Introducing Ethically-Sourced, Traceable Ceylon Sapphires! – The Raw Stone

Announcing our Newest Collection of Ceylon Sapphires
The Raw Stone now sources ethical, traceable and natural Ceylon sapphires from our partner mine in Sri Lanka

San Francisco, CA. (September 10, 2015): The Raw Stone is excited to announce our new collection of colored Ceylon sapphires. We source our sapphires from a family-run mine in Sri Lanka that produces a wide range of colored sapphires.

Below are photos of the rough sapphire material recently unearthed at our partner mine. The stones come in a range of colors - various blues, yellows, and pinks:


The mining is done on an artisanal scale, imparting a relatively low environmental impact on the surrounding area. A combination of hand tools, and some machinery for more substantial digging, are used. Compared with open pit mines, this type of artisanal mining has a very low environmental impact. The images below illustrate the workers and the type of mining employed:


Our mines follow strict environment standards as set up by the Sri Lankan government - they are in remote areas, paddy fields, jungles, etc,  and are not in close proximity to roads, railroad tracks, houses and any other buildings. Mining is done during the dry season in order to lessen impact and pollution, and also to limit any undue suffering of laborers. No chemicals are used for extraction. The sapphires are mined using back-hoes and other machines that remove the residual rock from the gemstones. The mines we work with are very small-scale, so by nature, the environmental impact is quite limited.


This type of artisanal mining has a unique social benefit to surrounding communities. It provides many different types of jobs: excavating, removing sand and stones, cleaning the gemstones, cutting and polishing sapphires, etc. The local communities see these mines as an opportunity to "treasure hunt". Locals can come and mine any day of the week, and they are paid according to the quality and quantity of stones that they excavate. Most small-scale sapphire mines in Sri Lanka pay workers by a similar revenue-share basis.


About The Raw Stone
The Raw Stone is a trusted source of natural rough diamonds and ethically mined gemstones from around the world. The Raw Stone works directly with socially conscious jewelers and individuals who want to create custom jewelry from the ground up. The founders of The Raw Stone are passionate about the gemstone, diamond and jewelry industries, and believe that consumers and jewelers alike should have access to high quality, ethical, and traceable gemstones and diamonds. In order to source their inventory, The Raw Stone team performs thorough research, deep due diligence, and secures strong relationships with industry luminaries. Living wages, humane treatment of workers, safety, education, and the absence of child labor are all key principles of the mines and lapidaries that work with The Raw Stone. We are a proud member and listed supplier of gemstones and rough diamonds of Ethical Metalsmiths. For more information about The Raw Stone and its sourcing philosophy, please visit: http://www.therawstone.com/ or send an email to: info@therawstone.com

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