Jewellery machinery expo begins in Dhaka

Appraise your gold jewellery down to the precise purity in just 10 seconds, watch in amazement as a broken gold chain is repaired in a heartbeat, or witness new links being forged through a machine in seconds.

These modern-day marvels can be experienced through a visit to the three-day International Jewellery Machinery Expo Bangladesh, which began at the International Convention City Bashundhara in Dhaka yesterday.

This first-of-its-kind exhibition aims to promote technological integration in traditional jewellery-making processes and turn the country's gold industry into an export-oriented sector.

The Bangladesh Jeweller's Association (Bajus), in association with its Indian partner KNC Services, is organising the fair, which runs from 11:00am to 7:00pm every day with the theme "Technology for excellence in jewellery".

Visiting the fair, it was seen that as many as 30 companies from 10 countries, including India, Italy, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, China and Thailand, were showcasing their products.

However, all eyes are immediately drawn to a computer-controlled jewellery-making machine, capable of crafting complex designs in minutes.

Venturing further forward, you may arrive at a machine that can appraise your ornaments down to the number of carats within ten seconds.

Arpon Dhar, director of RN MicroTech, importer and sole distributor of Aczet Company's gold testing and hallmark machines, adds that the percentage of other metals in an ornament is also revealed.

He added that another machine, used to clean gold ornaments, could return the shimmer to old jewellery within 5 to 10 minutes. The price of such machines usually runs from Tk 20,000 to Tk 1 lakh.

Dhar said: "Such a fair has never been held before. It's a first-time experience for us. The buyers are very enthusiastic."

A potential customer said he had travelled all the way to the fair from the Karnaphuli area in Chattogram, where he works at a jewellery shop.

He said he had seen various machines that could enhance their production processes and would suggest that the shop owner buy those.

Samiul Islam, a sales engineer at Dreamz Instrument Technology, said one of their machines could repair broken chains through a laser welding machine in a matter of seconds.

He added that their machines are used to test gold in more than 70 labs in the country.

Gunjan Priyadarshi, general manager of Indian company M Sakshi International, said they have automatic machines imported from China and Italy which can make chains.

The price of the machines is around Tk 40 lakh to 60 lakh.

During the inauguration ceremony yesterday, Mahbubul Alam, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said: "The gold industry will bring billions of dollars into the country from abroad in the days to come.

"If the gold industry gets proper policy support, many businesspeople will enter this industry," he said.

At present, most jewellers in the country sell handmade jewellery. But when making jewellery by hand, some precious metal is lost, which increases the price of jewellery.

If jewellery can be made with the help of machines, the loss of gold will be reduced, he said.

Bajus hopes the exhibition will encourage entrepreneurs to set up new jewellery factories in the country.