An International Sannyasin Business Venture
Two years ago I went to Bali for a holiday and stayed with my good sannyasin friend Atta in her lovely little Balinese style house in Seminyak. In one of the books next to the bed was a very interesting, attractive bookmark made of silver and semi-precious stones. I was fascinated and suddenly thought this might be something I could sell back home. On enquiry I found that they weren't manufactured anymore so I decided to embark on a new career of jewellery design.
In Poona, my next stop, I went to a local jeweller and had a few bookmarks made using the one Balinese sample I could get and some new designs. Back in England I successfully sold them all but the second lot I ordered were really bad so I was just about to abandon the project when another friend in Bali, Bhagawati, suggested I contact Dayanand who was making jewellery in Ubud. He was willing to make the bookmarks for me but the problem was the semi-precious stones – which of course came from India.
Then I remembered another sannyasin friend, Rajesh, who owns the Galleria Mystica on the North Main road in Poona and spends some time in the UK selling jewellery and semi-precious stones.
It took a long time to organise but eventually he sent me some gorgeous stones from India which I then sent to Dayanand in Bali who made me some really beautiful bookmarks. The Indian stones are good quality and the craftsmanship of the Balinese silversmiths is excellent.
Punya made me a lovely website – www.primavera.clara.co.uk – so I am now ready to sell the bookmarks. They are made of sterling silver and stones like moonstone, rose quartz, amethyst, garnet and iron tiger eye. They make a uniquely beautiful and practical gift for both men and women.
text by Veena – June 2007
