In its quest to promote Zambia’s emeralds to buyers across the world, gemstone miner Gemfields has introduced the third instalment in its short film series dedicated to coloured gemstones.

The buyer’s guide film is aimed at educating consumers on every aspect of buying coloured gemstones, with a vivid depiction of the origins and contemporary allure of emeralds and rubies.

Following on from the responsible sourcing film, launched in April to coincide with World Earth Day, and the emerald films release in its birthstone month of May, the buyer’s guide uses the same cinematic techniques to capture the drama, beauty and history of coloured gemstones, according to Gemfields.

“Responsibly sourced, infinitely complex, always unique” is how the film’s narrating voiceover describes Gemfields’ coloured gemstones.

In under two minutes, the viewer is taken on a journey through the formation of gemstones from mineral deposits deep beneath the soil, and the artistry involved in cutting them into exquisite shapes, and, finally, shown how they come to market, each one telling its own unique story.

The aim of the film is to explain the all-important six Cs − character, colour, clarity, cut, carat and certification − that should be considered when buying a coloured gemstone.

The film talks through how each gemstone’s unique inclusions – tiny flaws entombed in the crystals – give it a character all its own; its colour and clarity vary according to hue, tone and saturation; its cut is the product of the most skilful handiwork – round, oval, marquise, pear and octagon being popular shapes.

Each gemstone, “heavy with the earth’s history”, has a weight measured in carats, and its certification can be confirmed by the expertise of a gemmologist, for transparency on any treatments undertaken, traceability measures such as blockchain and peace of mind about its supply chain.

Gemfields responsibly sources emeralds from the Kagem mine, in Zambia, and rubies at the Montepuez mine, in Mozambique. It owns these mines in joint ventures with the Zambian and Mozambican governments respectively.

Gemfields gemmologist Elena Basaglia says the world inside a gemstone never fails to fascinate her. “The arresting red of rubies and the unending jardins of emeralds; this film series brings them to life in a vibrant, informative and evocative way.”

The buyer’s guide video, like the others in the series, was created with Lambda Films, which specialises in high-end, contemporary video and design-led animation. It is available on both Gemfields’ website and on its YouTube channel, with shorter 30-second teaser versions appearing on social media.

The series will conclude in July with the fourth and final instalment, dedicated to rubies, the birthstone of that month.