Lanka gems glitter at Chinese exhibition

Rasika Somarathna

The Sri Lankan gems and jewellery pavilion at the China International Gems and Jewellery Exhibition in Beijing recently attracted a large crowd, Beijing embassy officials said. Deputy Environment Minister Abdul Cader who participated as an honourary guest told the Daily News that the Sri Lankan pavilion at the exhibition was one of the star attractions.

Deputy Minister Cader, who spoke to the Chinese media on the sidelines of the conference emphasised the vast potential for Sri Lankan gems and the jewellery trade to make a significant impact in the Chinese market.

He urged the gem and jewellery industries and authorities to make maximum use of the potential in the Chinese market.

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing together with the National Gem and Jewelry Authority of Sri Lanka (NGJA) and the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewelry Association (SLGJA) organized the Sri Lanka Pavilion comprising 27 stalls and showcasing products from 36 Sri Lankan Gem and Jewelry Trading Companies at the exhibition held from December 12-16. China's Vice Minister of Land and Resources Xu Deming and Sri Lanka's Ambassador to China, Ranjith Uyangoda opened the exhibition.

Sri Lankan embassy representatives in Beijing, National Gem and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Gem and Jewelry Association and the Gems and Jewelry Traders Association of China representatives also participated.

"Sri Lankan gems are fast becoming popular in the Chinese market and Sri Lankan Sapphires in particular. As such, the Sri Lanka Pavilion was patronized by large crowds on the five days of the exhibition much to the delight of Sri Lankan gem and jewellery trading companies who were able to secure business with Chinese buyers," a Sri Lankan embassy official in Beijing said.

On the sidelines of the China International Jewellery Exhibition, two Sri Lankan gem shops belonging to the Sri Lankan Gem Paradise Company, were ceremonially opened at the Tiyanya Gem and Jewelry City in Beijing by Deputy Minister Cader.

The China International Jewellery Exhibition in Beijing was organized by the Gem and Jewelry Traders Association of China. The Commercial Section of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing has established a close working relationship with the Association to further promote Sri Lankan gems and jewelry in the Chinese market.