Madagascar Miner
On the day I visited the Ruby and Sapphire mine near Ilakaka, Madagascar in 2010. This miner along with his colleagues worked 16hrs a day, for $2 per day. As the miners worked in 46° C they were watched over by armed guards.
Mining for precious and semi-precious stone mines is a way of life in Madagascar. A story about choice or, more often, the lack of other opportunities. But it is necessary to look around and see beyond the mining rush itself. There are few signs that mining activities will become better integrated into local Malagasy economies any time soon. Much of the gem mining in Madagascar is unofficial and therefore unregulated, so the impacts are high, both environmentally and socially. Even when the mining sites are remote, often hours or even days of walking from a neighboring town, during the peaks of activity everyone lives and breathes alongside the mine.
There is no real management. Each miner is on his own, although some are sponsored by richer people. Everyone tries to sell their finds to resellers. Most gems (rough or cut) are exported to Southeast Asia, India, and West Africa. Solid production figures are largely elusive, but some snapshots can offer a general idea of the scale of Madagascar’s gem industry. In 2013 artisanal miners produced 2,600 kilograms (2.8 tons) of sapphires, 100 kilograms (220 pounds) of rubies, and 150 kilograms (330 pounds) of emeralds, among other gemstones.
Madagascar - 2010
