Had the explorers and conquistadors who searched tirelessly for legendary cities of treasure, been alive today, one of their stop points would have been the BMICH in Colombo, where the 26th edition of FACETS brought together all leading gem and jewellery merchants and dealers in Sri Lanka as well as a number of foreign dealers.

The entire Sirimavo Bandaranaike Memorial Hall was array with the shimmer and glimmer of hundreds of gems, whilst showcases displayed jewellery of such intricate and elegant design as to put the work of the mythical craftsmen of El Dorado (the city of gold) to shame.

One of the first to admire this stunning setting was none other than President Maithripala Sirisena himself. The President didn’t hold back his pleasure and admiration of some of the works on show.

The Premier Pavilion and the Gem & Jewellery Mart, which made their debut this year, impressed the President and other dignitaries at the opening ceremony, which was held on Thursday, 1 September. The exhibition concluded on Sunday, 4 September.

Having wandered down the aisles lined with stalls and showcases that held sapphires in varying shades, dazzling diamonds, crimson rubies, eye-catching emeralds and other precious and semi-precious gems, one could not help but get lost in the splendour of one of Sri Lanka’s most wondrous resources.

The jewellery made up off various materials such as gold, silver, platinum and even coral in some instances, featured designs that stay true to their Sri Lankan heritage and took ones breathe away as they showed off the most careful and elaborate workmanship imaginable.

Sri Lanka brings to life the tales of riches and treasures that explorers chased after centuries ago. Not for nothing does Sri Lanka boast of names such as ‘The Pearl of the Indian Ocean,’ ‘Ratna Dweepa’ and ‘The Sapphire Capital of the World,’ FACETS was proof that our little island nation had indeed earned each one of those titles.

A vast number of buyer delegates from all around the world were present at the exhibition as well as other foreign visitors, all of whom had come to see just what has made Sri Lankan gems and jewellery, some of the most popular and valuable in the world for the past hundreds of years.

The gems that Marco Polo reported were some of the best in the world have yet to lose their place on the top of the list and the collections displayed at FACETS show the world why.

Throughout the past two decades FACETS has gained international recognition as an exhibition that showcases some of the most beautiful collections of gems and jewellery. However, this year’s show has been reported to be the best show in the history of FACETS.

This time the show featured something for everyone, with items to suit any budget, in order to allow anyone to attend and enjoy the benefits of one of the topmost resources our country has to offer.