Washington - United States and Tanzanian government officials as well as gemstone dealers have agreed to strengthen control over the trade in tanzanite, reportedly used by Osama bin Laden's network to generate income.
Industry officials said on Sunday that the talks in Tucson, Arizona, were aimed at allaying industry fears over terror financing while introducing safeguards that would prevent the Tanzanian gemstone's exploitation by Bin Laden's al-Qaeda and other terror networks.
The Tucson Tanzanite Protocol calls for an in-depth analysis of the industry, stricter government controls, and a certification system.
A clear-blue, precious stone with purple hues, tanzanite is found only in Tanzania. The United States accounts for 80 percent of its market.
The row over the gemstone erupted in November when The Wall Street Journal unearthed a diary by Wadih el Hage, a close Bin Laden associate, in which he describes his efforts to find reliable buyers for tanzanite in Europe and the US.
The suspicion prompted prominent US jewellers such as Zales Corporation, Tiffany & Company and QVC to suspend purchases of the Tanzanian gemstone last month pending clarification of the matter. - Sapa-AFP