Trade supply
Rare Gemstone Sourcing for the Trade
Shaw Minerals selects rare coloured gemstones with its own GIA gemologists at the mouth of the mine, then grades and releases them to wholesale and trade buyers.
What direct-from-mine sourcing means
Most rare gemstones reach a trade buyer after passing through several hands, and each hand re-sorts the parcel. Shaw Minerals has been a mining company since 1987, so our gemologists see the material first — before it is split, remixed and re-priced. That is the difference between buying a described parcel and buying a selected one.
The same principle underpins the rest of our business: world-class districts, safe jurisdictions and sensible partnerships, so that risk sits where it can be managed.
Our sourcing process
1. Selection at the mine mouth
Our GIA gemologists work at the point of production rather than at a trading desk. Parcels are reviewed as they come out of the ground, so colour, crystal and size distribution are assessed before material is broken up and resold through intermediaries.
2. Grading and cutting
Selected rough is cut and graded for colour, clarity and life. Grading notes travel with the parcel so a trade buyer can match what was quoted against what arrives.
3. Jurisdiction and title
Shaw Minerals operates where the rule of law is respected. Doing business in safe jurisdictions means our properties are our properties, and the chain of title behind a parcel is documented rather than assumed.
4. Trade release and shipment
Parcels are released to trade clients from our United Kingdom, United States and Canada offices with grading documentation attached.
The rarities we handle
Tanzanite
Deep violet-blue trichroic stone from a single source on earth.
Tsavorite
Vivid chrome-green garnet, prized for its brilliance and rarity.
Fancy Tanzanite
Unheated pastel and bi-colour material in collector grades.
Tourmaline
Full spectrum, from rubellite reds to mint and indicolite blues.
Aquamarine
Clean, high-clarity sea-blue crystal in commercial and fine grades.
Malaia Garnet
Rare peach-to-cinnamon garnet with exceptional light return.
Rhodolite Garnet
Raspberry-purple stones with reliable colour consistency.
Fancy Sapphire
Padparadscha, yellow, teal and untreated blue selections.
Ruby
Rough and faceted material graded for colour saturation and life.
Other Rarities
Spinel, kornerupine, sphene and one-off collector specimens.
Sourcing questions
- Which rare gemstones does Shaw Minerals supply?
- Shaw Minerals supplies Tanzanite, Tsavorite, Fancy Tanzanite, Tourmaline, Aquamarine, Malaia Garnet, Rhodolite Garnet, Fancy Sapphire, Ruby, Other Rarities.
- Does Shaw Minerals sell to the public?
- Our gemstone programme is a trade and wholesale supply line. Enquiries are handled by our offices in London, Columbus and Manitoba.
- What does direct-from-mine sourcing change for a buyer?
- Buying at the mouth of the mine removes layers of intermediaries between the producer and the trade buyer. Selection happens before parcels are split and remixed, which is what makes consistent colour across a larger order possible.
- Who grades the material?
- Selection and grading are carried out by our own GIA gemologists, and the grading notes are supplied with the parcel.
Trade and wholesale enquiries: info@shawminerals.com