Jewellery making in Sri Lanka has been practising for centuries. Sri Lanka has gained recognition for its traditional handmade jewellery around the world. Traditional Sri Lankan jewellery was made of silver, which was the preferred choice due to its natural appearance against the somewhat flashy opulence of gold. jewellery .Some of the jewellery design has remained relatively constant over the years. Also, production materials which have been used ages ago are still being used. Traditional hand-drawing and drafting methods are still utilized in designing jewellery. Recent developments in technology and machinery are blended into traditional methods. Jewellery design and manufacturing have undergone a lot of changes during the past few decades. The use of computer software to create modern designs and casting jewellery for bulk production has come to play a major role in the jewellery industry.
The jewellery manufacturing industry in Sri Lanka mainly consists of three sectors such as manufacturing for exports, the local market and tourists’ trade. Sri Lanka’s main markets for jewellery are Japan, Germany, USA, UK, Singapore and Hong Kong. During recent times, silver jewellery studded with semi- particularly moonstones and low-quality precious stones has gained popularity.
The jewellery manufacturing industry at present employs approximately 15,000 persons of which around 10,000 are registered individual craftsmen while the rest is employed in factories and workshops producing jewellery mainly for the export market.
