Creating Change from the Ground Up: Gems Keep Giving’s Life-Changing Impact
In the remote village of Kamtonga, Kenya, water scarcity was once a daily struggle. When the community’s rainwater tanks ran dry, villagers had no choice but to trek several kilometers to a dangerous, contaminated water source surrounded by wildlife. The resulting outbreaks of illness, such as dysentery, routinely threatened the health of roughly 3,000 residents.
Enter Gems Keep Giving (GKG), a nonprofit dedicated to transforming conditions for gemstone mining communities. In 2022, GKG approved and began an ambitious project to drill a safe water well directly on the grounds of Kamtonga’s school. With enthusiastic local participation, the project was completed within just a year. Today, clean water flows freely, significantly reducing illness and allowing local children to consistently attend school and thrive academically.
“This initiative hasn’t just improved lives—it has genuinely saved lives,” says Damien Cody, Vice Chair of GKG. “It exemplifies how our industry can positively impact artisanal mining communities for generations.”
A Commitment to Lasting Change
Founded in 2020 by members of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), Gems Keep Giving became an independent charitable organization in 2023. GKG’s board of experts—including Hayley Henning, Clement Sabbagh, Ruth Benjamin-Thomas, Brian Cook, Rocco Gay, Cecilia Gardner, Robert Weldon, and Henry Ho—brings diverse backgrounds in mining, jewelry, marketing, and social development.
Aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, GKG specifically targets poverty eradication, hunger relief, gender equality, clean water access, sanitation, and healthcare initiatives in gemstone mining communities.
The group carefully selects projects that promise sustainable, long-term benefits. "Projects must directly aid communities engaged in gemstone mining and cutting, providing enduring improvements for families," explains Henning, the organization's chair.
Ongoing Impact in Brazil
In its latest project, launched in December 2024, GKG is delivering essential safety equipment to artisanal miners in Novo Horizonte, Bahia, Brazil. Miners extracting golden rutilated quartz will receive critical protective dust masks to prevent respiratory diseases such as silicosis. GKG has partnered with the local miners' cooperative and the municipal health department to educate miners on safety measures and health risks.
Henning emphasizes the importance of collaboration: “By working directly with the communities, we ensure the projects are impactful and long-lasting.”
Connecting Consumers to Miners' Realities
Beyond community development, GKG aims to educate jewelry buyers about the realities of artisanal gemstone mining. With 80% of colored gemstones sourced from artisanal mines, many buyers are unaware of the conditions under which their gems are extracted.
“Our goal is not just to improve conditions for miners, but also to inform consumers about the positive impacts their purchases can have,” Henning says. "Sharing these stories of transformation encourages consumers to feel a deeper connection to their jewelry."
Celebrating Generosity
To support fundraising, GKG created the exclusive "Display of Generosity" pins. Each of these ten unique pins—crafted by lapidary specialists Petramundi and jewelry designer Margherita Burgener—features a heart-shaped stone of distinct color and origin. They will be awarded to the organization's top donors at the ICA Congress in Brazil this May.
Through its thoughtful and targeted projects, Gems Keep Giving continues to enrich the lives of gemstone mining communities, making a lasting difference one jewel at a time.