Gem cutters bring expertise to the School of Mines
Coloured Gemstone Consultancy, Ethanseth Private Limited, in partnership with the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM), is launching a three-day cutting and polishing program aimed at nurturing a new generation of lapidarists within the gemstone industry.
In an interview with Mining Zimbabwe, Ethanseth Director Ms. Hamunyari Murombo Gwese reiterated her company’s dedication to furthering the government’s goal of achieving upper middle-income status by 2030.
“Our vision is for Zimbabwe to mirror countries like Pakistan, where the number of gem cutters and polishers exceeds 5000,” Ms Gwese stated.
“Ethanseth Private Limited is a coloured gemstone consultancy committed to promoting various aspects of coloured gemstones, including healing, chakra, mining, beneficiation, and value addition.
“At the School of Mines, we aim to impart our extensive expertise in gemstone cutting and polishing to empower the next generation of lapidarists. Through facilitating skills transfer, particularly in this specialized field, we aim to bridge the gap between Zimbabwe’s current gem-cutting capacity—less than 100 individuals, possibly even fewer than 50—and the thriving industries in Pakistan and India.
“By training just 10 individuals in each province, we can significantly expand our workforce and make substantial contributions to realizing Vision 2030. Furthermore, our efforts will promote greater gender inclusivity within the sector, empowering more women to engage in this lucrative field,” she concluded.
Confirming the partnership, School of Mines projects manager Mr January informed Mining Zimbabwe that further details would be disclosed when the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Hon Zhemu Soda, officially inaugurates the geology department next week, Friday.