Engulfing the hearts of many jewelery lovers, the Ceylon Jewelery Manufacturers (Pvt) LTD has imprinted irrevocable sentiments on the many customers they have touched since 1994. CJM has discovered a deeper meaning in their masterpieces by imprinting their qualities on their work. These pieces of jewellery speak for themselves, reflecting on their unique and eye-catching finishes. Putting their core qualities forward in work and service, CJM attends to their customers’ needs with transparency and integrity whilst building trust and collaborating with professional expertise throughout the process.
CJM exports about 1000 monthly pieces of bijouterie to prominent jewelery companies in the USA and UK along with many other countries, catering to their B2B business demands. Further branching out their business approaches, CJM has opened their products to local Sri Lankan clients, giving them a sense of export quality. This quality is governed by skilled and experienced individuals who have served CJM over many years, making their end-products impeccably irresistible.
The officials at CJM claim that jewelery-making is a perilous job. Their products run through an extensive process before reaching the hands of their beloved customers. If the client wishes it to be so, handmade jewelery takes no digital approach and is entirely malleable.
An experienced official at CJM drizzled a few facts on the 3D production process: “Wax moulds are heated in the oven, allowing the solidification of the compound and liquefaction of the wax. Once the compound is hard enough, we pour molten gold into it and leave it idle until it takes on the right stature. After the hardening process is complete, we refine the pieces by removing the unwanted edges, whilst smoothing and polishing them until they reach the perfect amount of shine. With the help of our latest machinery, our polish is flawlessly done. We use a matt finish, a gloss finish, or even a mixed finish for the customers on the hunt for the perfect blend to please their eyes! ”
According to the professionals at CJM, the longer settling period helps the product undergo rigorous design without a flinch, preventing any possible damage. Containing the very easy possibility of these sensitive items being scarred or broken in the process of beautifying, these fragile pieces are handled with immense care and expertise in the hands of the CJM craftsmen. The level of patience and self-control exerted towards their jobs is of unimpeachable standards, helping them focus on such infinitesimal tasks as “setting”, the process of securing valuable gems and stones in jewellery pieces. Prong, Bezle, Pave and Channel are some of the setting types used in the process.
Pursuing a diverse range of setting methods, CJM designers use advanced technologies involving grinding and finishing tools to give their products the needed glamour. Although the term “stone setting” is quite liberally applied and simple to digest, the CJM experts explain that this precise positioning can take one whole day to an entire week. CJM officials mentioned that using invisible setting methods could take a much more extended period of time than usual. Hence, persistence is a valuable key to the success of this craftwork.
To ensure paramount quality, the final pieces are passed through quality control procedures to ensure a flawless finish on their products. Shedding light on the darker aspects behind these intricate skills, the CJM officials disclose a few unfortunate scenarios that usually occur during the process. Facet Chipping and Stone Breakage are the most common situations that need extreme care and precision. Other instances are based on the wastage of gold when shaping and drilling through the jewelery. Although gold lumps and liquefied gold are easier to handle, the mere idea of tackling gold dust can be excruciating. Reasoning this further, the CJM experts claim that gold dust must be collected from every corner of the workplace such as washing sinks, air conditioners, carpets etc. Even after exerting enormous effort to reduce the possible wastage, they state that an approximate value of 11% is always a loss, accounting for approximately 1.2 million rupees per month.
CJM is also involved in platinum casting, a rare genre to find within the Sri Lankan jewellery trade, and can cast about 20–30 pieces at once. Possessing complex machines and technology to tackle their demands, they believe that complicated methods like vacuum chambers in platinum-making can be eased and simplified.
Appealing to another striking trend within the jewelery trade is the Rainbow collection, in which CJM officials take immense pride. Gaining great exposure on social media and in the local market has tapped on the shoulders of other jewellery companies, inspiring them to do the same. The motivation cultivated through hard work and a precise eye for detail has helped CJM employees put their best effort into producing extraordinary masterpieces.
Inviting individuals to step into the real action behind the glamour and sparkle, CJM wishes to share the experience they pour their heart and soul into. As they believe that every piece of jewellery contains a transformational story, CJM encourages and provides freedom to their customers to contribute to their account by thinking of creative designs in artistic colours and choices. Their ability to deliver tailor-made jewellery pieces has been a special touch to their details and limits their costing strategy to the sole purpose of manufacturing and labour. The process of exploring the step-by-step manufacturing of their tailor – made ideas can not help but bind the customers with a sentimental value towards these pieces perfectly handmade especially for them.
As consistent jewelery exporters, 80% of CJM’s production is manufactured for export, covering a more significant part of their business decisions. However, with the shift in business procedures due to an unprecedented pandemic, the export rate has dropped, allowing CJM to focus on the local market they wish to develop and enhance in the time to come. CJM hopes to expand their export branch of buyers and clients in the future, which eventually helps them expand locally. With the assistance of their impeccably skilled staff and the urge to create breath-taking masterpieces, CJM looks forward to approaching their business with integrity and undeniable passion, leaving plenty of room for creative thinking!