Rahul Jain of Germany-based Caram welcomed a number of Chinese customers who were interested in his Sri Lankan sapphires, adding prices still are a bit soft. Also specializing in Sri Lankan sapphires was Regal Gems. Altaf Iqbal, owner of the Sri Lanka-based dealer, indicated prices for sapphires continue to fluctuate, although important stones still command decent prices.
Neil Kandira of Japan-based Anjali Jewels indicated that while prices are soft for many gems, including tourmaline, they were holding fairly steady for Burmese goods, especially ruby. “We are also seeing a lot of interest in our fossilized opals,” he remarked, adding they saw less buyers from China and the United State, but more from the general Asian region.
A new exhibitor was Aminco Gems, a subsidiary of the Nigerian enterprise A.A.Y. International Mining Co., which offered a selection of unusual blue tourmaline, as well as rubellite, among other gems. “The blue and pink tourmalines attracted a lot of attention from buyers around the world,” said Zoe Michelou, the company’s marketing manager.
