Pakistani Diamond Fashion Gold Jewellery 99

Pakistani Diamond Fashion Wedding Gold Jewelry.

By Samina Aamir. 

KARACHI: After years of planning, Pakistan’s gems and jewellery exports for the first time in history have crossed the psychological mark of $1 billion, which will earn the industry some respect in policymaking circles that appear to have neglected it for decades.

“The rise in gems and jewellery exports comes in the wake of investment by local enterprises in technology and innovation. Pakistanis are now investing in latest machinery that has never been the case before,” said Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC) Chief Executive Bakhtiar Khan in an interview to The Express Tribune.

According to latest government figures, gems and jewellery exports hit $1.11 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year 2012-13 

compared to $580 million in the same period of previous year, showing an impressive growth of 91%.

What is startling is that exports for just nine months are 20% higher than exports worth $926 million for the whole of last year.

Explaining the reasons for the growth, Khan said Pakistan is moving from traditional to contemporary ways of jewellery manufacturing. “Our enterprises are now investing in value addition in both stones and jewellery,” he said.