The change towards an environmentally sustainable world will not be possible if we neglect the human element. A sustainable future is not only built on a healthy environment, but also on a fair, just and equal global society. That´s why we also must admit finally (every one of us) that our current system of consumption is based on a deeply unjust, unfair and unequal global economy.

We all need to accept the fact that we cannot have ever “cheaper” products while pretending to be in favor of an ethical economy. In fact we need to finally understand that the words “cheap” and “ethical” never ever will go together. It is an undeniable fact that any move towards producing “cheap” products (or to offer “competitive prices” to mention a synonym of cheap) will always result in an unethical, exploitive and unfair production chain.

The key demand for our society is to change our consumption pattern away from ever cheaper, discardable, low quality products towards fewer products of higher quality and longevity. This means we have to turn around our industry 180 degrees and march production-wise and marketing-wise into the opposite direction. For us as a company this is only possible if our costumers support this move. No business can survive such a change if it is not supported and rewarded by customers who actually buy their high quality and more expensive products.

We have decided to take the leap of faith into the world´s consumers, to make this change and to hope that you, dear reader, will support us in doing so by becoming our faithful customer.

The destiny of this crystal company lies in your hand.

Our companies´ criteria for ethical mining and production:

1. Responsible Production and Consumption.
   1. Abide by the law
   2. No corruption
   3. No child labor
   4. No conflict minerals
2. Provide sustainable quality jobs.
3. Ensure healthy lifes and promote the well-being for all at all ages.
4. Promoting equality in general and especially gender equality.
5. Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

Our Sustainability Report 2021

Know more about what we achieved, what we struggle with and how you can help:

1.) Responsible Production:

1.1.) Abide by the law:

Illegal mining must be defined as a type of mining that is against the law, which includes a number of possible cases like mining in protected areas, mining without permission, working in mines or on mining concessions of another company without their permission, extraction of protected resources, etc.

Gemrock Peru does not engage in illegal mining and does not cooperate with illegal miners. Here is what we do to make sure that our company is not related to illegal mining:

Gold: We are not sourcing gold or silver for our jewelry from illegal rainforest mining operations. An easy way to make sure that our gold and silver is legal is to buy it only from sources that provide an official invoice and to refrain from any cash payments. If there is a bank involved and a paper trail (official documentation) does exist, then one can be sure that the provider is legal.

Rough Rock: We are not sourcing rough rock or crystals from providers that may be engaged in illegal mining. Again, avoiding cash payments and buying only if  a legal invoice is provided is a way to make sure we deal with a legal miner.

Pyrite: 95% of Peruvian Pyrite comes from Huanzala mine in Ancash. And basically 100% of this material has been stolen at night from inside the nickel mine. In January 2022 the mine management denounced a nationwide network of organized crime in connection with drug trafficking to be managing the pyrite trade and asked the Peruvian state prosecutor to investigate and act against this illegal network. The document given to the Peruvian state prosecutors mentions Gemrock Peru as the only Peruvian crystal exporter having an exclusive buyer contract for pyrite with the mine and not belonging to this network.

Informal mining is a type of mining where the mining concession holder does hold the required documents and permits for the mining, but all his mining activities are not reported to the authorities, meaning the entire mining operation sells the extracted minerals against cash payment (no paper trail, no tax payments) and miners are working without formal labor contracts. They don´t receive labor benefits like vacations, health insurance, accident insurance, life insurance or retirement benefits. If something happens to them, they are on their own. It is common place for Peruvian crystal exporters to source their materials from such informal mining operations.

We are refusing to accept rocks or crystals from providers that want cash payments. All our crystals are sourced from miners that provide us with formal invoices. All payments are made via bank wire. Our expenditure for sourcing therefore is visible to governmental authorities which are now able to identify the source for our material and check on the provider any time they wish. Our procedures do force our providers to have their permits and paperwork in order and become formal and legal miners.

1.2.) No corruption

Gemrock Peru is not engaging neither tolerating corruptive acts along its entire production chain.

1.3.) Child labor

Luckily Peru has enacted a number of laws strictly prohibiting child labor in mining operations and has implemented those laws too, so that at least for all legal and formal mining operations one can state that child labor is not an issue anymore. None of our providers is known for or has been seen employing children. If that would ever occur we would immediately sever our contacts with such a provider.

We know of the occasional existence of child labor in family-owned artisan lapidary workshops in Peru and we do completely reject such actions and do not engage in any cooperation with those workshops.

1.4.) No mining in conflict areas

Luckily mining of gemstones and crystals in Peru is not located in conflict areas with exemption of the amazonite mines, which are located in the VRAEM, the valley of the three rivers Apurimac, Ene and Mantaro, a “lawless” region overrun by “narco-terrorists”, where about 70 percent of Peru’s cocaine is produced. Today, an estimated 300 ex-terrorist fighters remain in the region protecting and controlling drug production. Because of this we are not sourcing amazonite. 

2.) Provide sustainable quality jobs

All carved and polished mineral and gemstone products have been produced in so called lapidary workshops. We do not know of any legal and formal lapidary workshop in Peru other than our own one. In general terms, lapidary workshops in Peru are not registered companies. They are not even registered as businesses with the municipality or the tax officials and it is common place that such workshops do pay bribes to municipality workers in order to remain undetected. Their entire business is cash based in order to avoid tax payments. The lapidary workers are hired without written contracts and do not receive any labor benefits like vacations, health benefits or retirement payments etc.

Therefore nearly all carved gemstone products from any other Peruvian exporter have been produced working thru such illegal workshops.

To the best of our knowledge Gemrock Peru is the only Peruvian crystal and gemstone exporter that has his own lapidary workshop. We are a registered company and member of the chamber of commerce of Lima.

What we do:

• Gemrock Peru does not work with any other lapidary workshop.
• We are hiring all our workers under formal contracts and they do receive all legally required health and labor benefits.
• Our labor and safety conditions do comply with all relevant Peruvian laws and our company has been visited and checked by the corresponding Peruvian governmental entities the last time in March 2022 and was approved without any changes or improvements to be found necessary.

3.) Ensure healthy lifes and promote the well-being for all at all ages.

None of the other existing lapidary workshops in Peru does have or does implement any of the following measures.

What we do:

• All our workers have health insurance and accident insurance.
• All our workers are equipped with protective clothing according to their workplace, like goggles, ear plugs, boots and other protective clothing.
• Our staff does receive special training units to avoid accidents.
• Some of our employees are single mothers. Whenever they have problems to find daycare for their children they are allowed to bring them to work where the children can play in the administrative areas and are being taken care of by our administrative staff.
• We are providing our staff with fully equipped rest rooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a spacious room for having their meals.

4.) Promoting equality in general and especially gender equality.

What we do:

• We have internal guidelines that prohibit any form of discrimination at the work place.
• Our workers come from a number of nationalities.
• We are working gender equal with our ratio men/women being nearly 50/50 in all areas of our company
• All kind of sexual orientations are being welcome and hired.

Gemrock Peru: Social and Environmental Responsability

Why choose Gemrock?