Gem Resources PLC, listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:GEMR), has begun hard rock mining at its Gravelotte Emerald Mine in South Africa. This move follows a significant upgrade to the processing plant, which now operates steadily at up to 100 tonnes of ore per day.
Mining at the Cobra Pit, one of the mine’s two historically productive open pits, started in late January. The emeralds extracted from this new ore zone show promising quality, color, and clarity, matching historical geological records.
“We are pleased with the early results from our hard rock mining efforts at Cobra,” said Chairman Ed Nealon. “Despite weather challenges, our upgraded systems have performed well. We are now focused on delivering results and look forward to our first trial sale, which will demonstrate the commercial potential of Gravelotte.”
The Cobra Pit is part of a larger deposit estimated to contain about 29 million carats of emeralds. Gem Resources began developing the site in 2024 by processing material from old tailings and surface dumps. Although a trial sale was initially planned for September, it was delayed due to export issues.
Since transitioning to hard rock mining, production has remained stable through February and March, despite seasonal rains. The company remains confident in Gravelotte’s long-term potential and plans to release details on its first emerald sale soon. Additionally, Gem Resources will provide updates on its Curlew Emerald Project in Western Australia as weather conditions improve.
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