The Serendib Gem jewels are born out of love, as a matter of fact, a consecutive bursts of love.
At first I fell in love with this small tropical island. It has amazing diversity from rocky, sandy or lagoon-like beaches through gentle hills, to the over 2000 meter mountain peaks. And beside geographical diversity, here, at 9 degrees from the Equator, the incredible abundance of flora and fauna is daunting.
In the evening, when everything goes quiet, my family in Ratnapura and I are sitting on the terrace listening the jungle choir that burst after dark. The buzzing, hissing, chirping sounds of billions of insects, birds and other animals dubbed by the sough of the leaves of trees.
In the morning we all wake up together, the whole “village,” as people call their district in the city of one-hundred-thousand. Due to the high humidity and the heat, of course, walls are not completely closed. There is a 20-30 cm gap under the roof, and this common sound-space increases further the sense of shirttail existence.
In Sri Lanka, even strangers are called by family names, as father, brother, etc. depending on their age, and treat each other according. That communion gilds the days of their lives.
Sri Lanka has preserved its community based society, so the base of human relations is still cooperation, not competition, although the process has started here, too. But as for now, you are surrounded by straight looks, kindness and helpfulness which make our hearts feel so light, almost weightless. That is this unique taste of Sri Lanka among other Asian countries.
In Sri Lanka the world smiles on you. You don’t even have to start.
Into this soaring joy arrived a new passion for special gems, minerals and crystals. No wonder! Sri Lanka is well-known for its blue sapphire and various gems since ancient times, and the richest deposits of the island are all around Ratnapura – that literally means “Gem City”.
By special gems I mean those crystals and stones that in general are not used in local jewelry, and so miners collect them in their “bottle.” One day they might be able to present them as a friendly gesture for someone lucky.
Well, this time I had the “serendipity”. Living among them for more than a year, in 2006, the idea of Serendib Gem Jewels was born. At the time I was the only one admiring the stones’ unique forms, colors and patterns. I alone adored their beautiful irregularities. Everyone else shook their heads smiling. However, they collected about a 100 kilo of gems, crystals and special minerals.
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Since then a new demand has appeared on the market for original, unique, individual products that derive from solid, classic values, yet, looking for ever new harmonies.
This demand made the jewelry market of the Western world as well to discover the possibilities hidden in these special gems. Their more natural forms, diverse and unique beauty reveal gradually, offering themselves to be discovered again and again.
As all of our gems are unique, so are the jewels inspired by the stones. Following or contrasting the forms of the gems, our gem jewels are featured by clean lines and exciting rusticity that create a new, original and very personal appearance.
Serendib Gem Jewels contain gems of extreme size, often 5-10 carats, so they have strong emanation and attract attention. Their charming beauty contains all the magic of ancient Serendib, former Ceylon, and present day Sri Lanka.
They radiate the hope that keeps miners going, the knowledge and commitment of silversmiths who have become friends, the benevolence and help of innumerable close and distant friends, and the trust and love we all have for each other.
Being born of love, the Serendib Project would like to bring beauty to the world. For those who wear the jewels, for those who created them, and for you who will read about it all: about the people, life and all the magic of Sri Lanka, and the insights of being able to know both cultures, East and West, from the inside, and seeing them from outside as well.
