Via geology.com from GIA Insider:
Andy Lucas, gemology product manager for GIA, addressed the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) Congress in Rio de Janeiro last month. The Congress focused on the fair trade issues that have gained a great deal of momentum over the last few years...
There has been a growing worldwide consciousness to lessen the disparity between the revenue obtained by those who mine gemstones and the revenue at the final point of sale for jewelry containing gemstones. Approximately 80 percent of colored gemstones are mined by artisanal miners who are often independent miners working as a family unit or in small community groups, with very little equipment or training and almost no mechanization. They often work for subsistence wages under hazardous conditions . The sources of colored stones are often in remote areas with numerous challenges for the miners...
