Thomas TanVisitors to the four-day 8th edition of Malaysia International Jewellery Fair (MIJF) 2011 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur which was held from July 7 to July 10, marveled at more than 100,000 pieces of posh, exquisite and spectacular jewelleries collections on display.
The glitterati of guests including royalty, diplomats, socialites and celebrities added to the glitz and glamour to the official launch by Tourism Minister Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen held on 7th July at 2.45 pm.
“The government has, from 1st Jan this year, implemented tax exemption on jewellery to boost tourism and make the country an attractive shopping haven for the precious stones and sparkling treasures,” said Tourism Minister Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen who received enthusiastic approval from the over 300 invited guests.
“We may include MIJF in our 1Malaysia Contemporary Art Festival calendar next year as contemporary jewellery design is an art.”
Malaysia’s largest jewellery fair founder Johnson Lim said: “The fair is being organized with a determined vision to strengthen Malaysia’s position as a global standard jewellery trading catalyst.”
“There will be good deal with discounted jewellery collection due to the tax exemption policy.”
“We are donating part of the proceeds from the sale of real collections crafted from award winning designs by jewellery design students from Asian region to support BCWA – Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia,” added Johnson who is CEO of Elite Expo, the event organizer.
The ceremony kicked-off with a dazzling jewellery fashion show that received admiring glances from the enthusiastic guests. Beautiful models graced the ramp with stunning eye-catching pieces from three prominent jewellery brands – SPECS Jewellery, Amee Philips Jewellery and Tomei Gold & Jewellery.
The presence of Malaysia’s jazz queen Datuk Sheila Majid and singer, actress and television personality Fauziah Latiff who is also former Malaysian Idol judge attracted a crowd who came up to them to pose for photos.
Asked what she thought of the sparkling jewels on display, Dato’ Sheila Majid said: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend and women never get enough of it and there you go!.”
Apart from Malaysia, leading jewellers showcasing their luxury jewellery collections at the event were from countries such Turkey, Japan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, Poland, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Dubai and UAE.
A prominent jewellery company in Malaysia, Tomei Gold & Jewellery is showcasing an attractive gold diamond necklace from Italy – 14.8 carats, 1,251 pieces, 18k 750 wide gold with a price tag of RM351,000 The booth attracted a lot of excitement and received many enquiries on the magnificent jewel.
One booth that received a lot of interest was the Raffles College of Higher Education Kuala Lumpur which showcased a glittering array of jewellery collections designed and crafted by its jewellery design students. Many of the magnificent pieces were quickly snapped up.
The college offers specialized Advanced Diploma (2 years) and Bachelor of Design (3 years) courses in Jewelley Design. Its jewellery design programme coordinator and lecturer Sydney Scherr said: “I am proud to have a class of very dedicated and talented students who pay meticulous attention to detail, combined enthusiasm and passion in the programme. They will shape the future of jewellery design.”
During the exhibition, two awards will be given on the last day – the MIJF Jewellery Design Award 2011 to recognize the creativity of Asian jewellery designer students; and Most Outstanding Award which is voted by visitors to the fair.
Other activities during the four-day event included a forum entitled “Empower your jewellery business” to facilitate industry players with practical guides on accelerating the growth of jewellery businesses; and a seminar covering “Gemstone Treatment Update” by Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to keep visitors abreast on the most important treatment processes applied in the current gemstone update.
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