MI was at the 72nd Bangkok Gems and Jewellery Fair that was held in Bangkok during the second week of September. We pre-registered our-selves as a media organisation be-forehand and got an acknowledge-ment email prior to the event. Yet when we arrived, our logs seemed to be missing from their records.
Every who and who of Myanmar jewellery market was there at the event, including many newbie cele online sellers, whose knowledge of swearing and cursing during live sales supersede their techni-cal knowledge on gems. The event was held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) next to the MRT station bearing the same name. The fair itself occupies two huge levels of the large convention centre; the halls 1 to 4 in G floor and halls 5 to 8 in LG floor. The former contains diamonds, fine jewellery, silvery jewellery and equipment and tools sections. The latter caters spe-cifically for gemstones.
Apparently a dress code was in place for entry, but it was not made well know prior and a lot of entrants were caught off guard and the rule was not universally enforced. While two of us from MI were allowed for entry first time round, myself and teammate were flagged during the second time; me for wearing crop pants and my teammate for wear-ing a slipper that she bought from Japan.
The Halls
Booths within the diamond section were mainly by Indian merchants. As happening in the world markets, the demand for diamonds were fall-ing and it was reflected in the dearth of crowd compared to other fine gems. The uncontrolled production of synthetic diamonds is not help-ing the market either, with a supply glut.
Over the other sections, people con-centrate on colour gemstones.The gems market is based on trust and as such, it is much more ethnic based than other trades. Japanese buyers focus on Japanese owned shops and likewise for the Indians and the Chinese.
If you asked for one trade that Inter-national community has a high im-pression on the Myanmar people, it would be the gems trade. We, being the producer of world renown rubies and sapphires, the world sees us as people of reasonable standing when it comes to the gems knowledge. Lots of Burma rubies were on dis-play at many gems shops, normally separated between heat-treated and unheated. The scarcity of Burmese rubies is also evident at the event. Most of the good quality Burmese rubies on display are sub one carat and the rubies of larger size either come from Madagascar, Sri Lanka, etc., or lack any noticeable transparency or even translucency. The rubies from other countries may be larger but if you ever feel like own-ing opaque rubies, go right ahead please.
First time for everything According to the organisers, it is the first time that a media from Myan-mar was covering the event. We are of the opinion that visitors from Myanmar represent the highest proportion of foreign visitors. We encountered many familiar names and faces and famous gemologists from motherland.
According to some shops, Myanmar people were buying too. They main-ly target garnets and even rubies from other countries. The normal route for serious visitors after tour-ing the exhibition would be to go to the Jewellery Trade Centre near Surasak and look around for better pricing from the shops at the centre.
