christopher777 Winkel: Cabochons

I have been involved in the gemstone business for many years, having spent time living and mining in Africa alongside local miners. The work is done entirely by hand, without machinery, and it is as difficult as it is dangerous. Crawling through narrow, hand-dug tunnels in the rock, often in total darkness with only a torch in one’s mouth, we faced many threats, from poisonous snakes and spiders to scorpions. It’s a truly scary environment! The miners endure countless risks, which is why I strive to partner with them to ensure they receive a fair return for their hard labor and the rough gemstones they uncover. My focus is on sourcing gemstones from smaller miners, as I have witnessed firsthand the environmental damage caused by larger companies, not to mention the meager rewards given to the people doing the hardest and most dangerous work. I also partner with a close friend in Pakistan, and we maintain contacts in Africa, Asia, Indonesia, and several other countries. My friend often travels to remote and hard-to-reach areas, meeting with village miners who scale treacherous terrain to gather stones. These men, whose efforts rival those of professional mountaineers, deserve all the support they can get. I say "I," but truly, it’s "we"—without the hard work of these miners and the partners I work with, none of this would be possible. Our mission is to provide an honest and satisfactory service. All the gemstones we sell are natural, and we pride ourselves on not enhancing or altering our photography. While my photography skills may not be the best, the images are always true to life. We are also happy to certify any stone that hasn’t been through a laboratory, at cost, if requested. In short, we do our utmost to ensure quality and transparency from start to finish, and we are always open to questions, whether positive or negative. As proud members of GemRock, we uphold their high standards in everything we do.

at the time of purchase