Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company

Pakistan is a country with a population of more than 150 million. Labour force is available at relatively cheap rates hence offers a competitive edge. In this part of the world women love to wear gold jewellery. On occasions of marriage and other ceremonies a lot of jewellery is bought and worn. Secondly, gold is also bought for investment purposes, and considered a security as well. Historically Pakistan has a rich tradition of jewellery designs and craftsmanship, being handed down from Gandhara civilization, Alexandrian period and various other dynasties which ruled the subcontinent and finally the Mughal Era. We find a mark from all these periods. In addition, Pakistan is blessed with vast natural reserves of precious and semi precious colored gemstones, including ruby, emerald, tourmaline, garnet, topaz, peridot, aquamarine, spinel, pargasite, diopside, moonstone, serpentine jade, epidote, pink beryl (morganite), purple beryl, sphene, zoisite, lapis lazuli, turquoise, kunzite and almost all known varieties of quartz. Considering these two factors Pakistan is ideally placed for the industry to flourish and grow to meet the international challenges, if channelized in the right direction. Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company was formed in June 2006 and the company became operational in April 2007. PGJDC has the support and backing of the Government of Pakistan through Ministry of Production. The success of two years of consultative exercise which led to the formation of PGJDC would have been impossible without the personal attention and encouragement given throughout by the Ministry of Production, Government of Pakistan. This consultative process of value chain analysis, gap identification and pilot project identification was led by private sector stakeholders representing all the four provinces and federally administered territories. The result was the first ever mine-to-market strategy based on first hand information.