From transformation to adornment: Unlocking the jewellery industry in Zimbabwe

By  Engineer Martin January and  Engineer Paul Matshona

Our earlier article, From Extraction to Transformation, examined the preliminary phases of the mineral value chain, including extraction and refinement of gold, diamonds, silver, brass, and coloured gemstones.

This article extends the discussion to jewellery manufacturing, the most socially visible and culturally significant stage. This article examines the jewellery industry’s structure, raw materials, global context, Zimbabwe’s positioning, and the requirements for transitioning into a regional jewellery hub.

Jewellery manufacturing represents the culmination of a resource’s journey from geology to culture, from mine to market.

It straddles extractive industries, metallurgy, design, art, fashion, and commerce, embodying both symbolic and financial value. For Zimbabwe, a country endowed with gold, diamonds, and coloured gemstones; the development of a sustainable jewellery sector could shift the economy from a resource-export dependency to a beneficiation-driven model that aligns with the African Mining Vision.

What Constitutes the Jewellery Industry?

Zimbabwe’s jewellery industry links the country’s geology to design studios, workshops, and local and export markets.

Gold is concentrated in Archean greenstone belts like the Gwanda Greenstone Belt and the Mazowe-Bindura belt, with mines like Caledonia Mining’s Blanket Mine and Kuvimba Mining House’s Freda Rebecca providing feedstock for domestic transformation through the Fidelity Printers and Refiners into higher-value pieces.

Platinum-group metals on the Great Dyke; mined by Zimplats near Ngezi, Anglo American’s Unki at Shurugwi, and Mimosa near Zvishavane; add precious-metal capacity relevant to fine jewellery alloys and findings, not just auto-catalyst feed, reinforcing the case for local beneficiation of high-purity platinum, palladium and rhodium streams.

Diamonds define Zimbabwe in a different register. The Marange (Chiadzwa) alluvial fields in Mutare District remain among the world’s most prolific by carats, with state-owned ZCDC, the anchor operator and periodic joint ventures or parallel operators such as Anjin Investments, RioZIm Murowa Diamonds Mine, River Range Diamond Mine shaping supply; policy signals in recent years have also highlighted collaboration discussions between ZCDC and ALROSA on exploration and primary deposits. Beyond these headline commodities, Zimbabwe’s coloured gemstones supply a palette for distinctive Zimbabwean design signatures: Sandawana in Mberengwa is historically famous for fine, small-sized emeralds; alexandrite is recorded from the Novello Mine in Masvingo District; aquamarine occurrences are documented in Mutoko (Mashonaland East); garnet has been worked alluvially at Somabula near Gweru; and tourmaline appears in pegmatites around Bikita in Masvingo. Together, these localities sketch a nationwide map of lapidary potential that can feed artisanal and formal workshops alike.

Transforming this endowment into jewellery hinges on design and craftsmanship. Zimbabwe has trained cutters and polishers, but few end-to-end jewellers, resulting in rough and lightly processed stones exiting the country before accruing design-driven value. Institutions like the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) and the Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) are closing this gap by seeding lapidary and jewellery-making capability and expanding workshops. 

In precious metals, the country’s established PGM and gold producers have metallurgical streams that, if coupled to small foundries and casting houses, could support local fabricators with predictable alloy supply; especially as PGM miners like Zimplats, Mimosa and Unki recalibrate operations in volatile price cycles, creating opportunities for downstream diversification into jewellery alloys, findings, and premium “Made in Zimbabwe” platinum collections.

The technological backbone of a competitive jewellery ecosystem is taking shape. Standard equipment like casting machines, induction melters, polishing lathes, lapidary saws, faceting heads, 3D printers, and hallmarking/metrology gear turns designs into export-grade pieces. Zimbabwe’s pathway to scale involves shared facilities, CAD/CAM curricula, and a domestic hallmarking and assay regime.

Institutional roles matter here: MMCZ, established by statute as the marketing authority for minerals other than gold and silver, is a natural convenor for traceability, export permitting and market access, while technical bodies and universities can drive ISO-aligned labs and testing (ZSM has publicly targeted ISO 17025 alignment for its labs), which would underpin hallmark credibility and consumer confidence.

Markets complete the loop. At home, jewellers can reach customers through boutiques in Harare and Bulawayo and at events that put Zimbabwe on the gemstone map; most notably the Zimbabwe Gemstones Conference & Fair, positioned to catalyse deal-making and showcase local brands to regional and global buyers.

Online, curated e-commerce with strong origin stories can differentiate Zimbabwean design. The international narrative must balance provenance and ethics: diamonds require Kimberley Process compliance and responsible-sourcing assurance; coloured stones need documented chain-of-custody through MMCZ permits; and metals should be sold with assay certificates and maker’s marks once a national hallmarking framework is formalised.

Employment Dimensions

The sector is labour-intensive across its value chain, with jobs in mining and material preparation, manufacturing, design and innovation, and marketing and retail.

For Zimbabwe, it holds the potential to generate substantial employment, particularly for youth and women, if integrated into national beneficiation strategies.

The Global Jewellery Industry

The global jewellery industry is valued at USD 300-350 billion annually, dominated by Russia, Botswana, Canada, Brazil, Zambia for different minerals and Tanzania for Tanzanite exclusive;(Table 1). Its resilience stems from jewellery’s dual role as both luxury and necessity: a cultural artefact for weddings, rites of passage, and spirituality, and a financial product for wealth storage and investment.

Table 1: Dominant Global Gemstone Suppliers

Zimbabwe’s gemstone output is modest by comparison but strategically relevant. Aquamarine, garnet, tourmaline, and amethyst deposits in Mutoko, Hurungwe, and Chimanimani could underpin a niche jewellery sector if properly harnessed.

Dominant hubs illustrate how countries leverage raw material wealth through beneficiation: India is responsible for over 90% of the world’s diamond cutting and polishing, employing one  million workers in Surat alone.; Italy is known for high-end gold craftsmanship, commanding premium value through design; China is the largest jewellery consumer and a growing global exporter; and Botswana is Africa’s beneficiation success story, retaining diamond cutting and marketing locally through Debswana and Okavango Diamond Company.

Gold and Silver: The Foundations of Jewellery

Gold and silver account for over 75% of jewellery by value. Gold at approximately USD 2,020/oz (September 2025), gold’s durability and cultural prestige make it the primary metal in global jewellery markets. Zimbabwe produces approximately 35 tonnes annually, largely exported raw.

Beneficiating just 20% into jewellery could create a USD 500 million industry. Globally silver is produced at approximately 25,000 tonnes annually, silver is prized for affordability and versatility. Zimbabwe produces approximately 10 tonnes annually, mainly as a by-product. Local silver jewellery manufacturing could capture middle-income markets, complementing gold exports. Zimbabwe’s comparative advantage lies in diamonds and gold, but silver and coloured gemstones could diversify its jewellery offering. (Table 2)

Table 2: Zimbabwe vs Global Benchmarks (2023)

Jewellery Designing, Training, and Development

Design as a Value Multiplier

Design differentiates raw material from luxury product. Italian and Indian experiences confirm that creativity and branding command premium margins. Zimbabwean jewellery could integrate African motifs, heritage symbolism, and contemporary design, creating a unique “Made in Zimbabwe” hallmark.

Training and Institutional Development

The skills gap is Zimbabwe’s largest bottleneck. The Zimbabwe School of Mines (ZSM) could serve as the anchor institution by integrating a Jewellery and Lapidary Curriculum including: (1) Gemmology and gemstone grading;(2) Lapidary (cutting, polishing); (3) Goldsmithing and silversmithing; (4) CAD/CAM jewellery design. (5) Jewellery entrepreneurship.

The MMCZ could complement this by equipping training centres with cutting and polishing machines, casting furnaces, and certification laboratories. A phased approach is recommended:

1. Short-term (2025–2027): Short courses and workshops in gem-cutting and goldsmithing.
2. Medium-term (2027–2030):Integration of jewellery programs into ZSM curricula.
3. Long-term (2030 onwards):Establishment of a National Jewellery Training Centre with international accreditation.

Strategies and Markets to Transform the Industry

Zimbabwe’s jewellery industry can be transformed by developing domestic clusters in cities like Harare, Bulawayo, and Mutare to concentrate skills, technology, and production. Showcasing platforms such as the Gemstone Conference will help local jewellers connect with investors and global buyers, while digital markets can expand access to international consumers through provenance-based branding. Regional integration under SADC and AfCFTA provides opportunities for Zimbabwe to position itself as a jewellery hub in Southern Africa.

The economic case is clear: beneficiation dramatically increases value, as shown in Table 3. Quartz, for example, rises from USD 0.10 per carat in raw form to up to USD 100 as jewellery, while gold and silver also see multiples of 2-6 times. These figures highlight the urgent need for Zimbabwe to retain value through local cutting, polishing, design, and branding, supported by modern technologies, training, and policy incentives.

Table 3: Comparative Value of Raw vs Finished Jewellery

Policy Imperatives

Zimbabwe’s jewellery industry needs strong policy support to unlock its potential. Mandatory beneficiation would ensure more minerals are processed locally, while duty rebates on equipment would make modern technology accessible. A hallmarking law is essential for quality assurance and international trust, and targeted SME financing through revolving funds and incubation hubs can drive growth. Export incentives would further encourage firms to take Zimbabwean jewellery into global markets, ensuring value addition and competitiveness.

Case Study: Zimbabwe’s Skills and Equipment Gaps

Zimbabwe presents a clear example of a country richly endowed with mineral resources but constrained by limited beneficiation capacity.

While emeralds from Mberengwa, diamonds from Marange, aquamarine from Mutoko, and gold from Gwanda provide a solid raw material base, the sector struggles to transform these into high-value jewellery products. The core challenge lies in skills: there is a shortage of trained gem-cutters, polishers, designers, and CAD specialists capable of producing export-quality pieces.

Alongside this, the equipment gap is stark, with only a handful of lapidary machines, casting units, and polishing tools available, leaving most operators dependent on outdated or improvised methods.

This mismatch between abundant resources and inadequate human and technological capacity underscores why Zimbabwe continues to export largely raw or semi-processed minerals, losing out on the significant value uplift that local beneficiation and branding could generate.

Way Forward

Zimbabwe’s jewellery industry has the potential to move from raw mineral exports to a beneficiation-driven hub by investing in modern training facilities, shared jewellery hubs, and SME financing.

Closing the skills and equipment gaps, supported by targeted policies and international partnerships, would allow the country to replicate the successes of India, Botswana, and Italy.

If pursued systematically, this strategy could build a USD 500 million industry by 2035, creating jobs, boosting exports, and embedding Zimbabwe’s cultural identity into globally competitive jewellery.