Careem Jewellers celebrates 125 years

• Unveils new ‘Journey’ jewellery collection

One of the oldest and well known jewellers in the country Careems celebrates its 125th anniversary this year. The luxury firm reputed for its fine gemstones and exquisitely handcrafted jewellery has decided to commemorate this special milestone by ‘celebrating 125 years of design’. At a gala banquet held at the Hilton Colombo, Careems recently unveiled its new ‘Journey’ collection of couture jewellery reflecting on the different eras of fashion which have prevailed since the founding of the company. Careems was founded by businessman A.M.A. Careem in the city of Galle in Southern Sri Lanka in 1890. Careem’s store was originally located in the Galle Fort catering primarily to the overseas ocean line passengers visiting the thriving port city. Towards the early 1900s as Colombo emerged as the commercial capital of Sri Lanka, Careems moved out of the Galle Fort and into the verandah of the famed Grand Oriental Hotel and subsequently expanded its retail business in the 1930s by moving into a more spacious store at No.10, Victoria Arcade Building in close proximity to the Colombo harbour. When the 1970s arrived, it brought with it a boom in Sri Lanka’s tourism. In that year Careems decided to extend into specialised retail and also cater to the needs of the high-end tourists visiting the island. Today Careems retail network spans five exclusive outlets with the company’s main store based at the Hilton Colombo. The firm has also participated at some of the leading global jewellery shows including the International Jewellery Tokyo Show, the prestigious Basel World Watch, Clock and Jewellery Show in Switzerland and the JCK Las Vegas Show in the USA. More recently Careems exhibited at the Shanghai International Gem and Jewellery Show in China. Commenting on the launch of their new collection, Careems Managing Director Shezard Careem highlighted the uniqueness of the ‘Journey’ collection, which is based on the five different eras of jewellery design which have prevailed over the past 125 years. The ‘Journey’ collection begins with the late Victorian period coinciding with the founding of Careems in 1890. It then moves on to the 1930s Art Deco era recently made famous by the movie ‘Great Gatsby’. The colourful and carefree lifestyles from the 1950s right up to the 1980s are celebrated through the Retro and Vintage eras and finally, the collection concludes with what is envisaged as jewellery designs of the future, aptly called the Millennium period. The magnificent jewellery in this new collection is studded with a wide variety of fine gemstones including diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires as well as specially cut amethysts, peridots, and citrines. The final outcome is a true celebration of ‘125 years of jewellery design’.