Four Generations of Tamil Jewellers: A Family Business Story
Ramasamy & Sons Jewellers traces its roots to a small workshop in Jaffna, 1923, where great-grandfather Ramasamy Thevarajah handcrafted earrings and bangles for wedding families in the Northern Province. The craft was passed down generation by generation. When the family arrived in Toronto in 2003 as refugees, the jewellery tradition came with them.
Today the fourth generation — 28-year-old Arun Ramasamy — runs the Scarborough showroom alongside his parents while completing his gemology certification. The shop specialises in traditional Tamil wedding jewellery sets: the mathil, jimikki, and silk-thread bangles that remain central to Tamil bridal customs. "In 100 years of making jewellery," Arun says, "the designs have changed. The love behind them has not."