Sri Lanka’s biggest gem and jewellery gathering next month
The ‘Facets’ Gem and Jewellery International Show 2019 – the 29th edition which is being held next month in Colombo proves that the world still has confidence and faith in Sri Lanka, despite the April 21 Easter Sunday human carnage which has affected tourism and other sectors.
This solidarity to a country that is the best place on earth for sapphires, is demonstrated by Lewis Allen, the largest sapphire buyer in the world, agreeing to be the guest of honour at the Facets 2019 – International Gem and Jewellery Exhibition that is scheduled to be held on August 29-31 and September 1 at the BMICH. This is despite having faces a personal tragedy, the loss of his wife in April 21 Easter Sunday bomb blast at Shangri-La Hotel, Colombo.
At the launch of Sri Lanka’s premier Gem and Jewellery Show held at Hilton Hotel, Colombo last week, Altaf Iqbal, Chairman, Facets 2019 giving details of this year’s Facets hailed the brave decision of Mr. Allen in accepting the invitation to be the guest of honour at Facets 2019.
He pointed out that from the inception of the show, the two state agencies – National Gem and Jewellery Authority and Export Development Board – have been the backbone supporting the show and its huge success could be attributed to this support along with other sponsors.
Mr. Iqbal said that the local and overseas exhibitors as usual in other years would be showcasing their gems and jewellery while special attention at the show is given to the small and medium sellers. At the launch two such successful SMEs were featured and they enlightened the media on how they now climbed the top being smallholders earlier.
The show is a major attempt to attract the overseas buyers to increase exports and further develop the industry to be in the top of the international market and the exhibition would be yielding a lot of benefits to the locals involved in the industry, he indicated.
Facets, now known to be the most well-known exhibition of its kind throughout the world, first came into existence in 1991 with the purpose of showcasing the very best of Sri Lanka’s most precious resources, thereby boosting the sale of gemstones and jewellery among overseas markets and attracting more international dealers to the country.
Ranging from precious stones, gold and silver jewellery and valuable watches to semi –precious stones, coloured stones and costume jewellery, the exhibition features an impressive lineup of items to suit every style and budget.
There would be 180 stalls while the exhibition also offers the visitors a glimpse into the lapidary sector of the gem and jewellery industry. A number of stalls will feature various pieces of machinery and tools used to cut and polish gemstones and craft jewellery.
There will also be a number of laboratory stalls where visitors can get a look at the process of examination that a gem is subjected to. They can even test their own gems and receive a certificate proving the stone’s value and authenticity. Reginald Cooray, Chairman, National Gem and Jewellery Authority also spoke at the launch.