The first India Gemstone Week (IGW) being held in Jaipur, the coloured gemstone capital of the world, from April 15-17, 2018, saw a very fruitful interaction between buyers and sellers over the first two days.

While   fixed meetings were arranged on the first two days of the event, the third day was kept as an open day allowing for a  free flowing interaction between   buyers and sellers.

Exports of coloured gemstones from India amount to US$ 420 million. The sector contributes to the total gems and jewellery workforce which is five million strong. 

A total of 82 delegates from 22 countries, were part of the buyers’ contingent at the IGW. The countries  represented included Algeria, Armenia, China, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan,  Lebanon, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Taiwan, UAE, UK, Uzbekistan amongst others.

Talking to some of the buyers   revealed that there was a high level of satisfaction amongst them with regards to the event, and  the outcome of the show. 

The buyers encapsulated a variety of roles  – owners of retail shops and/or manufacturing units, gemstone traders, and gemmologists and designers representing their companies.

The almost universal reaction was that there was a vast variety of gemstones on offer, and one could find whatever one wanted.

‘We are looking for both a steady supply  of standard cuts for mass production as well as for custom cuts for our special creations,” says Naomi Newton Sherlock of Domino Jewellery, UK.   Domino was purchased in January this year by Pforzheim-based Heimerle + Meule GmbH, whose parent company is L. Possehl & Co.MbH, and this has expanded their horizon and promises a wider reach   for Domino in the future.  Naomi is enthusiastic about  what she has seen on her visit   and hopes to develop some log term relationships as a result.

Laurent Decque and Margeaux Allaire are traders in gemstones from France with  some fancy high-end brand names as  their clients including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Van Cleef & Arpels.  “It is important for us to have the best quality, as our clients are very demanding and meticulous,” Margeaux stresses with Laurent nodding vigorously. “From what we have seen, we feel we will get that here.” In fact, so impressed are they   that they have extended their stay by two more days to be able to visit factories and explore the market further.

Achim and Lucie Vissing, from Germany have exclusive jewellery operation. They make bespoke jewellery, and create  high design pieces using a lot of coloured stones including semi precious and synthetic ones.  Lucie spells out another dimension the experience of the buyers. “People here are so helpful, that even if they do not have what we specifically want, they are willing to help us find it.”  

Esmeralda Ablyaeva, of Golden-Beich Ltd, Uzbekistan is  very excited at the prospects offered by the event.  Hoping to purchase  emerald, ruby, aquamarine and tourmaline, she says that the  jewellery market in her country is a fast developing one and has a very high potential. 

Lena and Ara Dakessian are a couple who have manufacturing units and shops in Beirut. So far they have been making their coloured gemstone purchases in Bangkok and Hong Kong, but found that the visit to India had opened up a world of new possibilities. “Whatever we ask for they have,” Lena commented. 

Natalia Iun (gemmologist) and Tatiana Polyakov (designer) from Russkiye Samotsvety of Russia are wonderstruck by the gemstones they have been viewing. “There are some which we can never see in Russia, and are just not available there,” says Natalia. In Russia, manufacturers purchase all gemstones from retailers/traders in that country.  Tatiana is particularly excited, her head buzzing with design possibilities. Natalia adds, “The prices are also much better. In Russia they can be 10 times of what we are seeing here.”

Olga Kochueva, also from Russia, is a gemmologist for Kabarovsky JH. “We produce high end  design led jewellery – we do not make mass-produced jewellery,” she says. “It is very difficult to find unique gemstones in Russia; here we see quite a variety of them. So it is a good opportunity.” Her company is also one of the few which exports jewellery out of Russia and has a 70:30 ratio of domestic and international business respectively.

Pic Cap: Hon’ble Union Minister of State of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri C.R. Chaudhary (centre in white) making the rounds of the stalls at the India Gemstone Week. Also seen are GJEPC Chairman Pramod Agarwal (foreground) and Nirmal Kumar Bardiya, Regional Chairman, Rajasthan (ext left)