Iran's Share of the Global Gemstone Market Reaches One Percent

The director of the Iran Gemstone Development Project said Iran will reach a one-percent share of the global gemstone market's turnover by the end of 1405, with the value of its official and unofficial exports estimated at about $400 million.

According to Mehr reporter, Abu Mohammad Hashemi, the manager of Iran's gem development project, in the third round of the national gem cutting competition, emphasized the need to develop the market and increase the export of processed products and stated: The development program of the country's gem industry began in 1402, and initially preliminary and infrastructure measures were on the agenda. These measures were further developed in Kerman, and today the path of completing the value chain and entering the global markets is followed more seriously.

Referring to the process of holding the national gem-cutting competitions, he added: In this period, a large number of enthusiasts and artists from all over the country participated in different stages, and after the preliminary judging, more than 90 people participated in the face-to-face competitions.

Hashemi continued: Holding these competitions provides an opportunity to identify talents, strengthen specialized skills and establish communication between artists and gem industry activists.

Referring to the economic dimensions of this industry, the director of Iran's gem development project stated: gem development is not limited to extraction from mines, but includes a continuous chain from exploration and extraction to processing, production of final products and presence in global markets. Completing this chain can provide an opportunity to increase the added value and develop the country's exports.

Stating that the targets for the development of this industry will continue until 1410, he said: planning to increase Iran's share of the world market and more effective presence in international exhibitions are among the axes ahead.

Hashemi also informed about the development plans for the coming years and added: In the future, the creation of specialized bazaars and production complexes is in the plan to strengthen the capacity of production and supply of products, to provide more opportunities for the tourism capacity and its link with the gem trade.

Referring to the experience of active countries in this industry, he noted: Countries like Thailand have been able to create a significant financial turnover in the field of gemstones by developing processing, trade and communication between production and the market. The use of these experiences can be effective in designing the development path of Iran's gem industry.

Emphasizing the necessity of continued cooperation between the executive bodies, specialists and activists in this field, the director of Iran's gemstone development project stated: By taking advantage of the mineral, cultural and specialized capacities of the country and moving from raw materials to the production of final products, we can provide the basis for the prosperity of the gemstone industry and strengthen Iran's position in the world markets.

The development of the gem industry requires the completion of the value chain from the mine to the market

In addition, Mahmoud Arab, General Director of Technical and Vocational Education of Qom province, in the third round of national gem carving competitions in Qom, pointed out the importance of skill training in creating employment and economic prosperity and stated: Just as we need to increase knowledge, we should also pay attention to the development of practical skills and the training of an efficient workforce.

Referring to a narrative about the importance of people having professions and skills, he added: Skill training and the ability to create a business are important factors in providing livelihood and achieving economic independence, and the necessary ground must be provided to transform the talents of young people into job opportunities.

Stating that gems and gem cutting are not only a beautiful art, but also an economic and strategic capacity, Arab clarified: The global gem and jewelry market is worth several hundred billion dollars and some countries, including Switzerland, Thailand, and Hong Kong, have been able to take a significant share of this market by relying on processing, cutting, design, and branding.

He continued: Despite having limited mineral resources in some cases, these countries have been able to gain a suitable position in the gem processing and trading chain. This is despite the fact that Iran, despite its rich mineral resources and specialized human resources, still has not fully benefited from the existing capacities to create added value in this industry.

The General Director of Technical and Vocational Education of Qom Province considered the identification of talents and the promotion of specialized skills as one of the goals of holding the third round of the National Gem Cutting Competition in Qom and said: The purpose of this competition is to identify talented and capable forces and provide a context for connecting them to economic enterprises and global markets.

Referring to the high capacity of value creation in the processing of gems, he added: the difference in the price of raw stone with the cut and polished product can be significant, and this shows that the correct management of the value chain of gems provides the possibility of increasing income and creating national wealth.

Emphasizing the job creation capacity of this industry, Arab said: Gem cutting is one of the professions that can be started with a relatively limited initial capital and a small working space. The estimate presented in this context is a capital of about 15 to 20 million tomans to start the activity, which can provide employment for young people and women, including in the home environment.

He continued: Based on the vision presented in the strategic document and with the cooperation of the Technical and Vocational Education Organization of the country, the creation of 550,000 to 700,000 direct jobs will be pursued in this area by 1410. Also, each direct job in this industry can create seven to 10 indirect job opportunities in sectors such as equipment and machinery production, design, packaging, specialized box making, marketing and e-commerce.

Director General of Technical and Vocational Education of Qom province, referring to the capacities of this province for the development of the gem industry, said: Qom, as a national ring city, with more than 1,400 active workshops and tourism capacity, has provided a suitable platform for linking specialized skills with trade and market.

He added: The purpose of holding this competition is not only to introduce the winners, but to create an economic ecosystem for cultivating talents, developing businesses and strengthening the presence of Iranian products in the world markets.

Arab also announced the pursuit of creating a specialized department of gem carving in Qom province and expressed hope that with the help of officials, benefactors and related institutions, the ground for setting up this collection and developing specialized training in this field would be provided.

Artificial intelligence and new technologies help the development of the gem industry

Majid Vafaiefard, director of Imino, also stated in this ceremony: The development of the gemstone industry requires cooperation between experts in this field, universities, knowledge-based companies and groups active in the field of technology.

Referring to the activities carried out in the field of innovation and technology of mining industries, he added: one of the important capacities of the country is to use the scientific and specialized power of various engineering disciplines to develop the technologies required by the gem industry. A capacity that can provide the basis for improving the level of technology and increasing productivity in this sector.

Emphasizing the importance of introducing new technologies into the production process, Wafai Fard stated: the use of advanced technologies, especially artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms, can play an effective role in image processing, identifying types of gemstones and recognizing their authenticity, and helping specialists to increase accuracy in evaluating and supplying products.

He continued: The development of new technologies, along with the specialized knowledge of the industry's activists, provides the possibility of improving the production and processing processes and can improve the position of Iranian products in the domestic and international markets.

Director Imino also emphasized the necessity of localizing the equipment needed by the gem industry and said: Designing and manufacturing cutting machines and advanced equipment with high precision is one of the other fields in which experts and technologists can play a role. In addition to reducing dependence, the development of this equipment will help to increase the quality of processing and produce products with more added value.

He stated that the country's mining capacities and expert manpower have provided a suitable opportunity for the development of this industry, adding: the ability of knowledge-based companies and the capacity of universities should be used to meet the technological needs of the gem industry and the field of effective cooperation between the scientific, industrial and executive sectors should be expanded.

Vafaiefard noted: moving towards innovation, developing indigenous technologies and completing the gem value chain can provide the basis for passing raw trade and producing products with higher added value.

In the end, he expressed his hope that by strengthening the cooperation between the executive bodies, experts, universities and technological companies, the country's gem industry will witness growth, prosperity and promotion of its position in the world markets.