Malawi

Gemstones found in Malawi are principally ruby, sapphire, aquamarine, beryl, garnet, amethyst, and rose quartz. Gemstones are mainly mined in the Chimwadzulu Hill in the South-Central part of the country and Mzimba to the North bordering Zambia.

Most of the gemstones are mined by artisanal and small-scale miners and are exported. Miners use picks for digging, shovels for removing, and hammers for cobbing out undesired minerals. Gemstone mining is undertaken in the dry season since mines are inaccessible during the wet season. The miners require capital to mechanize operations and increase production and skills in grading their gemstones to fairly assess markets.

The country is also required to invest in the value addition of its gemstones and the creation of a jewelry-making industry to realize greater economic contribution from the sector.