Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association calls on PM

• Briefs Premier Mahinda Rajapaksa on ‘Sapphire Day’ on Saturday at Expo 2020 Dubai
• Aims to promote sapphires in parallel with tourism
• Top 11 Sri Lankan gem and jewellery businessmen will exhibit 25 precious gems of SL
• World-renowned expert in gem and jewellery Helen Molesworth will make a presentation tomorrow about precious gems in Sri Lanka

A delegation from the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association called on Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees on Tuesday, to brief him on the ‘Sapphire Day’ scheduled to be held at Sri Lanka pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Given the worldwide demand for Sri Lankan Blue Sapphires, the main objective of the ‘Sapphire Day’ is to promote Sapphires in parallel with tourism.

Accordingly, the Sri Lanka Pavilion at the Dubai Expo 2020 on Saturday, 26 February will be dedicated to Sapphire Day and 11 leading Sri Lankan gem and jewellery businessmen will be exhibiting 25 precious gems of Sri Lanka.

On the evening of the Gem Exhibition on 25 February, a world-renowned expert in gem and jewellery, Helen Molesworth, will make a presentation on precious gems in Sri Lanka, including sapphires. To this, all international media have been invited.

The Prime Minister was informed that a special video titled ‘Sapphire Sri Lanka’ created for the promotion of gems and tourism in Sri Lanka will also be released at the exhibition. This video has been created by incorporating Sri Lanka’s tourist attractions and cultural elements, inviting tourists to visit Sri Lanka and inviting them to buy a gem as a souvenir before leaving the country.

State Minister Lohan Ratwatte, National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) Chairman Thilak Weerasinghe, Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association President Ajwad Dean, Vice President Altaf Iqbal and Project Leader Roshen Weeraratne were also present at the meeting.