ICA Gem and Jewellery Congress to be hosted in May

Tuesday, 10 March 2015 00:56 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Channa Fernandopulle Sri Lanka will play host to delegates representing all stages of the global gem and jewellery industry at the biennial congress of the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) from 16 to 19 May 2015. A joint initiative of the ICA and Sri Lanka’s Export Development Board (EDB), the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association, the congress, which will take place at the Cinnamon Grand hotel, will see participation from local and internationally renowned experts in the field share their expertise and discuss current issues and trends within the industry.

Noting that this year’s congress will be the second time that the event is being held in Sri Lanka since its first congress in 1989, ICA Congress Committee Chairman Clement Sabbagh commended the efforts of local and international organisers in successfully bringing the ICA Congress back to Sri Lanka. “Since that last congress, Sri Lanka has taken very positive steps to develop its gem mining and processing capacity and today it is one of the most important hubs for gems and jewellery in the world. Many famous varieties of stones can be found here it is encouraging to see such effective mining regulation of the gem and jewellery industry in terms of legislation that protects the environment and small-medium producers. “The ICA Congress will provide the Sri Lankan industry with valuable opportunities to engage in knowledge sharing while promoting the local industry and Sri Lanka. This will help to position Sri Lanka globally and I must thank the organisers for their efforts in making this ICA Congress the best gathering yet,” Sabbagh stated. Commenting on the importance of the industry to Sri Lankaan exports, EDB Chairman and CEO Bandula Egodage noted that gem and jewellery stands as the fourth largest export commodity for the country.

“We believe that the Sri Lankan industry has a lot to gain from hosting the ICA Congress this year. We hope to attract more foreign investment into the country through this initiative, particularly in terms of improving value addition here. To be clear we do not want to promote more exports of raw gemstones but instead we want to push for greater value addition – at least 35% - followed by exports,” Egodage explained. Parallel to the ICA Congress, local stakeholders will also hold the annual Facets Gem and Jewellery exhibition from 15 to 18 May in order to showcase Sri Lankan gemstones, with a particular focus on Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Additionally, organisers have also scheduled cricket, golf and tennis tournaments for congress attendees while members interested in practical aspects of the mining process will be offered a seven-day mine tour from Ratnapura to Elahera and Beruwela. The ICA is a global think-tank which is composed of jewellery academia, professionals, manufacturers, marketers and suppliers from around the world.