This week’s Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair drew more than 30,000 visitors, the show’s largest attendance in recent years. Gems and jewelry were Thailand’s ninth-largest export in 2022, generating more than $8 billion in revenue. Industry officials project the could expand by 10 percent this year.

Thailand is ready to become a global jewelry trading and gemstones sourcing hub,” said Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, director general of the Thailand Ministry of Commerce’s Department of International Trade Promotion, which jointly organized the event with the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand. “Our strength is reinforced by the expertise and craftsmanship of skilled artisans, especially in the heat treatment, which is hard to match anywhere else.”

Thailand’s heat-treating technique, discovered by accident, is world-renowned for its ability to coax the most exquisite light and hue from colored gemstones.