SALES at 40th annual Myanmar Gems Emporium have been brisk, totalling US$14.5 million after the first three days of trading, according to an official from the organising body, Myan-ma Gems Enterprise. "We are hopeful that after the full nine days trading the sales figures will be up on last year’s total of about $20 million," the official said last Friday. The total reserve price for all items on sale at the Emporium – 1995 lots of jade, gems and pearls and 9672 items of jewellery – was about US$38 million and officials were hopeful this will be exceeded.  A Hong Kong-based company Super Link Trading, bought a 92 kilogram lot of rough imperial jade for $5,100,098, more than twice the reserve of $2,088,000.  The Emporium ran for nine days from Saturday, March 15 to Sunday March 23 and attracted 618 buyers from 235 companies in such countries and territories as China, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Macao, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore and Thailand. The Emporium also attracted 438 dealers from 161 Myanmar gem and jewellery businesses. Gem emporiums have been held in Myanmar since 1964 and as well as the annual emporiums there are mid-year emporiums, special emporiums and special sales. Last year’s annual emporium grossed more than $20 million, but the most recent sale, the mid-year emporium last October grossed more than $30 million.