Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This article previews the upcoming International Gem and Jewelry Fair in Madagascar, highlighting the expected participation of 50 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors. We examine the significance of this event for the local economy and the gemstone industry.
13 October 2018
The IGM and BCMM are the organizers of the International Gem and Jewelry Fair of Madagascar.
Gemmology and lapidary are still very open sectors in Madagascar, with numerous opportunities.
Madagascar is very rich in gemmology. However, the country does not benefit much from these riches. Worse, in the absence of reliable statistics on the sector, gemmology in Madagascar is still largely dominated by the informal sector. It is precisely with the aim of better professionalizing the sector that the Institute of Gemmology of Madagascar (IGM) and the Mining Cadastre Bureau of Madagascar (BCMM) have decided to organize the first International Gem and Jewelry Fair of Madagascar.
The event, which is in its very first edition and will be held from October 23 to 27 at the Mining Business Center in Mamory Ivato, aims to be one of the major gatherings in the Indian Ocean for gems.
About fifty professional exhibitors will present their products and expertise in gems and jewelry. These exhibitors are primarily lapidaries, jewelers, goldsmiths, and economic operators, as well as Malagasy artisans from different regions such as Sakaraha, Ilakaka, and Antsirabe.
Approximately 25,000 visitors are expected at this free-entry fair.
He added:
Visitors will also have the chance to discover sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, rubies… which have made Madagascar famous in this field. Sector specialists and international buyers are also expected. However, one of the highlights of this Fair will likely be the series of information-rich conferences. Notable among them is the conference titled “Traceability, Ethics, and Sustainable Development of Gems with Corresponding Challenges,” presented by Didier Girard, President of the French Gemmological Association, and also a member of the Academy of Overseas Sciences, the Asian Society, and the Society of French Explorers. For his part, IGM Director General Rasolonjatovo Andrianirina Razafinjato will present a conference on the theme: “Investing in the Field of Precious Stones: Opportunities.” Charles Lawson, a renowned Australian gemmologist and geologist, will give a brief overview of his experience in the mining industry and how it can positively influence the local population. This presentation will be followed by the screening of a short film showing the journey of a precious stone in Madagascar, from the miner to the final consumer, passing through the broker, the lapidary, and the jeweler.
A lapidary competition will also be organized on the sidelines of the fair. This competition will serve as a tool to promote Malagasy gem and lapidary products, as the winners will be rewarded through the export of their products to the international market.
R.Edmond.
