Coloured gemstones in eastern DRC: Tourmaline exploitation and trade in the Kivus

International Peace Information Service (IPIS), Antwerp, 2016. — 62 p.Responsible sourcing efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to date have focused predominantly on the so-called 3TG (tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold) sector. Nevertheless, the artisanal exploitation of other minerals including semi-precious gemstones, such as tourmaline, can also make notable contributions to local livelihoods.
Since 2012, a rise in gemstone prices has reportedly seen the sector attracting thousands of artisanal miners during boom periods in the Kivus alone. Tourmaline sites visited in the context of the present research in the south of Masisi territory (North Kivu) and around Numbi (Kalehe territory, South Kivu) experienced sizeable spikes in artisanal worker numbers in 2014 and 2015, with four out of five miners in the Numbi area reportedly engaged in tourmaline extraction. This has seen Numbi develop into a notable market for gemstone (specifically tourmaline) trading. Local authorities say that most locally registered traders deal in tourmaline. Here, stakeholders reported the potential for making considerable profits from high quality stones.