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Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and ICA President Benjamin Hackman shake hands as ICA Congress Committee 2015 Chairman A.H.M. Imtizam looks on
Foreign delegates take pictures during the opening ceremony of the 16th International Coloured Gemstone Association Congress in Colombo yesterday
A foreign national in discussion with a stallholder at the gem and jewellery exhibition on the sidelines of 16th International Coloured Gemstone Association Congress in Colombo yesterday
By Channa Fernandopulle
Undeterred by gloomy weather, the city is tipped to glitter with the 16th global congress of the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) kicking off in Colombo yesterday.
The congress, which this year coincides with ICA’s 30th anniversary celebrations, saw a global cross-section of gem and jewellery industry professionals converge in Colombo to meet, discuss industry trends and share their expertise. In total, the congress, which is on till Tuesday, will play host to over 250 international delegates from more than 60 countries.
Proceedings commenced with a warm welcome addresses delivered by ICA President Benjamin Hackman and ICA Congress Committee 2015 Chairman A.H.M. Imtizam while Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Minister of Investment Promotion, Highways Kabir Hashim and Minister of Disaster Management A.H.M. Fowzie were on hand to ceremonially inaugurate the sessions.
Delivering a brief statement prior to the commencement of technical sessions of the congress, Karunanayake praised the efforts of the ICA and its organising committee for hosting the event in Sri Lanka and providing the nation with a valuable opportunity to showcase its gem and jewellery industry to the world.
Pix by Upul Abayasekara
“As you may know Sri Lanka is famous for its tea, cinnamon, gemstones and more with the recent election of a new president, for democracy as well. In this changing world, it is our hope that the Sri Lankan gem and jewellery industry will be able to use the opportunities generated out of this congress learn and grow to become an international trading centre,” he stated.
In that context, Karunanayake pledged the Government’s full support and that of the Finance Ministry in providing any assistance required to develop Sri Lanka’s gem industry while noting that the country’s lapidary industry in particular would require such assistance.
“We as a Government will work with you the whole way to ensure that capacity building is carried out to help enhance your knowledge and harness this to showcase Sri Lanka to the world and take us towards this goal.
“This has been an industry that has been cherished and nurtured for a very long time but still remains relatively underexposed to the world. It is a rural industry that has been growing and our intention is to take this industry forward,” he asserted, before quipping that such developments would be vital to tackling more immediate issues with the country’s budget deficit.
“As the Finance Minister, I wish I too could hold some of these precious stones and use them to bring in some dollars that we could use to tackle the budget deficit that we have been dealing with over the last year,” Karunanayake joked.
Reiterating his pledge to support local and international efforts to develop Sri Lanka’s gem trade, Karunanayake issued an open invitation to any interested parties to approach the Finance Ministry for any assistance in their endeavours.
“I’m only a novice in this field but I am told that our local industry has the potential to grow into a billion dollar business. We will work to ensure this happens and it is our earnest desire to cut through all the bureaucratic red-tape and facilitate you to carry out your business and we will be prospective in our approach,” he concluded.
Congress sessions kicked off with a concise history of the ICA delivered its past president and founding member, Paolo Valentini followed thereafter by a lecture on the history of Sri Lankan sapphires by leading gemmology expert, Dr. Jack Ogden.
Delivering an insightful presentation into the storied history of the Sri Lankan sapphire complemented with images of some of the oldest known examples of sapphires – includingone 2,300-year-old specimen of Greek manufacture set with an Indian diamond and discovered in Afghanistan – Ogdennoted that Sri Lanka in many respects had always been an international hub for coloured gem stones.
“From a historic point of view, Sri Lankan blue sapphires were not very popular in India and that may be the reason that they became so popular when they found their way to Europe. But it is important to note that Sri Lanka has functioned as a centre for coloured gem stones for the last 2,000 years. When seeking to promote the Sri Lankan industry therefore, I think the focus should be on this extraordinary and amazing tradition and history,” he suggested.
Notably, the congress also featured an exclusive FACETS trade show and a Small and Medium Enterprise Gem Pavilion organised by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Authority (SLGJA) with event organisers anticipating a flurry of gem sales on the sidelines of the event.
The event, which was organised in collaboration with the SLGJA, the National Gem and Jewellery Authority and the Export Development Board, will run till 19 May following which interested delegates will be taken on a week-long tour of mining operations from Ratnapura to Elahera and Beruwala.
