ICA PRESS RELEASE

ICA Appoints Ambassadors to Russia and Lebanon

New York – The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) recently announced the appointments of Mr. Pavel Sokolov as the new ICA Ambassador to Russia and Mr. Constantin Janho as the new ICA Ambassador to Lebanon. The establishment of these offices signals the growing importance of these two countries in the international gemstone marketplace.

"We are very excited to have Mr. Sokolov and Mr. Janho as our newest ICA ambassadors," said ICA president Joe Menzie. "Russia has become not only a gem source but an increasingly important market for gemstone consumption, particularly high quality gems, while Lebanon is part of a growing Middle Eastern market that will be center stage at our 2007 Congress in Dubai. Spreading knowledge and appreciation of gemstones in that area is a high priority for us."

Mr. Sokolov is president and owner of Sokolov Co., Ltd., one of Russia's three largest gemstone companies. Sokolov Co., Ltd. specializes in the wholesale market of cut and rough stones and it also has its own cutting factory that facets exclusive stones. Prior to founding the company in 1991, Mr. Sokolov worked as a senior geology researcher at St. Petersburg State University.

"I' m honored to take on the role of ICA ambassador to Russia," says Mr. Sokolov. "I will have the opportunity to share information on the Russian market with ICA members and to promote the colored gemstone trade in the region."

Mr. Janho is the owner of Tia Jewellery, a Lebanese wholesale and retail colored gemstone business established by his father in 1950. Over the past two decades, Janho has extended his company's operations to the entire Persian Gulf region. In 2003, he became a member of the Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group. With his vast knowledge of colored stone market trends and worldwide sourcing, he has served as a consultant to many in the Dubai jewelry trade.

"With the 2007 ICA Congress coming to Dubai, I have a powerful opportunity to lead ICA's mission to continue educating the Gulf region about gemstones and the colored stone industry," he said. "I look forward to working on these issues on ICA's behalf."

With the addition of Mr. Sokolov and Mr. Janho, ICA boasts 37 current ambassadors worldwide.

Photographs are available on request.

For more information on color trends contact
Barbara Lipatapanlop
Executive Director
International Colored Gemstone Association
ica@gemstone.org
The International Colored Gemstone Association, headquartered in New York City and operating additional "GemBureaus" in Idar-Oberstein and Dubai, is the nonprofit trade association that represents the international colored gemstone industry, an extremely important and influential segment of the jewelry business. ICA has over 500 members in 46 countries worldwide.