Trailblazers

A Gem of an Idea

Nikki Harrison

Age: 45

Nationality: British

Family: Married with two children

Countries lived in as an adult: UK, Sudan, and Sri Lanka

Countries lived in as a child: UK

Qualifications: Degree in Business Studies & Fashion Design

Career path: After obtaining her degree, Nikki worked as a designer and Personnel Officer within the industry. On her return from Sudan, she became involved in youth work. In 1983, the family moved to Sri Lanka, and Nikki did a variety of jobs: marketing and public relations for one of the international hotels, design and interior of a school library, school administrator. Two years ago, she and business partner, Dick Dumas, opened a gallery in Colombo featuring one off designer jewellery, wire sculptures and objets d'art.

Although Nikki's background was in the fashion industry, as an expatriate, she soon discovered the need to diversify. She became involved in youth work, specialising in drug abuse. This was both stimulating and challenging, but when the family moved to Sri Lanka in 1983 she had to find a different outlet for her skills and energy. She got a job in the marketing and sales dept of a well known International Hotel chain, with a responsibility to obtain and service the diplomatic accounts.

'I am a doer,' Nikki explains. 'I love the challenge of setting up a project and get great satisfaction from the end result.'

She got involved in the interior design of a school library, and later worked as junior school headmistress at the British School. Always an enthusiast for a new venture, and keen to utilise her design training, it was when she met, Dick Dumas, a retired interior and furniture designer, who was designing jewellery as a hobby, that she began to see a different future. With their joint artistic flair, design experience and Nikki's local marketing knowledge, they decided to pool resources and ideas and established a jewellery gallery with a difference.

They found an ideal location, in the grounds of a large colonial hotel, and renovated the space to create a light airy gallery. Naming it Manika, which means gem in Sinhala, the gallery opened two years ago. The ethos of the gallery is to offer one off designer jewellery, and objet's d'art. Buying gems, locally and from Jaipur, India, Nikki and Dick use a variety of materials and gems, both rough and smooth, in their designs, making them individual.

Keen to make their presence felt internationally as well as in the local market, they attend several trade shows a year. At 'Jewellery Arabia' in Bahrain 2000, they were approached by New York auctioneers, Antiquorum, to submit all colour sapphire bracelet and an emerald and diamond pin for an auction of rare and unusual traditional and contemporary jewellery.

Their striking jewellery is exhibited on wire sculptures made by local craftsmen, which have also gained international recognition. One was recently purchased for the Queen of Denmark.

For more information: email harrison@sri.lanka.net, or visit http://www.ddmanika.lk/.

Marian Weston