To promote peace, jeweller wants to gift flags made of precious stones
He has made 17 flags in the past three years.
RAWALPINDI:
A jeweller in Rawalpindi makes country flags with precious stones in what he says is an attempt to highlight the significance of peace and harmony in an interconnected world.
Kaleem Shehryar, 50, has been working on the flags for the past three years in his spare time in the drawing room of his house, putting in all the money from his own pocket.
He has designed 17 flags with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, lapis lazuli, opal, golden topaz and black zircon set in gold, silver, copper and bronze.
“In 2000, my son asked me who these terrorists were and why were they killing people, while watching an incident reported by Pakistani news channels.
“I realised I should do something different to highlight the importance of peace,” said the goldsmith, seated in his house against a flag prepared with precious stones.
“I thought about what I could do. I can only design jewellery and gold ornaments,” Shaheryar said. He decided to use his skills as a jeweller to make flags.
“I compromised the needs of my five children to collect precious stones to prepare the flags,” said the jeweller. He has made the flags of Pakistan, India, USA, UK, Russia, France and Australia, among others. The flags, however, are not for sale. “I want to gift them to the countries’ ambassadors as insignias of peace and mutual respect.”
I’m not an artist but a goldsmith. I wanted to capitalise on my skill and make flags with jewels, he said. “I believe nobody has attempted this before.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2012.
A jeweller in Rawalpindi makes country flags with precious stones in what he says is an attempt to highlight the significance of peace and harmony in an interconnected world.
Kaleem Shehryar, 50, has been working on the flags for the past three years in his spare time in the drawing room of his house, putting in all the money from his own pocket.
He has designed 17 flags with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, lapis lazuli, opal, golden topaz and black zircon set in gold, silver, copper and bronze.
“In 2000, my son asked me who these terrorists were and why were they killing people, while watching an incident reported by Pakistani news channels.
“I realised I should do something different to highlight the importance of peace,” said the goldsmith, seated in his house against a flag prepared with precious stones.
“I thought about what I could do. I can only design jewellery and gold ornaments,” Shaheryar said. He decided to use his skills as a jeweller to make flags.
“I compromised the needs of my five children to collect precious stones to prepare the flags,” said the jeweller. He has made the flags of Pakistan, India, USA, UK, Russia, France and Australia, among others. The flags, however, are not for sale. “I want to gift them to the countries’ ambassadors as insignias of peace and mutual respect.”
I’m not an artist but a goldsmith. I wanted to capitalise on my skill and make flags with jewels, he said. “I believe nobody has attempted this before.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 3rd, 2012.