under the new technology based on the Provenance Proof, to use physical nanoparticles inserted into emeralds. This physical tracer will be supported by the digital ledger provided by Everledger, one of the world leader of Blockchain applications for high-value assets, already working with diamonds.
But the statement also clarifies that Gübelin Gem Lab will fully bear the cost while the use of this Blockchain solution will be available free of charge to artisanal miners, small-scale cooperatives, large companies, and any size of cutters and treaters, dealers, wholesalers, gem labs, manufacturers, jewellery brands, retailers, and end consumers. As early as 2017 IGR Italian Gemological Review provided an overview of the Paternity test in which its possible development was considered on the basis of Corporate Social Responsibility applications.
Actually in the two years before the launch of the colored gemstone ledge, Gübelin Gem Lab made a considerable effort to direct it towards ethical compliance. So the potential for implementation of its Emerald Paternity Test technology was tested in Ethiopia, a typical artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) context, in collaboration with Levin Sources, a consultancy and social venture company.
A specific research has been conducted to enable the new system to favorably serve also the small scale participants of jewelry industry. The inclusion of weaker stakeholders, according to CSR commentators, is among the key factors to legitimate all ethical procedures aimed at boosting transparency in the coloured gemstone sector. On the other side, in fact, big mining players such as Fura Gems already joined the project to officially pilot the Blockchain because the traceability of its Colombian emeralds is considered by the market a huge competitive advantage.
Gem News published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review #6 – Spring 2019
