This content was first published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review no. 21 in 2025. The information provided here is therefore current as of the original publication date.
«We cannot continue exporting poverty while sitting on wealth», said gemmologist Yamikani Jimusole (GG GIA), reflecting on the vast but largely unexploited gemstone resources of Malawi.
In one of the world’s poorest countries, where the economy remains heavily reliant on agriculture — with exports of tobacco, tea, maize, and sugar — the mineral-rich ground beneath could offer a path to transformation. According to the World Bank, Malawi could generate up to $30 billion in mineral exports by 2040, with an estimated $3 billion annually by 2034. Alongside strategic resources like uranium, graphite, and rare earth elements, the country is home to an impressive range of gemstones: rubies, sapphires, emeralds, aquamarine, garnets, amethysts, tourmalines, chalcedony, spinels, and jades.
Yet the gemstone sector remains almost entirely in the hands of informal artisanal miners, operating without formal structure or regulation. Unlike neighboring countries — such as Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique — where industrial mining and foreign investment are gradually reshaping the sector, Malawi has yet to establish the infrastructure needed to attract similar growth.
The 2013 Mines and Minerals Act aimed to formalize the sector, but the envisioned training centers, cooperatives, and gemmological laboratories have yet to materialize. In 2023, the government launched the Export Development Fund (EDF), which purchased 150,000 carats directly from artisanal miners. While a promising initiative, it remains limited in scope — covering only select gem varieties — and highlighted persistent challenges, including technical skill gaps and inadequate infrastructure.
A short-term government suspension of gemstone exports in 2024 — intended to reform valuation protocols — had unintended consequences: a surge in smuggling. Today, the government appears to be shifting toward state-led control. In February 2025, it launched MAMICO (Malawi Mining Company), a new public entity tasked with overseeing mineral resources. However, gemstones have yet to be included among the company’s immediate operational priorities.
Gem news published on IGR – Italian Gemological Review #21 – Autumn 2025.
