Mizzima News

Ruili (Mizzima) – Gem traders, who are members of the Burma Gem Traders’ Association, showcased their exhibits at the Gem Emporium in Kunming, Yunnan Province, inaugurated on Friday.

About 20 gem traders under the aegis of the Rangoon based Burma Gem Traders’ Association led by Chairman Tay Za and other businessmen exhibited their gems at the 9-day Kunming International Gem Emporium.

“We are from Myanmar [Burma] Gem Traders’ Association, led by Chairman Tay Za. About 20 traders from different companies attended the emporium,” Mi Mi Nge belonging to the Association told Mizzima.

Tay Za, who has an excellent rapport with Burmese military junta supremo Snr. Gen. Than Shwe, flew all the Burmese gem traders to the Kunming emporium on his Air Bagan aircraft free of cost.

“Because this is the first ever business trip led by Tay Za, there will be some inconveniences for us. Most of the gems we brought here are jade jewellery such as sculpture, beads, bracelets among others. There are few other gem stones,” Mi Mi Nge said.

Similarly members of the Sino-Burmese border based Ruili Gem Traders’ Association also attended and exhibited their jewellery in about 60 showrooms show casing  jade, raw jade, jade lockets, jade rings, red gem stones and blue gem stones among myriad other precious stones.

The emporium mainly invites gem traders from ‘Association of South East Asian Nations’ countries. So gem traders from other member countries came and exhibited their products.

“A lot of people have come here. The Rangoon based Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry also attended. The emporium is held under the banner of ASEAN. But the traders are not entirely from all the member countries. They are from Burma, Hongkong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand etc.”, Phone Kyaw from Ruili based Gem Traders’ Association said.

Though the volume of sales was not high on the opening day of the gem emporium, the buyers came and inspected the gem stones. Deals will be struck later, he added.

“On the inaugural day, buyers came and inspected the gem stones and took notes. The prices may be on offer the next day. The number of buyers who came to the emporium is quite high. They came and saw our gems with keen interest. Some of the gems brought to Burma by Chinese traders and exhibited are of very high grade. Some of them are not available even in Burma now,” a gem trader who came to the emporium said.

The opening ceremony of the gem emporium was held today at about 10 a.m. local time and attended by Yunnan Provincial Communist Party Chairman, Vice-Chairman and the General Secretary.

The emporium was organized by Yunnan Provincial Government and it will continue till July 18.