Sri Gems co-founder named among 18 professionals shaping the future of the coloured gemstone trade
Sri Lankan gemstone entrepreneur Mushir Munas, CEO and Co-Founder of Sri Gems, has been named a recipient of the NextGen Coloured Gem Excellence Awards 2026 by Jewellery World Awards (JWA), bringing international recognition to his journey from Beruwala’s gem trade to markets around the world. Munas is the only recipient representing Sri Lanka among the 18 professionals honoured at this year’s awards.
Munas is among 18 professionals recognised by Informa Markets for their contributions to the coloured gemstone sector. The awards celebrate entrepreneurs and industry professionals aged 45 and under who are helping advance the trade through innovation, responsible business practices and fresh approaches to growth.
The recognition ceremony is scheduled for September 16 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, during the Fair Reception of Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong September.
For Munas, the award marks a significant milestone in a business journey rooted in family experience and modest personal savings.
According to his profile in the September 2026 issue of JNA, Munas joined his father, Jayalabdeen Munas, and brother, M.M. Murshid, to establish Sri Gems in 2013. The following year, he began his own entrepreneurial journey with Rs. 25,000 in personal savings.
His first international sale, to a customer in Singapore, gave him the confidence to pursue opportunities beyond Sri Lanka. That early transaction became a stepping stone towards a business that now operates across more than 30 countries.
Headquartered in China Fort, Beruwala, Sri Gems supplies fine coloured gemstones to international markets. Participation in trade exhibitions, from Hong Kong to Tucson in the United States, has supported the company’s overseas reach while maintaining its base in Sri Lanka’s gem-trading community.
Munas’s professional development has also taken him beyond the gemstone marketplace. He completed Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development in 2018 and represented Sri Lanka as one of the youngest delegates at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Business Forum, according to the JNA profile.
The award programme places his achievements within a wider international movement to sustain and modernise the coloured gemstone industry. Its priorities include ethical leadership, market development, knowledge sharing and the preservation of industry expertise. Winners are selected by Informa Markets Jewellery leadership in consultation with industry associations and gemstone and jewellery authorities.
In its announcement, Sri Gems shared the recognition with its team, families, customers, suppliers and business partners, describing the award as a proud moment for both the company and Sri Lanka. The company also highlighted its continuing connection to China Fort and its efforts to bring Sri Lankan gemstones to customers worldwide.
For Sri Lanka, Munas’s inclusion among this year’s recipients draws attention to the entrepreneurs taking the country’s gemstone heritage into international markets. His path from an early sale in Singapore to a business spanning more than 30 countries offers a tangible example of how a locally rooted enterprise can build a global presence.
