Early planning in the first quarter of 2026 pointed to an August exhibition window aligned with the international jewellery calendar in East Asia. A June government briefing later confirmed the run: 31 August to 2 September 2026.
The 2025 edition, held in Pelmadulla in mid-August, drew delegations from the United States, India, China, Switzerland, Thailand, and Pakistan. It also marked the launch of gemcityratnapura.com, a government-backed trade portal with GOV PAY checkout for certain services.
For foreign buyers, the exhibition is one of the few structured moments to meet Sri Lankan miners, dealers, and cutters in the gem district rather than only in Colombo showrooms. For the government, it is the visible half of an export strategy that still depends on back-office reform: import tax stability, formal export tracking, and certification credibility.
Whether 2026 exceeds 2025 in deal volume will depend on rough supply returning to local workshops after the January tax revision and on buyer confidence that Sri Lankan policy will not reverse mid-year. The dates are set; the pipeline still needs to fill.