From January 7-9, Gem Sri Lanka 2026 was successfully held at the Shangri-La Hotel in the heart of Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, attended the official opening ceremony as a distinguished guest. Evolving from an initial industry-specific exhibition, Gem Sri Lanka has grown into a milestone international event.
Gem Sri Lanka is organized by the Ceylon Gem & Jewellery Trade Association (CGJTA). With over 2,000 members covering core production areas in Sri Lanka such as Beruwala, Ratnapura, and Galle, the association has built a professional platform for exchange, cooperation, and exploration for professionals in the global gemstone industry.
Exhibition Scale and Participation Reach New Historical High
This exhibition featured 150 booths, attracting a large number of local and international buyers. Guests attending the opening ceremony included Mr. Sunil Handunnetti, Minister of Industries and Enterprise Development; Mr. Naveen Sooriyarachchi, Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka; Mr. Marjan Faleel, Chairman of CGJTA; and representatives of the Platinum Sponsors—Mr. Andrew Lucas, Field Gemologist and President of GUILD Gem Education; and Ms. Liu Lihong, President of GUILD Gem Laboratories.
Centered on the core values of "Integrity and Transparency," this exhibition consistently adhered to high-level professional standards. Exhibitors comprehensively showcased the professional advantages of each link in the gemstone industry chain, covering key areas such as mining, cutting, polishing, and heat treatment.
Meanwhile, in the form of an immersive experience, the exhibition established "The Ceylon Gem Heritage Walk" to present the long and rich development history of Sri Lanka's gemstone industry, introducing famous Sri Lankan gemstones, allowing more participants to understand Sri Lanka's long history and important status in the gemstone industry.
The sample submission data from GUILD Gem Laboratories reached a new high, which intuitively reflected the activity of the Sri Lankan trading market and further confirmed the trend of recovery in the global gemstone market at the beginning of the year.
Sri Lanka — A World-Famous Gemstone Trading Center
Sri Lanka possesses a booming and economically valuable trade relationship in precious and semi-precious gemstones, renowned internationally for high-quality gemstones and excellent cutting and craftsmanship. The gemstones produced fully meet or even exceed the highest industry standards.
Sri Lanka has always held an important position in the global gemstone industry, serving as a global center integrating mining, cutting, treatment, and trade. Buyers from global markets such as Japan, India, and China continue to come to Sri Lanka. Here, one can see the entire supply chain of colored gemstones. Combining deep gemstone cultural heritage, rich experience, and innovative thinking, they have developed a keen perception of the global market. In recent years, by combining rough stone procurement from Africa, Madagascar, and Southeast Asia with local cutting craftsmanship, its status in the gemstone industry has been further consolidated.
GUILD Makes Its Debut with Dual Booths at the Gem Sri Lanka Exhibition
As an international authoritative testing institution, GUILD has been committed to the research of field gemology, collecting Type A standard gemstone samples from major mining areas around the world to provide precise, authoritative, and efficient testing services for global practitioners. Since the establishment of the exhibition, GUILD has been the Platinum Sponsor of Gem Sri Lanka for three consecutive sessions. This exhibition marks the first time GUILD has appeared with dual booths for GUILD Gem Laboratories and GUILD Gem Education.
At the GUILD Gem Laboratories booth, a team of senior gemologists from GUILD Beruwala provided 24-48-hour rapid testing services for exhibitors and buyers, covering identification, enhancement and treatment, and other testing services, providing reliable support for global gemstone trade procurement. Simultaneously, the "2025 GUILD Colored Gemstone Market Report" was launched in limited quantities at the booth, providing an important reference guide for industry development trends.
The GUILD Gemology Education booth, making its debut, focused on the knowledge needs of domestic and international practitioners, comprehensively showcasing the GUILD Education curriculum system and overseas study tour projects on site. The booth exhibited the English version of "Journey of Gems", professional color charts, and the bound volume of "Gemstone Inclusion Atlas: Microscopic Wonders", which were widely favored and welcomed by practitioners from home and abroad.
Focusing on International Vision, Promoting Industry Development
GUILD will continue to deepen its presence in the international gemstone market. Supported by professional capabilities, it will provide all possible support for the transparent and standardized development of the global gemstone industry, explore new possibilities in source trade together with industry peers, and look forward to bringing more surprises at the next Gem Sri Lanka.
