A mineral exploration and mining company, Three Crown Mines Nigeria Limited, has stepped up efforts to attract global investment into Nigeria’s gemstones sector, leveraging its participation at the Gems Sri Lanka 2026 Conference to showcase its responsible mining model and emerging value-addition strategy.
Three Crown Mines Nigeria Limited joined leading global players at the international gemstones conference held in Sri Lanka from January 7 to 9, 2026, positioning itself as a credible partner in ethical mining, processing innovation and sustainable wealth creation.
The company, which has earned recognition for its commitment to responsible mineral extraction and sustained development of host communities through education, infrastructure and healthcare support, was represented at the event by Mr. Ibrahim Arzuka.
Arzuka said the company’s participation was driven by a clear business objective: to share operational experience, deepen industry knowledge and build partnerships capable of expanding investment flows into Nigeria’s gemstone value chain.
According to him, Three Crown Mines Nigeria Limited continues to reposition itself for growth and improved service delivery, with active mining projects in sapphire and other precious gemstones forming the backbone of its operations.
He noted that the company’s presence at the global forum was strategic, particularly as it seeks to expand its investment network and align its operations with international standards.
Arzuka said: “As a company, we are here to share our insight on the gemstone market while also identifying potential investors with whom we could collaborate,” adding that Three Crown Mines was “already in contact with local connoisseurs and international dealers.”
Arzuka stressed that beyond extraction, the company is focused on increasing the economic value of gemstones through standard processing and value addition, in line with global best practices.
He commended the organisers of the Gems Sri Lanka Conference for convening industry stakeholders to address challenges limiting the commercial potential of gemstones, noting that research and development sessions at the event offered practical solutions with strong investment implications.
He stated: “We have some major challenges: One, you can see a sapphire that is dark blue, or dark blue-green, or a geuda type. Through research and knowledge shared here, we now have a solution as to how such sapphire can be transformed into a real gem.”
According to him, participants were also exposed to techniques that allow multi-coloured sapphire to be converted into high-value gemstones through a simple, non-destructive process.
“We have seen it here,” he said, adding, “I’ve learned how to do that simply.”
While acknowledging that heating remains a widely known method of enhancing blue-green or dark blue sapphire, Arzuka disclosed that further commercially viable techniques were presented at the conference.
“Basically, we have learned three methods. We have the traditional method and also two other methods,” he said, explaining that “one is based on oxidation while the other method is based on reduction, where basic knowledge of chemistry can be used to transform such gems into real gemstones.”
Suleiman again praised the organisers of the conference and assured that Three Crown Mines Nigeria Limited would prioritise the transfer and continuous refinement of the technologies acquired, describing them as critical to unlocking the gemstones sector’s full potential for investment, wealth creation and job generation.
