FACETS Sri Lanka 2007 - A Resounding Success

Heralding in Sept- ember this year and as always was Sri Lanka’s prestigious International Gem and Jewellery Show ‘FACETS Sri Lanka 2007’ which took place recently at the Exhibition Centre of the BMICH.

This year’s visitor turn out was no second to any of the other 16 previous shows. In fact it recorded a remarkable 20 per cent increase in visitors than last year. Of the seven thousand five hundred visitors this year there were slightly over seven hundred foreign visitors and buyers.

It was an achievement the organisers were proud of. Yet another noteworthy feature was the increased number of Sri Lankan visitors who took time to come and left the BMICH pleased as ‘punch’ with the satisfaction that even they were able to purchase something small and within the reach of their budgets.

The BMICH exhibition centre has housed FACETS Sri Lanka for the past three years, this year there were over 150 participants of which 20 booths were sold to overseas participants which housed around 35 foreign companies.

This year too competitions were held for the Best Gem Cutters and also the best-constructed booth at the show. Ceyital Jewels of the Sifani group was adjudged the best booth with A.M.A. Careems a close runner-up.

The Best Creative Gem Cutter award went to W.A. Karunadasa and the Best Standard Cutter to V.S. Rohana Siriwardena.

This year’s chief guest at the opening ceremony was the Dr. Sarath Amunugama and the other three distinguished guests of honour were the Professor G.L. Peiris, Mano Wijeratne and Edward W. Boehm, the Vice President of ICA (International Colour Gem Stones Association of USA).