Jewellery is a universal form of adornment and is commonly made from Gold –one of the precious minerals found in Guyana. Designs have changed over the years as metal working techniques became more sophisticated and jewellers found creative ways to manufacture intricate and beautiful pieces; pieces that many persons will look to acquire for themselves and their loved ones this holiday season.
Today, some jewellers have opted to go beyond designs to demonstrate quality through certification – certification by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) under its Product Certification Programme. D&S Ramdeholl and Sons Jewellery is proud to be one of those businesses.
In October 2021, D&S Ramdeholl and Sons Jewellery became the newest business to have its gold jewellery certified to the Guyana Standard (GYS 50:2010) – Specification for gold articles (12 Karat and 14 Karat). The standard was updated this year and the business was able to meet the new requirements as well. Hence, it was recently recertified to the updated GYS 50:2022 version of the standard which primarily focuses on quality, testing and labelling.
D&S Ramdeholl and Sons Jewellery was established over thirty (30) years ago, in 1985, as just a workshop before it was expanded to include a showroom. In 2011, the family-owned business was moved to 74 Queen Street, Kitty, Georgetown and further expanded.
One of the Proprietors of the business, Mr. Sachin Ramdeholl said: “it’s a family business from generations before, started by my grandfather… so that is the motivation behind carrying on the business.”
“We started making traditional jewellery. Back in the days, we made filigree bangles and traditional Indian jewellery. Now, we specialize in luxurious diamond jewellery, solid gold jewellery and sterling silver. These are all both handcrafted and machine made but comprise mostly of handcrafted,” Sachin explained.
After completing his academic education and he began working with his father, the young jeweller said he decided to pursue certification from the GNBS to boost competitiveness and customer confidence in what his business offers. Sachin noted that the business always manufactured quality products but needed a certificate from a third party which can be shown to customers. He added that it was easy to work with the GNBS towards certification.
“The process of working with the GNBS was really good. The team was really helpful. They gave us a lot of advice and showed us a lot of details as they worked with us diligently to ensure our production department was intact and even the show room too,” he said.
After consistent work, on October 26, 2021, the company received its Certification for its 12 and 14 karat gold jewellery in accordance with the requirements of the Standard.
This milestone has led to an increase in customers, including overseas customers visiting Guyana, according to the proprietor. “Being certified has given us international recognition and has brought in more foreign customers since many more persons trust our products. It has not been a difficult process to maintain this certification either,” he said.
Sachin encourages other businesses to reach out to the GNBS to get certified and follow the National standard for gold articles. “I think it is necessary for all Jewellers to follow the standard and be certified, and I encourage them to do so,” he said.
While the standard does not specify requirements for design of gold articles, it covers requirements for the manufacturing, alloying and testing of those articles, findings and solders to be used during manufacturing, methods for assaying, and requirements for making and labelling of imported gold articles. It also covers the non-destructive testing of gold articles by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy.
The document does not apply to gold articles intended for industrial purpose such as dentistry, electronics, official coins, gold bars and other such uses.
Apart from gold jewellery, the GNBS certifies other locally manufactured products including PVC Pipes, Gold Jewellery, Concrete Hollow Blocks, Bathtubs, and Shower units. To access the certification programme, contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0069, 219-0065, 2190062 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org.
