These are found deep in the bowels of this island, or on the beds of rippling rivers and streams where they lie glittering beneath the rushing waters. These priceless precious gemstones are being crafted into exquisite jewellery by skilled craftsmen.
While traditional designs are still popular, Sri Lanka keeps abreast of the latest trends too. Most leading jewellery manufacturers present collections at jewellery trade fairs around the world, and export exquisite sets to buyers spread around the globe.
According to Rizwan Sahabdeen, Managing Director of Sifani, one of the largest exporters of Sri Lankan gems and jewellery. "The trend is still the Parve setting which continues to be very popular, using semi-precious stones which are colour graded in their setting. Particularly popular in Europe are the gemstones suspended from leather chokers inspired by the Moulin Rouge and Can Can era."
Sifani's main markets are France, the United Kingdom and Italy. "The European market is very sophisticated, and big, bold pieces are very much in demand there. We export a considerable amount of fashion jewellery in 18 carat gold and white gold but yellow gold and even red gold is making a comeback," said Rizwan. Pink is the colour in fashion this year so pinks stones are very much in demand. Middle East market prefers jewellery sold in sets, the European market leans more towards individual pieces.
With two showrooms and stores located in Colombo, one in the hill capital Kandy and the other at the Bandaranaike International Airport, Sifani has also an established presence in the Maldives where it has a number of boutique style stores in upmarket resorts, which include Sonevafushi, Sonevagili, Four Seasons and the Taj Exotica. Yet another boutique style store is scheduled to open at the exclusive Island Hideaway Resort in the Maldives in February next year. Sifani has made its mark in the UK with an exclusive store located in the prestigious Knightsbridge area. Its flagship store is schedule to open in Colombo in January 2005 and a Sifani outlet is scheduled to open in the Seychelles by February next year.
Another major player in Sri Lanka's gem and jewellery scene is Regent Fine. Its owner Mueen is a vibrant personality whose character and individuality is embodied in the exotic pieces he dreams up. With a number of international awards tucked under his belt which include the Jewellers of America Award in 1996 and The Golden Apple Award in 2002, Mueen like all true designers is always immersed in his world of exotic designs, vibrant colours and exclusive creations.
Seeking perfection, Mueen designs, moulds and crafts his collections, the latest of which will be unveiled by him later this month. Named the Black 22k Gold Collection, it is the ultimate in glamour and luxury, which subtly combines black into gold jewellery and makes his craftsmanship and creations unique.
It took Mueen over a year to master the technique of blending two components. One could vouchsafe without a doubt that he has perfected the craft of blending. Sri Lankan gemstones such as sapphires are used along with diamonds to adorn the Black Gold collection. Intricate designs simplified with just the right quantity of stones and ebony to complement it. The blending of black and the old enhances uniqueness of appearance and appeal - a real feast for sense.
One of the most popular stores for fashion jewellery is known by a catchy title - Stone n'String. This is an upmarket store where you would discover a complete collection of high fashion jewellery studded with genuine precious and semi-precious and semi-precious gemstones, coral and pearls.
In operation for the last 23 years, Stone n'String specialises in duty free products and sells on board six international airlines including SriLankan Airlines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, Eva Air, Malaysia Airlines and Jet Air. It has achieved the status of the best seller on board Emirates and SriLankan Airlines. Having won the coveted export award for two years in succession, it won in 2003 the 5S for manufacturing and obtained ISO certification.
Internationally very well established, Stone n'String has 23 branches overseas and 25 outlets in Sri Lanka.
Pearls, simulated and natural in exotic colours, rare gemstones in fancy shapes and cuts, sterling silver combined with natural rough cut gems are the USP of Stone n'String. Metals of every hue are back in its current designs and the choice is up to the buyer who finds it extremely difficult to decide between gold or silver, burnt bronze or mature pewter.
It is obvious that designers at Stone n'String devote their creative energy to the hilt into every piece of jewellery manufactured by them. Their creations state very clearly that they are meant to be worn by persons who appreciate the good things in life and need to let the world know it.