USA, China, Russia and India buyer delegates to visit ‘FACETS Sri Lanka 2013’
Tuesday, 6 August 2013 00:00
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A buyer delegation from USA, China, Russia and India will be visiting FACETS Sri Lanka 2013, the international gem and jewellery exhibition according to the organising committee. In addition to the buyer delegation, stall holders from Singapore, Dubai, Myanmar and India will be participating at the event this year.
This creates a gamut of opportunities for the local industry to showcase Sri Lankan industry standards.
Sri Lanka ranks as one of the top five important gem bearing nations in the world, together with Myanmar, Brazil, South Africa and Thailand.
The industry employs approximately over 600,000 individuals including miners, cutters and polishers, dealers, jewellery designers, manufacturers and craftsmen, marketing and sales personnel. FACETS 2013 Chairman Juzar Adamaly said, “Over the years our country has a traditional association with the international jewellery trade and the reputation of the Island’s jewellers and jewellery designers. Our exquisite craftsmanship and refined creativity blended with the modern advancements have brought this industry forward. Sri Lanka is also emerging as a design centre for silver, gold and platinum offering high quality products to the world. The diamond cutting and polishing industry also an area for Sri Lanka to have high demand exports for gem and jewellery. We thank all the visiting delegates from USA, China, Russia and India and participants from Singapore, Dubai, Myanmar in making FACETS 2013 a grand success.”
Currently Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) membership accounts for over 75% of the country’s gem and jewellery exports.
The primary export is sapphires accounting for over 85% of the value of Sri Lanka’s total gem exports. Significant growth was recorded by gem exports, recording a 42% increase, generating Rs. 14.21 billion in 2012. In 2012 a total of 18 varieties of sapphires were exported with blue sapphires being the top colour accounting for nearly 60% of the value of national exports.
Organised by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA), this year’s event held for its 23rd year, will open from 29 August to 1 September at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre. The organisers have planned to display precious and semiprecious gems as well as an exclusive hall dedicated to jewellery, lapidary and machinery items. Knowledge sharing sessions include a series of seminars conducted by international and local panellists this year. FACETS Sri Lanka 2013 is supported by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and Sri Lanka Export Development Board.
