Yangon: Over 3,600 lots of precious and semi precious gems were sold during the just concluded annual gems exposition in Myanmar.

Without disclosing the sale value, Myanmar Emporium sources Wednesday said that a total of 3,652 jade, gems and pearls were sold during competitive bidding at the exposition.

The 44th annual gem show at the Myanmar Gems Emporium Hall and Myanmar Convention Centre was sponsored by the state-run Myanmar Gems Enterprise (MGE) and ended late Tuesday.

The event saw participation from 3,421 merchants, including 2,069 foreign traders mainly from China, Hong Kong and Thailand.

In March last year, the 43rd annual exposition broke the sales record since its introduction 42 years ago with a sale value of $101 million.

Myanmar started to hold gem shows annually in 1964. These shows have earned a total of over $600 million for the country, according to official statistics.

Myanmar, a well-known producer of gems in the world, is home to nine gems -- ruby, diamond, cat's eye, emerald, topaz, pearl, sapphire, coral and a variety of garnets tinged with yellow.