Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand Changes Leadership
The Asian country is an international player in the jewelry and precious stones sector
As of November 2020, the Gem and Jewellery Institute of Thailand (GIT) changed leadership with the appointment of Sumed Prasongpongchai. The public organization founded in 1998 under the Ministry of Commerce is responsible for promoting Thailand's precious gem and jewelry industry globally, hence Thai policy as well as growth both involve the jewelry sector. Indeed, we are talking about a country that is currently one of the world’s leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) as well as one of the top three colored gemstone capitals.
«We have the know-how, the craftsmanship and the regulations for the industry. Our next step is to focus on standardizing procedures to comply with international guidelines,» explained the newly appointed GIT director in an interview conducted by journalist Isabella Yan.
The institute is actively creating standards to improve testing and certification services that meet international benchmarks, as well as planning to establish further professional standards for workers in the gem and precious metals industry. Thailand, therefore, as the new director said, is seeking to carve out a global role for itself in the jewelry sector by continuing to strengthen policies and strategies aimed at raising the profile of its players in the international context.
That is why Prasongpongchai expects that, within five years, the country will «become one of the world's leading centers for precious stone supply and jewelry production thanks to further technological advances, production techniques and creative designs.» Among the priorities for the immediate future Prasongpongchai cites the implementation of important compliance policies, «in particular those of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and we will be announcing these new requirements to companies in order to inform them of the policies that will affect their competitiveness and reach in on the global market.» In fact, in 2022, GIT will be focusing more on the challenge of gem design and cutting to improve its skills, develop new production techniques and increase product quality. And because 80 per cent of the world's colored gemstones are distributed through Thailand, Chanthaburi, known for the cut and quality of its gems, will strengthen its position as a key hub for global production and trade by hosting the International Gem and Jewellery Conference week from 2-3 February with a display of the winning stone from GIT's Enchanting Ruby & Sapphire Awards.
*from an interview by Isabella Yan
«We have the know-how, the craftsmanship and the regulations for the industry. Our next step is to focus on standardizing procedures to comply with international guidelines,» explained the newly appointed GIT director in an interview conducted by journalist Isabella Yan.
The institute is actively creating standards to improve testing and certification services that meet international benchmarks, as well as planning to establish further professional standards for workers in the gem and precious metals industry. Thailand, therefore, as the new director said, is seeking to carve out a global role for itself in the jewelry sector by continuing to strengthen policies and strategies aimed at raising the profile of its players in the international context.
That is why Prasongpongchai expects that, within five years, the country will «become one of the world's leading centers for precious stone supply and jewelry production thanks to further technological advances, production techniques and creative designs.» Among the priorities for the immediate future Prasongpongchai cites the implementation of important compliance policies, «in particular those of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) and we will be announcing these new requirements to companies in order to inform them of the policies that will affect their competitiveness and reach in on the global market.» In fact, in 2022, GIT will be focusing more on the challenge of gem design and cutting to improve its skills, develop new production techniques and increase product quality. And because 80 per cent of the world's colored gemstones are distributed through Thailand, Chanthaburi, known for the cut and quality of its gems, will strengthen its position as a key hub for global production and trade by hosting the International Gem and Jewellery Conference week from 2-3 February with a display of the winning stone from GIT's Enchanting Ruby & Sapphire Awards.
*from an interview by Isabella Yan
