Tanzanite fetches 26.4m/- at Miss World charity gala in Vietnam
VIETNAM: TANZANIA’S prized Tanzanite stole the spotlight in Vietnam after a piece of the rare gemstone fetched a cool 10,000 US dollars (26.4m/-) at the Miss World Beauty with a Purpose Charity Gala Dinner. The sparkling piece was snapped…
VIETNAM: TANZANIA’S prized Tanzanite stole the spotlight in Vietnam after a piece of the rare gemstone fetched a cool 10,000 US dollars (26.4m/-) at the Miss World Beauty with a Purpose Charity Gala Dinner.
The sparkling piece was snapped up by a representative of the Vietnamese hosts, in a show of support for Tanzania, which will welcome the Miss World family when the festival comes to the country next year.
The auction, held in aid of disadvantaged children and children with disabilities in Vietnam, allowed Tanzania to add some of its own sparkle to the global beauty event. And Tanzania was more than happy to play host.
Director of Arts in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Arts and Sports, Emmanuel Ishengoma, who witnessed the auction, used the occasion to assure the Miss World family that Tanzania is ready to roll out the red carpet when the festival arrives next year.
Ishengoma also used the occasion to roll out the invitation to beauty industry stakeholders and Miss World contestants, urging them to experience Tanzania beyond the pageant stage.
“I am delighted to invite you all to Tanzania and am sure you are going to have a lot to see. I think you are going to be tired by the end of the festival, but I am sure you are going to be happy when you leave,” he said.
And while the contestants had the glamour, Tanzania had its own showstopper — Tanzanite. Miss World Tanzania Latricia Ian, who is representing the country at the competition in Vietnam, used the occasion to put the rare blue gemstone firmly in the spotlight.
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Tanzanite is one of the world’s rarest gemstones and is found only in Tanzania, making it one of the country’s most distinctive natural treasures.
“Today I have just brought one piece of Tanzanite to Vietnam, but perhaps next year you are all invited to our beautiful land, and you can collect as many as you want,” Ian said.
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With the Miss World Festival heading to Tanzania next year, the country is already using the pageant platform to give the world a taste of what awaits, from its famous gemstone to its tourism attractions.
For Tanzania’s organising team, however, the trip to Vietnam is not all about watching from the sidelines. It is also a chance to learn. National Miss World organising committee member Bernice Fernandes said the delegation was using the experience to see first-hand how the global event is organised before Tanzania takes its turn next year.
“Tanzania, we are excited to host the world next year. Miss World Festival is coming to Tanzania. We are so excited, and we are eager to learn from the experience and see how Miss World is being organised and how we are going to embrace Miss World,” Fernandes said.
With the final stages of this year’s competition now approaching, Tanzania’s delegation is already looking beyond Vietnam and towards next year, when the world’s beauty queens will trade the Vietnamese stage for Tanzania.
The delegation accompanying Ian includes national organising committee members led by Ishengoma, together with Miss World Tanzania National Director Mustafa Hassanali and Project Manager Nzonesta Jekonia
