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Final 2023 auction results underscore the ongoing vitality of the ruby market

Published: 2023-12-06 10:00:40 ET
<<<  go to JSE:GML company page
                          Incorporated in Guernsey. Guernsey registration Number: 47656
                        South African external company registration number 2009/012636/10
                                       Share code on JSE: GML / AIM: GEM
                            ISIN: GG00BG0KTL52 | LEI: 21380017GAVXTCYS5R31
                                          ("Gemfields" or the "Company")



Final 2023 auction results underscore the
ongoing vitality of the ruby market
LONDON, 6 DECEMBER 2023


Gemfields is pleased to announce the results of a ruby auction comprised of mixed-quality rough
rubies held during the period 20 November to 5 December 2023.

The rough rubies were extracted by Montepuez Ruby Mining Limitada (“MRM”, which is 75%
owned by Gemfields and 25% by its Mozambican partner Mwiriti Limitada). The proceeds of this
auction will be fully repatriated to MRM in Mozambique, with all royalties due to the Government
of the Republic of Mozambique being paid on the full sales price achieved at the auction.

The auction lots were made available in Bangkok for private, in-person viewings by customers.
Following the viewings, the auctions took place via an online auction platform specifically adapted
for Gemfields and which permitted customers from multiple jurisdictions to participate in a sealed-
bid process.

Highlights: December 2023 Mixed-Quality Ruby Auction

     •    Total auction revenues of USD 69.5 million
     •    All 97 lots (comprising 239,591 carats) offered for sale were sold (100%)
     •    Average realised price of USD 290.02 per carat
     •    The 21 auctions of MRM gemstones held since June 2014 have now generated over one
          billion dollars (USD 1,049 million) in total revenue

Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ Managing Director of Product & Sales, commented:

“We’ve seen ruby prices at our auctions go from strength to strength in recent years and our final auction of 2023
has further endorsed that trend. This auction has shown that the demand and pricing for rough rubies is decidedly
healthy.

Gemfields’ total auction revenue for 2023 stands at USD 242 million, the second highest in our history. This
auction also takes Gemfields past the milestone of USD 2 billion in cumulative emerald and ruby auction sales, an
achievement that the Gemfields team and our stakeholders can be very proud of, particularly given the remittance of
these sales revenues in full to the countries of origin, and the payment of nearly USD 400 million in mineral royalties
and corporation taxes to the combined governments of Mozambique and Zambia.
    Gemfields Group Limited, Royal Chambers, St Julian’s Avenue, St Peter Port, GY1 4HP, Guernsey
                                      T +44 (0)1481 731 554
                                         gemfieldsgroup.com
As always, our thanks go to our hard-working colleagues, our partners, our host governments and of course our
clients for their ongoing support and confidence in Gemfields.”

The results of the five most recent mixed-quality MRM ruby auctions are summarised in the table
below (and earlier results are available at www.gemfieldsgroup.com):

                                Dec ’21                 Jun ’22                 Dec ’22                 Jun ’23                 Dec ’23
    AUCTION
                             AUCTION                 AUCTION                 AUCTION                 AUCTION                 AUCTION
    RESULTS
                             (7 sequential           (7 sequential           (7 sequential           (7 sequential           (7 sequential
    (MIXED
                                 mini-                   mini-                   mini-                   mini-                   mini-
    QUALITY)
                               auctions)               auctions)               auctions)               auctions)               auctions)
                                8 Nov –                30 May –                21 Nov –               5 – 20 Jun               20 Nov –
    Dates
                              9 Dec 2021              17 Jun 2022             8 Dec 2022                 2023                 5 Dec 2023
                               Various /              Bangkok /               Bangkok /               Bangkok /               Bangkok /
    Location
                                 Online                 Online                   Online                 Online                   Online
                             Rough Ruby              Rough Ruby              Rough Ruby              Rough Ruby              Rough Ruby
                               (Higher,                (Higher,                 (Higher,               (Higher,                 (Higher,
                             Medium and              Medium and              Medium and              Medium and              Medium and
    Type
                             Commercial              Commercial              Commercial              Commercial              Commercial
                             Quality), no            Quality), no            Quality), no            Quality), no            Quality), no
                              Corundum                Corundum                Corundum                Corundum                Corundum
    Carats
                                 681,013                 610,135                 525,246                 446,202               239,591**
    offered
    Carats sold                  667,589                 387,681                 431,671                 302,317                 239,591
    No. of
    companies                        49                      49                      44                      51                      53
    placing bids
    No. of lots
                                    107                     119                     104                      94                      97
    offered
    No. of lots
                                    104                     112                      98                      91                      97
    sold
    Percentage of
                                   97%                     94%                     94%                     97%                    100%
    lots sold
    Percentage of
    lots sold by                   98%                     64%                     82%                     68%*                    100%
    weight
    Total sales
                               USD 88.4                USD 95.6                USD 66.8                USD 80.4                 USD 69.5
    realised at
                                million                 million                 million                 million                  million
    auction
    Average per
                                USD                     USD                     USD                      USD                     USD
    carat sales
                             132.47/carat            246.69/carat            154.84/carat             265.99/carat            290.02/carat
    value

* One lot of 26,806 grams (representing some 30% of the total weight offered) remained unsold at the June 2023 auction. As a result, the
average price per carat realised at this auction was considerably higher than it would have been had this lot also been sold. These gems were
then sold at the September 2023 commercial quality ruby auction.

** The ‘Low Ruby’ category was not offered at this December 2023 auction given that approximately 703,000 carats were sold at the
commercial quality ruby auction in September 2023.




Gemfields Group Limited                                                                                                        Page 2 of 4
The specific auction mix and the quality of the lots offered at each auction vary in characteristics
such as size, colour and clarity on account of variations in mined production and market demand.
Therefore the results of each auction are not always directly comparable.



                                              -ENDS-




               Further information on Gemfields Group Limited can be found at:
                                      GEMFIELDSGROUP.COM




                          To join our investor mailing list, contact us on:
                                        ir@gemfields.com


                           For any press enquiries please contact us on:
                                    gemfields@camarco.co.uk


This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse
Regulation (EU) no. 596/2014 which forms part of domestic UK law pursuant to the European Union
(withdrawal) act 2018 ("MAR").



                                           ENQUIRIES




 GEMFIELDS                         Sean Gilbertson / David Lovett / Ian Hughes
                                   ir@gemfields.com
                                   T: +44(0) 20 7518 3400

 SPONSOR (JSE)                     Investec Bank Limited


 NOMINATED ADVISER                 Liberum
 (AIM) & BROKER                    Scott Mathieson / John More / Kane Collings / Anake Singh
                                   T: +44(0) 20 3100 2222


 FINANCIAL PR/ IR                  Camarco
                                   Gordon Poole / Emily Hall
                                   T: +44(0) 20 3757 4980




Gemfields Group Limited                                                                    Page 3 of 4
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON GEMFIELDS




Gemfields is a world-leading responsible miner and marketer of coloured gemstones. Gemfields is
the operator and 75% owner of both the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia (believed to be the
world’s single largest producing emerald mine) and the Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique (one
of the most significant recently discovered ruby deposits in the world). In addition, Gemfields also
holds controlling interests in various other gemstone mining and prospecting licences in Zambia,
Mozambique, Ethiopia and Madagascar.


Gemfields’ outright ownership of Fabergé - an iconic and prestigious brand of exceptional heritage
- enables Gemfields to optimise positioning, perception and consumer awareness of coloured
gemstones through Fabergé designs, advancing the wider group’s “mine and market” vision.


Gemfields has developed a proprietary grading system and a pioneering auction platform to
provide a consistent supply of coloured gemstones to downstream markets, a key component of
Gemfields’ business model that has played an important role in the growth of the global coloured
gemstone sector.



                                            GEMFIELDS

                          GEMFIELDS.COM | INVESTORS |FOUNDATION

                          INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE




                                             FABERGÉ

                FABERGÉ.COM | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE




                                    KAGEM MINING LINKEDIN

                              MONTEPUEZ RUBY MINING LINKEDIN




Gemfields Group Limited                                                                  Page 4 of 4