This company, Gemfields, has formed a partnership with East West Gem Investments, started in 2014 targeting Sri Lankan sapphires.

Ratnapura Lanka Gemstones

Gemfields says their business that owns 75 per cent of rights of 16 mining licenses, has formed Ratnapura Lanka Gemstones (Pvt.) Ltd.

The Board of Investment confirmed Ratnapura Lanka Gemstones being given approval to deal in gems and that it has its office in the fifth floor of the Colombo World Trade Centre’s west wing, and its coordinator is one Shyam Fernando.

Mozambique experience and Callum Macrae

Mozambican journalist Estacio Valoi joined forces with award-winning filmmaker Callum Macrae to expose the destruction caused by Gemfields in Mozambique.

Macrae also reported Tamil civilian killings during the final stage of the war in Sri Lanka.

The revelation by Valoi and Macrae was telecast by Aljazeera television, and it describes corruption and mysterious deaths at Montepuez mines in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.

Before actual production has got underway - they are still in a stage known as "bulk sampling" - Gemfields has sold rubies from this mine for a total of $120m in international auctions.

It has also made many pledges of social and corporate responsibility, including a pledge to commit at least one percent of gross sales from the ruby mine to fund "local social and environmental projects".

Hollywood star as global ambassador

And it has used their professed commitment to the ethical sourcing of gems as a key part of their marketing strategy - producing several promotional videos featuring their "global ambassador", Hollywood star Mila Kunis, as what Gemfields CEO Ian Harebottle describes as "our face of ethical gemstones".

None of these has been done.

Local security forces, including Mozambican police officers and private security companies, have been using excessive force, including beatings and shootings, to protect the assets of the legal mine owners.

Montepuez’s chief prosecutor, Attorney General Pompilio Xavier Wazamguia, has made statements about the criminal conviction of security personnel engaged in protecting its concession area.

He said that he knew of 18 deaths by shooting since 2009 - most of which, he said, could be linked to security forces guarding the mine.

President, environmentalists oppose

It is this Gemfields which is very soon going to engage in gem mining in Ratnapura.

However, president Maithripala Sirisena has said that he has given a promise, pursuant to a request by the people from him soon after he came forward as the common candidate at the presidential election, that gem mining will not be handed over to foreign companies.

He said at an awards ceremony to coincide with the national gem and jewellery exhibition at the BMICH that as soon as he became the president, he ordered the immediate halt of mining by foreign companies.

The president also said local businessmen and miners would be encouraged by giving them the necessary technical know-how.

The Environmental Conservation Trust says all environmentalists were keeping a watch as to what was happening in Sri Lanka’s gem industry.

Its executive director Sajeewa Chamikara said all possible action would be taken against any wrongdoing.

Chamikara said the proposed mining was to be done using machinery, which could lead to massive environmental destruction.