Minnette de Silva was a talented Sri Lankan architect who many people in her country have not heard of. She was Sri Lanka’s first Modernist architect who spear-headed the Critical Regionalism approach in architecture. A fiercely independent woman of her time, she called herself the “Asian Woman Architect” in the 1940s.

When I started to collect jewellery for Parampara, I discovered that many of the pieces are considered ‘Kandyan jewellery.’ In the past, Kandyan jewellery had been handmade for the royal family. Worn by women and men of royal or noble birth, the jewellery symbolizes wealth, prosperity and grandeur. The agasti necklace, one of the necklaces worn by a bride, is a good representation of Kandyan jewellery with its intricate filigree work and south Indian inspired style that is still distinctively “Kandyan.” I want to understand what it means to be Kandyan.

Hi, my name is Kayo, and I am the founder of Parampara. I am a writer, a librarian, and a bona fide jewellery addict. Parampara is my passion project that combines my loves: Travelling, jewellery, and storytelling.