About Us


Nineteen48 offers responsibly mined and fully traceable coloured gemstones from a number of carefully selected sources around the world, primarily Sri Lanka and Tanzania. We can supply sapphire and ruby, as well as a wide range of other gemstones including aquamarine, garnet, spinel, amethyst, tourmaline, moonstone, chrysoprase, quartz, citrine, zircon, opal and topaz.

We sell mainly to trade customers, both in the UK and overseas, supplying everything from individual gemstones to large quantities of gems for wholesale or retail. Our aim is to provide a competitive and affordable product to our customers, as well as a fair return to our partners.

When you buy your gems from us, you have the peace of mind that your jewellery will be made with a stone that conforms to our principles of full disclosure and fair trade.

Nineteen48 is also a commercial enterprise with a strong social conscience. From the outset, it was our intention to build a company that could contribute actively to charitable and community projects in the countries in which we operate (primarily Sri Lanka, Tanzania and the UK).

With the help of our customers, partners and supporters, we are able to make a positive impact on the lives of people in these countries and to ensure that they have a fair share of the profits derived from their labours.

You can find more specific information in our Ethical Policy.

Our company also actively supports efforts to promote the responsible sourcing of diamonds, gemstones and gold with the jewellery industry, working as a member of the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ) and a key participant in the Fair Luxury collective.

Our Vision

For the whole jewellery industry to use materials from traceable and responsible sources and to ensure their products are made without causing harm to people or the planet. 

Our Mission 

Our mission is to deliver responsibly mined and fully traceable coloured gemstones to the marketplace through an open, honest and transparent supply chain. We commit to ensuring that everyone involved is fairly rewarded for their efforts and that our impact on the environment is kept to a minimum.

We consider ourselves to be different from many other gem suppliers for the following reasons:

  • We offer a wide range of responsibly sourced products that are competitively priced
  • Our gemstones are fully traceable and from known sources
  • We operate as transparently as possible
  • We focus on maximising benefits to the miners and cutters in our supply chain
  • We analyse and address our effects on the environment in every part of our business
  • We continuously look to improve all aspects of our business

Why Nineteen48?

We chose the name Nineteen48 for our company, because 1948 was the year that Sri Lanka gained independence from the UK and it is therefore a significant date for the Sri Lankan people and one which also shows the historical link between the two countries.

Rubyfair 

As well as using the main "Nineteen48" brand, we also sell coloured gemstones from Tanzania under the Rubyfair banner.

Moyo Gemstones 

We are involved in a ground-breaking project, Moyo Gemstones, sourcing beautiful gemstones from the artisanal miners of the Tanzanian Women Miners' Association (TAWOMA). You can find out more about this project in our blog posts here:

https://www.nineteen48.com/blog/moyo-gemstones---how-it-all-began

https://www.nineteen48.com/blog/the-moyo-gemstone-project---all-the-links-you-need 


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