Learn about the historical problems and current challenges that face the sapphire and colored gemstone mining communities.
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While sapphire and colored gemstone mining has led to environmental damages, the impacts are generally due to lack of planning and poor understanding of sustainable environmental practices.
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The global colored gemstone sector is largely unregulated and suffers from labor practices that offer little security for small scale miners and endanger lives.
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Even as diamonds have been used to fund violent conflicts in parts of Africa, colored gemstones currently support the military regime of Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma.
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