Roger has a unique approach to sourcing gems. Rather than relying on what the marketplace offers, Roger has made dozens of trips throughout Africa, South America, and Asia, traveling directly to the mines where rough gemstones are found. His focus is dedicated to East Africa, working with miners to secure singularly beautiful colored gems and holistically impact their communities. When Roger chooses to work with a mining area, he is making a long-term commitment to invest in the miners, their families, and their futures. He seeks to meet them where they are, often providing for basic needs: food, water, and cooking oil.
DISCOVERY TO DESTINATION
For Roger, a holistic approach to sourcing is an essential tenet of his business philosophy. Over the past 35 years, Roger has found that the fundamentals of responsible sourcing are not encountered in ethics, but in humans. Ethics is simply a system of moral values that a human or society adheres to, but gems have a far greater impact, affecting our whole life, livelihood, and future. At every step of a gem’s passage, from discovery to destination, it is transferred by human hands and exchanged on an agreement of trust. Roger’s efforts in East Africa seek to holistically capitalize on the presence of gems to equip mining communities for generations to come.
TRANSFORMING FUTURES
Roger is committed to using the power of gemstones to change lives and impact the world, starting with the men and women who unearth them. By working directly with miners, more gemstone profit remains in local communities, allowing families to invest in education, both elementary and vocational, to transform their futures. Roger has a special place in his heart for gemological and faceting education, supporting many schools and scholarships. Roger’s devotion to a holistic approach is charged by the belief that gems serve a greater purpose and must be wisely stewarded.
Thanks for joining the holistic gemstone journey. By choosing a Roger Dery gem, you are completing its journey, allowing us to return to East Africa to repeat the sourcing process: inspiring miners to return to the ground for more, encouraging progress, and sharing resources with local communities. You are the catalyst that launches the holistic process to begin again and again.
Roger, Ginger, and Rachel
Discovery to Destination:
Gems Causing Positive, Holistic,
and Enduring Change
