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| Sunday, 19 January 2003 |
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Exports of gems, jewellery rise by Elmo Leonard Sri Lanka's exports of gems and jewellery for the year 2002 amounted Rs 25.2 billion, according to the latest Customs statistics. (Currently Rs 96 to a U.S. dollar). This is an increase from the 2001 figure of Rs 21.8 billion, for the same category of exports. In year 1995, exports of gems and jewellery made up a sparse Rs 12.7 billion. A concentrated effort by the Sri Lankan gems and jewellery trade to market locally produced gems and jewellery, both here and abroad during the past few years, has enabled to boost its exports, president of the FACETS organising committee, Macky Hashim said. While Sri Lanka's annual FACETS gem and jewellery show held during the past 12 years had regained for the Indian Ocean island its rightful place as the premier source of coloured gemstones in the world, the Sri Lankan gem trade is active in promoting her gems and jewellery at international shows. Seven Sri Lankan companies will make up the Sri Lanka pavilion at the Tuscon Gem Show, in Arizona, USA, in June this year. The Tuscon show, is the world's most prestigious event of its type in the world, and will be held for the 25th successive year. Four other Sri Lankan gem and jewellery exporters will also take part in the Tuscon show, at their own expense. In February, the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) will launch a Ceylon Sapphire promotion, at the Las Vagas Show, the second most prestigious event of world's coloured precious stones, executive director of the FACETS secretariat, Firoze Hassan, said. Sri Lankan gem and jewellery exporters also take part in the annual Basel Gem Fair held in Switzerland, as well as in the annual Hong Kong, Bangkok and Japanese Gem and Jewellery shows, Macky Hashim said. Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan delegation, who are members of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) based in USA, returned to the country, following their participation in the 2003 ICA Congress held in Jaipoor, India this month. Delegates at the congress comprised 200 of the world's leading persons in the gemstone trade. ICA ambassador in Sri Lanka, Dr Gamini Zoysa and ICA director for Sri Lanka, Kamil Ismile, led the local delegation. Currently, 14 leading gemstone buyers who attended the Jaipoor Congress are in Sri Lanka, on an excursion of local gem mines. They are from USA, Israel and European countries and will hold a business session here, before returning home. Meanwhile, a new body called the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association (SLGJA) has just been formed, comprising the Sri Lanka Gem Traders' Association, the Sri Lanka Jewellery Manufacturers' Export Association, Sri Lanka Lapidarists' Association and Gem and Jewellers Merchants' Federation of Sri Lanka. The president of the SLGJA is Rainer Nanayakkara. |
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