Gemstone Traceability with DNA | Provenance Proof x Haelixa

• Illicit sourcing: Untraceable gemstones may come from illegal or unethical sources, posing legal and reputational risks.
• Geological complexity: Gemstones from different mines can share similar geological characteristics, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact source.
• Mixing of stones: Gemstones from different mines may be mixed during transportation or processing, complicating traceability efforts.

Haelixa developed a unique DNA-based tracer for Provenance Proof to mark rough emeralds at the mine, using TraceDNA™. The tracer stays on the stone through every stage of the supply chain and can be retrieved and decoded at any point, so the emerald’s origin can be traced back to the mine where it was marked.

Gübelin introduced the service at Baselworld 2017 as the Emerald Paternity Test, first tested with Gemfields at the Kagem emerald mine in Zambia.

Gem labs can identify a gemstone’s country of origin from its geological traits, but not the specific mine. Gemstone provenance can be verified at mine level by applying a DNA-based tracer to the rough stone at the mine. When the tracer is later retrieved and decoded, it links the stone to the mine where it was marked, and the record can be stored on a blockchain.

This process supports transparency and trust, allowing:

• Mining companies and cooperatives: Achieve a forensic level of transparency.
• Industry organisations & NGOs: Facilitate and check the industry’s implementation of policies and standards.
• Governments: Promote and monitor their domestic production.
• Jewellery brands: Show consumers their commitment to manufacturing transparent products.
• Retailers: Have a way of telling a verifiable and more complete story of the jewellery they sell.
• End consumers: Trust the claims made by jewellery brands and verify the source of emeralds, with data stored on a blockchain.

By combining Haelixa’s DNA marking with Provenance Proof’s independent verification and blockchain records, the industry has a reliable way to verify the provenance of gemstones from mine to market.

This project uses TraceDNA™, Haelixa’s DNA-based solution for supply chain traceability.

Provenance Proof brings transparency and authenticity to the gemstone and jewellery industry. Using technologies such as blockchain and physical tracers, it enables businesses and consumers to trace gemstones from their origin to the finished piece. An independent subsidiary of the Gübelin Gem Lab since 2020, the company works to build trust in the gemstones being bought and sold.