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New African Gem Fair Postponed Until 2021
The inaugural Africa Gem Exhibition and Conference in Zambia was originally slated for this summer and then postponed until the fall.
Livingstone, Zambia—The inaugural Africa Gem Exhibition and Conference will now be held in 2021.
The event originally was planned for July 23 to 25, 2020, at the Avani Victoria Falls Resort in Livingstone, Zambia, and then organizers announced this spring their intentions to push it back to October.
Now, as the coronavirus pandemic continues, organizers said they will reschedule the event for next year, “with a lot of optimism that normalcy will have resumed in the world by then,” they said in an email announcement.
AGEC was designed to bring together a range of stakeholders from various African governments, miners representing small scale and large companies, civil society, associations and academics.
When it’s held, the conference will include discussions about policy in the gemstone supply chain, how to enhance Africa’s visibility as a gem-producing hub and responsible sourcing, among other things.
The event also will provide a marketplace for miners, dealers and jewelers to buy and sell gemstones and jewelry, introductory gemology courses and training for gem identification and jewelry making.
AGEC has been organized in partnership with the Association of Zambia Women in Mining, Federation of Small-Scale Miners of Zambia, the Zambian Government and the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference.
They are encouraging those interested to continue to register for sponsorship, exhibiting or attendance through the AGEC website.
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