Financial Times

Gem show attracts big group of Burmese dealers
By Quintus Perera
The largest contingent of foreign gem dealers at the International Gem and Jewellery Trade Fair "Colombo Show" held during May 9-11 at the BMICH came from Myanmar. It was their first exposure in Sri Lanka. There were 34 dealers occupying 12 stalls.

Altogether the show attracted 120 local and foreign exhibitors and around 20,000 visitors and buyers. The exhibitors ranged from small to large-scale gem and jewellery industrialists. Ceylinco Gem Corp International Ltd was the principal sponsor.

Myo Naing Soe, Managing Director, Shwe Moe OO Gems and Jewellery Co Ltd, Yangon, Myanmar said that their country is reputed for exporting Star Rubies, Sapphires and Spinel. She told The Sunday Times FT that if the business was good they would be visiting Sri Lanka every year and said that it was a great opportunity as it provided the exposure they needed.

Oliver Salfelter, a professional gold smith from Erlangen, Germany was at the show offering his expertise on gem and jewellery designing. He said that Sri Lankan designs with many colours and several stones in the jewellery were not the kind the German market attracted.

Sri Lankan designs were more akin to Indian ones. "It is jewellery that is simple but perfectly done, preferably with one stone, that could attract Germans." He said that they run a family run gold smithy in Germany and he is working with Lasitha Exports of Sri Lanka to promote Sri Lankan gems and jewellery.

Abdul Majid Abdul Bari, Naxim Brothers Pte Ltd of Singapore said that he has been visiting Sri Lanka since the 1970s to purchase gemstones and has been participating in gem and jewellery shows in Sri Lanka for 14 years.

He has been taking foreign orders at these shows and his sales have purely been to foreign buyers. There were foreign participants from Thailand, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Myanmar.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, along with Dr Lalith Kotalawala, Chairman, Ceylinco Group and the Chairman, Advisory Board of the Colombo Show and the Mayor of Idar Obenstein, Germany, Hansjurgen Machwirth, inaugurated the show. Idar Obenstein is reputed for its gem industry.

Some of the foreign sellers complained that government VAT on sales to locals eroded their profits.

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