Legal regulation of mining of precious stones: problems and ways of improvement

The article is devoted to the study of the legal regulation of mining of precious stones in Ukraine and the analysis of problems related to the illegal mining of the specified type of minerals and the establishment of ways to solve them. It is noted that the Institute of Subsoil Use in Ukraine has a centuries-old history. It has been established that the mining of precious stones in Ukraine has been observed for many centuries. It has been studied that the mineral and raw material base of Ukraine includes more than 20,000 deposits of 117 types of minerals, among which a special place is occupied by precious stones, the extraction of which ensures the effective development of the country’s economy. The article analyzes the legal definition of «precious stones». It was found that the concept of «precious stones» needs to be improved, since the specified concept should include not only the characteristics of precious stones, but also contain provisions regarding their market value and meet state standards. It has been proven that it is expedient to remove from the list of precious stones, the types of stones that are synthetic. The article analyzes the legal regulation of mining of precious stones in Ukraine. It is noted that the legislator pays considerable attention to the legal regulation of amber mining in Ukraine. It was established that a significant list of regulations on amber mining was not adopted at the legislative level. It has been analyzed that the problem of illegal amber mining in Ukraine remains unresolved for a long time. It is a complex problem that is directly related to ecological, socio-economic, political, ethical and cultural aspects. It was concluded that one of the factors in overcoming the problem of illegal mining of precious stones is the improvement of legal regulation, namely: the adoption of the Law of Ukraine «On Precious Stones», which should contain provisions relating to the specifics of mining, control, supervision of the mining and sale of precious stones, legal responsibility, the application of sanctions in the specified area, as well as complying with state and international standards.