Tanzanite

Tanzanite, a deep blue to violet colour gemstone found exclusively in Tanzania.

Nineteen48 has responsibly sourced tanzanites from a small-scale mine in northern Tanzania.

The Rubyfair project was a community-run, artisanal mine located near the famous town of Mahenge in south-central Tanzania. The mine ran for a number of years and produced a good quantity of ruby and spinel. It has now ceased operation.

Established in the UK by Gary Roberts, Rubyfair pioneered a fully traceable supply of gemstones from mine to retailer from 2008 - 2016.

The project began a community-level, gemstone mining partnership near Mahenge in Tanzania that connected the artisanal miners directly with UK jewellers. The mine produced both rubies and spinels, which are sold untreated.

Since 2017, Nineteen48 has overseen the sale of Rubyfair stones, so that the brand could maintain its strict ethical stance. These commitments include fair compensation, safe working conditions, environmental land reclamation, a total ban on child labour and supporting local mining communities.