Photo taken on Dec. 12 shows the gems during the mid year Myanmar Gems Emporium at Maniyadana jade hall in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. (Xinhua/U Aung)
NAY PYI TAW, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- A total of 6,875 gem and jade lots including 6,685 jade lots are being put on sale at Myanmar mid-year gems emporium which kicked off here on Tuesday.
Nearly 4,000 merchants including 2,780 foreign buyers from China, China's Macao, Thailand and Canada are attending the emporium.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, the 10-day emporium will last until Dec. 21.
In accordance with the Gems Emporium Central Committee, gem and jade lots will be sold in euro currency under open tender system starting from Dec. 15.
Myanmar held its 54th annual gems emporium in August this year, selling 518,824 million euros (690 million U.S. dollars) worth of 5,197 gem and jade lots under open tender system and was attended by 5,311 local and foreign gem traders.
Myanmar's gems emporiums have been held annually since 1964.
Meanwhile, the country earned 23 million U.S. dollars from jade export in the first quarter of the present fiscal year 2017-2018, according to the official statistics.
China remains as Myanmar's biggest jade buyer, followed by India.
