Sapphire

Responsibly sourced sapphires from Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Australia and Malawi. Nineteen48 works directly with a trusted network of miners and suppliers to ensure all sapphires are sourced through a fair and transparent supply chain.

Sapphires are a popular gemstone due to the spectrum of colours they come in. From traditional rich blue to pale azure, you can also find violet, yellow, green, teal, orange, pink... any colour except red.

Sapphires are part of the corundum family.

Red corundum is ruby, however there is no official classification for this. If you are looking for a red ruby or a pink sapphire, do broaden your search to look for both.

Nineteen48 sapphires are responsibly sourced from Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Many of Nineteen48's sapphires come directly from their own artisanal mine near Kuruwita. Others are sourced through a long-established network of local Sri Lankan miners, with whom strong and trusted relationships have been developed over the years.

Australian sapphires are supplied by Capricorn Gems and Malawi sapphires are provided by Fair Trade Gemstones.

Nineteen48, Capricorn Gems and Fair Trade Gemstones are members of the Ethical Gem Suppliers.

The Chimwadzulu Mine is located in Ntcheu, in the Central Region of Malawi, south-east of the capital, Lilongwe.

The mine is known as a source of corundum and it has been producing sapphires and rubies since the 1950s. The gemstone extraction is achieved with a combination of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM).

Nineteen48 supplies sapphires and tourmalines from Fair Trade Gemstones. The precious stones originate from a pioneering, community-focused artisanal mining initiative at the Chimwadzulu mine, Malawi established in the early 2000s.

This groundbreaking project brought significant benefits to the local community—not only by creating employment opportunities, but also by supporting vital infrastructure developments, including a school and medical facilities.