The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC), the apex body for promotion of gems and jewellery, inaugurated the first-ever rough gemstone souring show in the presence of Chief Guest, Subhash Chandra Agrawal, Commissioner of Customs(Preventive), Jaipur; Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC; Nirmal Kr. Bardiya, Regional Chairman, Jaipur Region; Vijay Kedia, Convener, Coloured Gemstones and Pearls, GJEPC, Sabyasachi Ray, ED, GJEPC along with others. With an intention to make gemstones available for Indian cutting and polishing industry and also to enable direct sourcing of rough coloured diamonds, GJEPC has organised a month long first-ever rough gemstones sourcing show India Rough Gemstones Sourcing Show - 2020, which commenced today and will be open till December 11, 2020.

This is a first of its kind physical gemstone show during the ongoing pandemic, where all the necessary Central government’s health departments and state Government’s safety guidelines laid for COVID-19 like Social Distancing, disinfection, compulsory wearing of masks etc. will be followed. GJEPC the organisers of the show has ensured not more than 12 visitors will be allowed to visit the show at a given point of time, to avoid large gathering.

Zambian company Kagem Mining, owned by Gemfields Group, will be displaying its rough emerald at the show.

Commenting about this initiative, Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “We are taking all possible initiatives to boost the Indian Gems and Jewellery industry to become world’s largest hub for the gems and jewellery exports by 2025. The gemstone industry in India is an import-oriented industry. GJEPC has taken up this project to ensure that there is continuous availability of roughs for Indian gem cutting and polishing industry.”

Colin Shah further added that, “It has always a challenge to get consistent quality and continuous supply of roughs for Indian gem cutting and polishing industry. It’s an import-based industry and sustained supply of rough is a key to manufacturing.”

 India is one of the world’s finest cutting and polishing centre for precious and semi-precious stones. India processes more than 300 different varieties of precious and semi-precious gemstones which includes C&P Emerald, Tanzanite, Morganite and many other gemstones. India is capable of producing small quantities and at lower prices as compared to what prevail in China and Thailand.