Newly formed gem miner Fura Gems, headed by former Gemfields chief operating officer, is adding three veterans of the latter mining company to its upper ranks.
The company has named Dibya Baral as director of technical services; Rahul Gopal as director of security and risk control; and Amit Sharma as head of geology for Mozambique.
Baral will be responsible for Fura’s overall technical functions, including mining, geology, processing plants, and other technical services. He previously served as general manager for Kagem Emerald Mine in Zambia, a Gemfields subsidiary. He has also worked for Vedanta Resources and Tata Steel.
Gopal will be responsible for the security and risk functions. Prior to his appointment, he was head of security for the Montepuez ruby mine in Mozambique, a Gemfields subsidiary. He also worked for Vodafone and was a major in the Indian army.
Sharma will be responsible for the exploration and mining operations of Fura’s Mozambican ruby project. Previously, he worked at the Montepuez mine, where he helped move the mine from the exploration stage to the production stage.
It is perhaps not surprising that Fura is recruiting so many veterans from Gemfields. Its president and CEO, Dev Shetty, was Gemfields’ chief operating officer until 2016, when he left the company.
Formerly public Gemfields was purchased by Pallinghurst Resources, its largest shareholder, last year.
Toronto-based Fura owns a 76 percent interest the Coscuez emerald mine in Boyacá, Colombia, which it purchased in October 2016. Fura is also exploring for rubies in Mozambique through its 80 percent effective interest in four ruby licenses and is looking for other minerals in Colombia.
In a statement, Shetty said of his three new hires: “Having worked with all of them in the past and knowing their passion, dedication and commitment, I am certain they will add a lot of value to our business and help take Fura to much greater heights.”
Emerald from the Coscuez mine in Boyacá, Colombia (image courtesy of Fura Gems)
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