The Luso-Mozambican jewellery brand Mariaruby has officially entered the national market, launching at an event held on Thursday, 29 October, at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Maputo, with a proposition centred on the local transformation of mineral resources into higher value-added products.

According to a statement sent to Diário Económico, the launch follows a call by the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Esteves Pale, for reforms in the extractive sector to reduce revenue losses associated with the export of raw minerals and to ensure that activities such as gem cutting, certification, and jewellery production contribute to the national economy.

The minister's position was reiterated during the 8th edition of the Annual Fair of Gems and Precious Metals, held recently in Nacala, where he "highlighted the need to increase the value generated domestically from the country's mineral resources". On that occasion, the minister restated the urgency of structural reforms in the extractive sector to curb foreign exchange leakage caused by raw mineral exports and to ensure that the added value from cutting, certification, and jewellery manufacturing remains within the country.

"With a consolidated track record in the international market and a presence in leading publications such as Forbes magazine, Mariaruby gives tangible form to this vision of economic sovereignty and value retention. The company positions itself at the intersection of Mozambique's geological wealth and ethical luxury, promoting the transformation and international certification of precious stones and noble metals," the statement reads.

The brand is led by Cheila Gomes, its founder and creative director. "With more than 17 years of experience in management and marketing and a twelve-year career in the extractive sector — including eight years in Mozambique, where she headed public relations at the world's largest ruby mine — the entrepreneur applied her sector knowledge to build a brand that unites sustainability, ethics, and African cultural identity," the statement adds.

"Adding value to our mineral resources is not merely a macroeconomic objective — it is a matter of sovereignty and national economic dignity. For years I watched the value of our precious stones being captured outside our borders. Mariaruby is born to prove that it is possible to anchor this knowledge in Mozambique, create skilled jobs for our young people, and return to the country, in the form of art and finished product, the wealth of our land," Gomes said, adding that the brand aims to contribute to the creation of quality employment for Mozambican youth.

Beyond marketing exclusive jewellery featuring natural Mozambican and global gemstones, the business project encompasses a social and educational impact dimension. Among the initiatives under way is a training programme in artisanal gem cutting, developed in partnership with international academic institutions including the University of Aveiro in Portugal, aimed at equipping young Mozambicans with skills and reviving competencies that are at risk of disappearing.

The launch event brought together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, and prominent figures from Mozambican society. The programme included presentations of the brand's jewellery collections, demonstrations of the ethical gem traceability process, and panel discussions on the future of the mineral processing industry in the country.