The Silver Jubilee edition of FACETS, Sri Lanka's International Gem and Jewellery show in Colombo, ended on a positive note on September 6, according to a report in the newsletter published by the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA). The show was held at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Exhibition Centre.

Writing in the publication, Altaf iqbal, ICA Ambassador, Sri Lanka says that the four-day event saw an unprecedented number of visitors, foreign delegations and international buyers attending. The show was also visited by several ministers and members of parliament, as well as the President, H.E. Maithripala Sirisena.

The FACETS show is the most important event on the country's calendar for the gems and jewelry sector, and is organized by the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Association. It is supported by the National Gem and Jewellery Authority as well as the Export Development Board.

"We are awed by the response that we received during the four-day event," said Juzar Adamaly, Chairman of the FACETS show. "The encouraging feedback has given us an impetus to host a larger show next year, in keeping with international standards and with state-of-the-art facilities."

He added that the FACETS show has become a unique business marketplace. "It is compact enough to fully explore sourcing opportunities and with a large number of new participants attending every year, it makes an ideal platform for networking."

The industry in Sri Lanka currently is the fourth-largest export earner for Sri Lanka, accounting for about $384 million, or 4%, of exports last year.

Speakng at the inauguration of the show, Bandula Egodage, Chairman of the Export Development Board, a sponsor of the show, said that the country aimed to grow the Sri Lankan gem and jewelry industry to make it a $1 billon business. "We will provide the industry with modern technology, deep knowledge and experience for trained craftspeople to add value to our gemstones, and rival the competition at a global level."

One of the highlights of the show was the launch of four unique stamps by the country's Postal Department to commemorate the Silver Jubileeof FACETS. The stamps depict a star sapphire, blue sapphire, cat's eye chrysoberyl, and a padparadscha sapphire. The stamps were issued by the Sri Lanka Philatelic Bureau of the Department of Posts from September 3.

 The winners of the Sri Lanka Jewellery Design Awards 2015 were also announced during the show. The awards went to Achini Indika in the colored stone and the diamond categories, Sajeewa Thotagamuwa in the plain gold category and Yee Jing in the international category.