Sri Lanka’s FACETS International Gem and Jewellery Exhibition to boost sales
The latest edition of Sri Lanka’s FACETS International Gem and Jewellery Exhibition 2019 was launched yesterday (29) aimed at boosting sales after the Easter Sunday attacks, with international gem businessmen.
The local media has reported that survivor of the Easter attacks, Lewis Allen had called for the establishment of an internationally reputed laboratory to boost the country’s hub aspirations.
The 29th edition of the Facets International Gem and Jewellery Exhibition 2019, organised by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association and sponsored by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) and the Export Development Board, was inaugurated at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall.
The event this year was organized under the theme ‘Bigger & Better’ with the message of rebuilding Sri Lanka and the industry.
The show had commenced with an opening ceremony featuring Lewis Allen, one of the biggest buyers of Ceylon Sapphires, as the Guest of Honour, along with a number of ministers, diplomats, businessmen of the international and local gem and jewellery industries, and members of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and the Export Development Board.
FACETS Sri Lanka Chairman Altaf Iqbal has said at the opening ceremony that the main focus of the show this year is to showcase the Ceylon sapphire, the primary resource of the industry.
“It has been a long road for the industry since the tragic incident that took place in April. However, we want to express how Sri Lanka is beautiful and how we’re resilient together, which will be the message our Guest of Honour is bringing to the show.”
Meanwhile, gem businessman and survivor of the April attacks, Allen has stated his firm believes that Sri Lanka is going to come back stronger with more love and unity.
Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association Chairman Ahsan Refai has been quoted as saying that Sri Lanka has a lot of potential to become a successful hub for gem and jewellery.
He has noted that local and foreign buyers alike should be encouraged to bring rough material to Sri Lanka, where it can then be cut and polished for sale, which will benefit the country’s economy.
The exhibition showcased many local gem and jewellery manufacturers, as well as a few international stalls.
The gems varied from precious to semi-precious to coloured stones.
OSL take:
The opening of the FACETS gem and jewellery exhibition, which is a hallmark event in Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry, is indicative of the country’s return to normalcy following the setback suffered in the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks in April. Historically renowned for its gems, Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry is a sector with high business/investment potential.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/01092019/Z_1 |