More senior industry leaders have confirmed that they will attend the launch of the Panama Gem & Jewelry Center on March 17 and 18, according to press release e-mailed to Rough&Polished. Among the latest are Jeffrey H. Fischer, a member of the Board of Governors of the Gemological Institute of America, Alex Popov, President of the Moscow Diamond Bourse, and Mehul Shah, President of the Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association (IDCA).
The two-day launch event in Panama is bringing together an unprecedented group of industry leaders, as well as members of the diamond, gemstone and jewelry industries from Latin America and around the world, where they will be introduced to the $200 million Panama Gem & Jewelry Center project, which will be the first dedicated facility for the diamond, jewelry and colored stone trades in the region that includes South and Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The guest of honor at the launch will be President Ricardo Martinelli, Panama's head of state.
A leading American diamond manufacturer, Jeffrey H. Fischer is honorary life president of both the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of America (DMIA), and is a former board member of the Jewelers' Vigilance Committee in the United States. He has served since 2008 as as Governor of the Gemological Institute of America, a standard bearer of gemological services, research and education worldwide. He also serves as on the advisory board of the Diamond Development Initiative.
Alex Popov, President of the Moscow Diamond Bourse, is active in luxury distribution and retail in Russia and former Soviet Union countries. He was instrumental in establishing the first Russian private diamond and jewellery exchange and its acceptance as a World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) member. He also is Chairman of the World Diamond Mark, which is a non-for-profit organisation incorporated in Hong Kong that was established by the WFDB to promote consumer desirability and confidence in diamonds.
Head of an important diamond manufacturing and trading company, Mehul Shah also serves as President for the Indian Diamond & Colorstone Association (IDCA). Established in 1984, IDCA is a not-for-profit organization whose mission it is to represent and promote members of the diamond and gemstone industries from India, operating in the United States.
The Panama Gem & Jewelry Center is anchored by the Panama Diamond Exchange (PDE), which is the first and only diamond bourse in all of Latin America.
A dedicated website has been established for the launch, which, in addition to providing information about the event and the project itself, enables participants to register online and book flights and hotels at especially discounted rates. The website is located at www.pdecenterlaunch.com, and can be viewed in Spanish and English.
Tatiana Alexandrova, Rough&Polished, Moscow
