Mining accident in Democratic of Congo Africa

Our hearts go out to the many families affected by this tragedy who have lost the ability to support themselves or lost their lives. We carry multiple minerals from this area. New material will be very difficult to source and we won’t be trying at this time. Expect price increases coming from wholesale sourcing for the minerals discussed below.

 High Ho Gems management

👥 Broader Context: Mining Conflicts & Power Dynamics

• The DRC has one of the largest copper and cobalt reserves in the world, and mining expansion often overlaps with multinational corporate interests and state involvement, leading to forced evictions, human rights abuses, and protests.  
• Reports have documented how industrial mining expansion around Kolwezi has led to eviction of communities and serious human rights concerns.  
• Chinese companies and other international players are significant in the Congolese mining sector (e.g., Tenke Fungurume Mining is 80 % owned by a Chinese firm), and there have been protests about illegal mining, corruption, and Chinese involvement — especially in provinces like South Kivu.  

✨ What This Means for Minerals Like Malachite, Azurite, Dioptase, etc.

While specific news linking the Kolwezi collapse to crystal-mineral availability isn’t in the strict reporting, the overall environment is important:

1. Artisanal Mining Restrictions:

• Moves to regulate or suspend artisanal mining processing will reduce the supply of small-scale mined copper-bearing minerals (classic sources of malachite, dioptase, chrysocolla, azurite).  
• Even if the ban isn’t total, stricter traceability rules will slow throughput and export of such specimens.  

2. Safety Incidents & Political Instability:

• Frequent accidents and unsafe working conditions reflect a volatile supply environment, especially from informal mining zones that traditionally produced many collectible mineral specimens.  

3. Corporate vs. Local Control:

• Large corporate mining operations (often with global investors and Chinese partners) focus on commodity metal output (copper & cobalt), not specimen-grade minerals — meaning artisanal sources are crucial for crystals. Restrictions on those sources can directly translate to scarcity and higher prices for collector specimens.