MRC holds Jewellery Making Workshop  in Baa Thulhaadhoo

2 Nov 2009: A training workshop on pearl and mother-of-pearl jewellery making was held in Baa Thulhaadhoo from 4 October to 4 November 2009 by Pearl Culture Demonstration, Extension and Marketing Project (PCDEMP). This workshop was one of the activities being carried out to establish commercial pearl culture in the country. Twenty two men and five women from Baa Atoll participated in the training.

The trainees of the mother-of-pearl jewellery making component learnt the basic skills of cutting, grinding, polishing and engraving pieces of oyster shells to make jewellery. The trainees of pearl jewellery making component learned the basic skills of mother-of-pearl jewellery making as well as those of silversmithing, which included hammering, cutting grinding and polishing silver, drawing silver wire, soldering, and chain making. By the end of the workshop these trainees were able to make pearl and mother-of-pearl pendants, chains, necklaces, and rings using silver. The pieces of jewellery made by the trainees were displayed in an exhibition held in Thulhaadhoo on  5 November. The exhibition was opened by Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture Dr. Ibrahim Didi, who was also the chef guest of the workshop closing ceremony.  Tourists from Soneva Fushi  and Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu visited the exhibition. The tourists also had a tour of the pearl culture rafts deployed on Thulaadhoo reef.

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