Gemstone miner Gemfields has warned of bleak conditions for the remainder of this year, as the spread of Covid-19 continues to impact on the group. “Conditions remain very challenging for Gemfields and for the wider gemstone sector. The effect of travel restrictions, quarantine periods and prohibitions on large gatherings, combined with rising Covid-19 infection rates in our African host nations and in India − our key market for rough emeralds – mean that conditions presently look bleaker rather than better for the remainder of 2020.