Sifani's jewel box
Sri Lanka's main international jewelry brand capitalizes on the island's bountiful gems

September 01, 2008

By Claire Adler

Just below the tip of India lies Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon. A pear-shaped country about the size of Sicily, Sri Lanka is home to more than 50 kinds of gems, earning it the name "Jewel Box of the Indian Ocean."

Explorer Marco Polo wrote of Sri Lanka in 1292: "... the island of Ceylon is, for its size, the finest island in the world, and from its streams come rubies, sapphires, topazes, amethyst and garnet."

Perhaps it's surprising, then, that there aren't more Sri Lankan jewelry brands on the global stage. But it also takes drive, focus and creativity to build an international brand—qualities the Sifani family apparently has in abundance.

"With great humility and modesty, I would say we are Sri Lanka's most international jewelry company. Ninety percent of our jewelry is sold outside the country," says Rizvan Sahabdeen, managing director.

Sifani is a second-generation family business with 26 stores in Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Mauritius and the Seychelles, as well as a showroom in London's Knightsbridge, "with more on the way." In July, the company will open a boutique in Oman. While most of Sifani's color-rich, 18-karat gold jewelry is bought by European travelers, the company has a Russian following and also fields orders from African customers. Around 10 percent of business is now done via its Web site, with an average spend of about $2,000 to $3,000.

Sahabdeen's father, a gem dealer, founded the company in 1970, having built up a clientele supplying illustrious jewelers including Bulgari and Harry Winston.

Today, Sifani's five-strong creative team produces jewelry with "a local flavor and a contemporary feel," according to Sahabdeen. Popular Sifani designs center around the lotus flower, pavé and pink stones.

"We positioned our shops in the finest hotels in the Maldives—the Four Seasons, the Soneva hotel and the One and Only," Sahabdeen says. "We have two kinds of stores: 10 are targeted toward customers whose average spend is $2,000, while at the others most people coming in spend from $500 to $1,000."

While Sahabdeen is responsible for company strategy, his sister is involved in the design. His parents sit on the board of directors, and his father runs the family trust, which pumps money into Sri Lankan orphanages. Sifani owns one factory in Sri Lanka and has interests in two factories in Thailand.

Sahabdeen's 15- and 18-year-old sons have already indicated they're interested in entering the business. But Sahabdeen is open-minded about Sifani's future.

"I'm passionate about the jewelry and creating new designs, but I'm quite liberal," he says. "I'll throw the business open to anyone who has a natural feel for it, even if it's not family."

Sri Lanka's Sifani uses its proximity to gemstone sources to great effect in its branded jewelry, including this multicolored sapphire necklace (above right) and trio of iolite, ruby and tsavorite rings (above left). The model wears an ostrich leather collar with colored pearls (top left).