– in Giftland Mall

A MAN who started out as a small business jeweller more than 20 years ago has now expanded into a multi-million-dollar enterprise to become one of the gems in Guyana’s successful business crown.Last Saturday evening at a cocktail reception, Kings Jewellery World added yet another multi-million-dollar branch to its chain by launching a new branch at the Giftland Mall at Plantation Pattensen, Turkeyen.
Looknauth Persaud, the business owner, said the idea is to make it easier for persons looking for exquisite, authentic made-in-Guyana gold, diamond and precious stones jewellery made with quality and style to the highest standard, which they can access even after working hours.
The businessman said, “We continue to build on our motto to ensure that all Guyana can be proud of saying this is made in Guyana. Our Jewellery should last a lifetime and for generations because when we sell you a product the emotions should go with it.”
He dared to dream and pursue this motto to the point of securing backing from local banks to expand following the company’s launch at a trade expo in 1994.
Unlike many who approached the banks, he said, as a result of the commitment to standards and quality “the banks came into us and said we can help you to improve and we took the initiative from them.”
Speaking about choosing the right timing, Persaud said many years ago there was a bank manager who made offers but he did not immediately accept for fear of losing but now he has no regrets.

QUALITY PIECE OF GUYANA
“The demand is there to match our creativity because people like exquisite items and that’s what makes us stand out with changes annually.”
Comparing their products to other local jewellers, Harrinand Ralph Persaud, the company’s Chief Financial and Marketing Officer, said his family business has taken the local industry a bit further with the aim of offering the world a quality piece of Guyana.

“We have collectively a whole family unit probably of the most trained gemologists and jewellery designers locally and in the region so our products make us unmatched to anywhere else in the world and we have done a lot of expansions abroad.”
The younger Persaud said the company has a wealth of knowledge that sets their brand of jewellery apart from others through cultural experiences shared in Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, New York and having been to a cruise ship port.

INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS
He also noted that the decision to have the branch in the mall is to cater to domestic as well as international tourists at all levels. “Our products are meant to last a lifetime and when tourists looking for something of quality that represents Guyana to take back with them they now have a golden opportunity to head to the mall even after working hours to do their late shopping of exquisite pieces that can last for generations.“
Notably, he said, within the cricketing fraternity from England, Australia and even India there is a large clientele that demands the Guyana gold band that is creatively handmade and designed.
The company works closely with the Bureau of Standards and from day one they have been approved for meeting and in many instances surpassing their requirements.
“Every time they do random testing we make sure the products exceed the requirements and if more jewellers would do the same thing they too can also help project a positive image of Guyana,” Persaud said.
He also noted that there are less than a handful of jewellers in Guyana who actually work towards the standards of the Bureau of Standards which must be a national standard.
He noted also that as part of testing the Bureau of Standards normally use methods which Kings developed to ensure that jewellers stand up to what they say they are offering.
While acknowledging that business can fluctuate, the elder Persaud explained that he remains an investor locally after more than twenty years as a proud Guyanese and moreover because he loves doing work that makes Guyana proud.
“To me, when people buy jewellery representing Guyana to take overseas they must be proud to say I got this from Guyana so I see no reason for me to leave Guyana out of my investments because I was born (here) and I am comfortable here.”
Kings Jewellery, which also sells luxury products, has a head office at 141 Quamina Street, Georgetown, and provides employment for over one hundred persons. “If we were to go we would be leaving them unemployed also and that is not what we are about…Guyana has been good to us so we will continue to be good to Guyana by remaining here and developing a product and paying our dues to Guyana.”