Bogotá: Colombia will host an International Emerald Symposium in October in what is claimed to be the inaugural gathering of producer countries to address challenges facing the industry.

Fedesmeraldas, the Colombian Emerald Federation, will organize the conference, which will seek to address a number of issues as well as opportunities in resource management, manufacturing, certification, nomenclature, technology, consumer education and branding, it said in a statement released on August 19.

Columbia’s ministry of mines and energy and all of the country’s emerald industry-related bodies are supporting the symposium, which will be held at Bogotá from October 13 to 15, according to the statement.

Delegations from the governments and private sector of Zambia, Afghanistan and Brazil as well as major international trade organization such as International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and CIBJO, the World Jewelry Confederation will be participating and support the event, the statement said.

The agenda at the symposium includes presentations by “world class” experts from all segments of the supply chain such as Jewelry Designer Erica Courtney. Honourable Christopher B. Yaluma, the minister of mines from Zambia, and Sean Giltbertson, executive director at Gemfields, are among the prominent speakers at the conference, according to Fedesmeraldas.