Mallika Hemachandra Jewellers recently celebrated their 46th year as a trusted jewellery store in Sri Lanka. Inaugurated in 1968, the company has expanded into 8 branches across Sri Lanka and over international waters to countries like the Maldives and Malaysia.

Every year, Mallika Hemachandra Jewellers would introduce four to five collections designed for various occasions. “We have jewellery for any reason and for any season,” laughs General Manager Mr. Kokila de Silva.  The collections are all about delivering quality and innovative designs. At present, Mallika Hemachandra Jewellers has introduced two new collections and Daily Mirror Life was given the exclusive details behind the collections’ inspiration, design and quality.

Pink Sapphire / Rose Gold Collection 

The Collection – As a highend, exclusive line, the pink sapphire – rose gold collection is an eye catching ensemble. The collection comprises of rings, pendants and earrings inspired by flora designed in hues of pink sapphire. Introduced just two weeks ago, the inspiration for these designs stems from the fact that pink is a vibrant, happy colour that simply matches anything.

The Design – The flower theme for this collection was chosen because pink is often a colour associated with flowers so the designers of Mallika Hemachandra shapedrose gold into intricate variations of flowers. Managing Director and designer Chamindri Hemachandra explained the logic behind the designs, “We wanted to show the different variants of flowers so this collection has designs of flowers in different stages like in a petal form, as a bud, in full bloom to the fading stage”. The design demonstrates the meticulous manner in which hundreds of tiny pink sapphires have been aligned to deliver a perfect finish.

Where to wear it – The collection is ideally worn for parties and evening functions. The jewellery matches with a variety of colours like white, grey, yellow and shades of cream.  The jewellery is a great complement for a saree in any shade of pink.

Why it's special – Because it’s an exclusive line, the best part of this collection is that they only make one or two pieces of each design. When asked whether they would duplicate if the demand for the collection rose, Chamindri expressed her reasons for refusing to make more, “We want this to be an exclusive collection. So we don’t want to be making more than 1 or 2 itemsof the same design because we want to give the buyer the exclusivity of owning this piece of jewellery.”

My pick – The item that sold me the collection was this beautiful ring of a flower in full bloom. The ring is in a 3D format and slightly exuberant for conventional tastes. However, the design is absolutely stunning, bearing nearly 1000 stones of pink sapphire in multiple hues. Even better, the ring is of multi-functionality! You can choose to wear it as a ring or you can choose to wear it as a brooch.

Tips on selecting jewellery by Chamindri Hemachandra 

Go to a reputed jeweller.

Don’t compromise on price – If there is a 50% discount on gold items that means there’s a catch. A 20% or a 30% is believable but anything higher would mean that they’ve either inflated the price or brought down the quality of their gold.

Substandard gold is fake – don’t buy it.

Always look very closely at the product and look for smoothness, great quality on the surface and a good finish.

Always request a certification for the stones when you buy a jewellery piece that has them.

Ask for a repair policy - always go to the same company you bought the jewellery from for re-polishing and repairing because if you take it to another place they won’t provide you with the same care.

By Panchali Illankoon