Sapphires are mined today the same as they were thousands of years ago. Most sapphires come from
countries that have strict guidelines on how mining may proceed. In Sri Lanka (Ceylon) mining is regulated so that the land is protected from over use. Mining is restricted to small-scale operations where heavy machinery is forbidden.
Natural untreated sapphires are rare and are mined in a way that will ensure a stable market and also secure future generations of sufficient deposits and supply. Strip mining such as in some emerald mining operations creates tremendous environmental damage. Strip mining only benefits a profit for a few large companies that have the capital for a large-scale operation. This type of mining also results in a market that will fluctuate heavily when new deposits are found, as the new production will flood the market and prices will drop.
Sapphire producing countries such as Sri Lanka (Ceylon) do not allow environmental or unstable economic mining activities. These responsible fair trade laws are regulated well and have existed for a long time. Some countries such as Burma do not have a very good record for correct environmentally responsible mining. It is well known that the government is described as a military dictatorship. The government is not very stable or fair in its trade practices. Burmese sapphires are quite nice but they are also over priced compared to equal quality sapphires from other countries. The fact that the government and mining methods are less than
desirable leaves us to hesitate greatly on purchasing Burmese sapphires at this time.
Here is a collection of mining pictures from various sapphire-producing countries. The methods of mining are different depending on the type of deposit, climate and government regulations.