Zam Gems expands operations in Malaysia

With three franchise outlets in Kuala Lumpur, Zam Gems has consolidated operations in Malaysia to cater to the growing demand for their unique creations. "We first ventured into Malaysia in 1996, opening a franchise outlet at the New World Renaissance Hotel in Kuala Lumpur," Managing Director of Zam Gems Ahsan Refai said.

The success of this outlet prompted them to open a second outlet at the Airport Duty Free in Kuala Lumpur in 2002 when the new airport was opened. And the third Zam Gems franchise outlet was opened at the prestigious Berjaya Times Square in Kuala Lumpur which is located in the city centre, and has proved to be an ideal location for high quality products such as their gems and jewellery.

Refai says they first decided to venture overseas when the conflict in the north proved to be a deterrent to business development in Sri Lanka. "Malaysia is the hub of the Far East and we thought it was the best country to invest in because gems are duty free and the tax structure is reasonable," he explains adding: "Malaysia offers a lot of potential with the Chinese, Malay, and Indian communities living there, among whom both white gold and yellow gold jewellery is very popular."

Semi-precious stones have proved to be much in demand while men's rings set with Blue Sapphires, Cats Eyes and Star Sapphires are among their best sellers.

He attributes the company's success to their emphasis on high quality and customer satisfaction. "Strict quality control is always maintained - every gemstone is examined in detail and graded by our experts before being approved for use in design and manufacture," he says.

"We participate in international gem and jewellery trade fairs in the U.S.A., Switzerland, Malaysia, Japan and Singapore, and our marketing team is kept up to date with the latest trends and market demands, which enables us to always design and produce items that are in vogue and currently in demand in various markets the world over," he adds.

Today Zam Gems has 12 outlets - six in Sri Lanka and six overseas, in Malaysia, Tokyo and the Maldives.