For Sri Lanka in the ‘90s, gem dealership was more than an occupation. It was a community and culture that only the most hardworking could achieve.
“At the conception of the partnership that would become Ruwanpura Gems, we only wanted to take part in the spirit that we witnessed blossoming all around Sri Lanka,” says Arshed Aroos, President and CEO of Ruwanpura Gems. “To anyone unfamiliar with the country and its resources, gem mining and dealerships have always been a popular venture for crafty businessmen. The island’s luminous stones have repeatedly proven that with the right eye, jewelry could become a booming source of economic and social growth.”
At the time, Ruwanpura Gems only wanted to break the surface of mining, cutting, polishing, and the eventual process of dealing. However, experiencing the beauty of the process allowed them to see just how much potential the field offered them to explore and develop, and in 1999, Ruwanpura Gems was founded.
Although there were many facets to the craft they could venture into, Ruwanpura Gems was particularly interested in representing the stones most characteristic of Sri Lanka. Years of various trials and hardships pushed them to specialize in heated uncalibrated and unheated calibrated stones, occasionally dabbling into stones of a larger bandwidth when necessary. Their specialty lies in multi-colored unheated sapphires and calibrated heated blue sapphires.
Having worked with various international brands and companies, Ruwanpura Gems’ efforts have always been to improve and develop the craft they feel most passionate about. The stones they work with are locally sourced from mines exclusively owned by them and other suppliers they trust and supervise during the mining process.
Arshed adds, “Given how heavily dependent our field is on natural resources and the labor demanded by the mining process, we have taken measures to protect the means and raw materials that allow us to cultivate the art of gem and jewelry.”
All mining activities are overseen by Ruwanpura Gems personnel, ensuring that they follow the country’s mining regulations. In addition to this, the cutting, polishing, and assortment are always managed entirely by their fully owned subsidiary, Facets.
“Facets operates under our chairmen, with a skilled staff of several gem cutters, presenting a motivated effort to work toward a youthful and sustainable creative vision. All of our employees have been heavily vetted by our supervisors. The entirety of the workforce behind our projects abides by our country’s labor laws and incentives,” says Arshed.
Based in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, Ruwanpura Gems is an established brand in Sri Lanka and internationally. In 2008, they opened a branch at the Lebua State Tower in Bangkok, Thailand, for consultations and appointments, and in 2014, they opened a branch in Illinois, USA. In 2022, they opened a showroom in Bangkok’s Jewelry Trade Center (JTC).
Ruwanpura Gems has exhibited at GJX Tucson and JCK in Las Vegas and at shows in Hong Kong, London, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Throughout their journey, which has spanned decades, Ruwanpura Gems has made an effort to be as connected with current trends in the industry as possible. With an interactive web business, which had been the first of its kind in the Sri Lankan market, Ruwanpura Gems manifests their pride and respect for this field.
“We believe that gem and jewelry is an accessible trade and believe in preserving the beauty of our craft while also making it more approachable to younger audiences.” Arshed continues, “Our approach has never been conventional, and we know that with your participation, we can work together to take this brand to newer and greater heights.”
