Our Heritage
Why I Chose to Preserve My Grandfather's Legacy
From Dean Ismail & Sons to a Family History Being Rediscovered
By Mohiyadeen Ismail (MOHI)
A Legacy That Refused to Be Forgotten
I did not choose to preserve my grandfather's legacy because I wanted to look backwards. I chose to preserve it because, as I grew older, I began to understand how easily a family history can disappear. People pass away. Businesses close. Buildings change. Photographs deteriorate. And stories once known by an entire generation can eventually become little more than names on a family tree.
My grandfather was Mohamed Samsudeen Dean Ismail. My grandmother was Hanoon Cassim Sultan Bawa. For many years, I knew pieces of their story through my family and through my own childhood memories. But as I began researching more deeply, I realised there was much more to discover. And somewhere along that journey, curiosity became responsibility.
A History in Five Chapters
The Beginning - A.H. Ismail
An original Dean Ismail Sons visiting card carries the words: Grandsons of H.A. Ismail, founder of the Firm of A.H. Ismail, Estd: 1863. An old photograph of the business premises shows ESTD. 1863 illuminated above the shopfront, a date not merely printed on a card, but publicly displayed as part of the business's own heritage.
Dean Ismail Sons - 21 Queen Street, Colombo
An official Ceylon Government Gazette from 1962 records: Dean Ismail Sons, 21 Queen Street, Colombo 1, Jewellery. During the Second World War era, Canadian merchant seaman Henry Hamor Gardner visited Colombo and purchased gemstones, a garnet, tourmaline, topaz and ruby, from Dean Ismail Sons for 42 rupees. Decades later, the record of that transaction survived.
A Royal Visit
According to family history told directly by his aunties, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Dean Ismail Sons shop in Colombo Fort during her first visit to Ceylon in 1954 and purchased gemstones. A framed official certificate connected with the Queen's visit once hung in the shop. As a child, Mohi saw it himself. The search for that certificate continues.
Continental Jewellers - Lanka Oberoi
The jewellery tradition did not end with the founder. Dean Ismail Sons was continued under the name Continental Jewellers by the founder's daughters, Mohi's aunties, who carried their father's jewellery tradition into another generation, subsequently operating Continental Jewellers at the Lanka Oberoi in Colombo.
A Legacy Rediscovered
Continental Jewellers Sri Lanka continues that lineage, not as a recreation of the past, but as a living expression of the values that survived it: authenticity, craftsmanship, knowledge, personal service, integrity and trust. These are not simply business principles. They are values that can survive generations.
The Values That Survived
My grandfather conducted business in a world without websites, social media or online reviews. A jeweller's reputation was built on knowledge, judgement, relationships and integrity. In the gemstone business especially, trust was everything.
Authenticity
Every piece we offer is what we say it is. Provenance matters. We do not embellish. We document.
Craftsmanship
From the gem cutters of Zambia to the goldsmiths of Colombo, we honour the hands behind every piece.
Integrity
The greatest asset in a jewellery business is not the most expensive gemstone in the showcase. It is the reputation of the name above the door.
Legacy
Jewellery has an extraordinary ability to travel through families. A ring becomes an inheritance. A gemstone becomes part of a family story.
A Personal Note
Est. 1863
A Few Words from Mohiyadeen Ismail (MOHI)
Jewellery has been part of my family memories for as long as I can remember. As a child, I saw beautiful gemstones, extraordinary craftsmanship and the personal relationships that gave a jewellery business its reputation. At that age, I admired what I saw. Years later, I began to understand what it represented.
Continental Jewellers reflects that appreciation of the past, together with a belief that knowledge, authenticity, craftsmanship and personal attention should remain at the heart of the jewellery experience.
Whether you are discovering gemstones for the first time, exploring a personal design or simply enjoying the stories within these pages, I hope you find something here that inspires you to return.
Mohiyadeen Ismail (MOHI)
The Founder
Mohiyadeen Ismail, known as Mohi
Continental Jewellers was founded by Mohiyadeen Ismail, known as Mohi, to carry forward the values and craftsmanship associated with his grandfather, Mohamed Samsudeen Dean Ismail, founder of Dean Ismail & Sons in Colombo Fort. Mohi's venture is inspired by this family legacy.
Continental Jewellers is a new and independent business. It is not a continuation or successor of Dean Ismail & Sons, and does not hold or claim any inherited stock, premises or ownership of that business.
The business offers custom jewellery design and made-to-order pieces — rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets — crafted in silver, gold, white gold and platinum. Gemstone selection and certified gemstones are available, together with personal guidance on designs, materials and gemstone choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
- Who owns Continental Jewellers?
- Continental Jewellers is owned and founded by Mohiyadeen Ismail, known as Mohi.
- Who is Mohi?
- Mohi is the name by which Mohiyadeen Ismail is known. He founded Continental Jewellers to carry forward the values and craftsmanship associated with his grandfather, Mohamed Samsudeen Dean Ismail, founder of Dean Ismail & Sons in Colombo Fort.
- What does Continental Jewellers offer?
- Custom jewellery design and made-to-order pieces, including rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets in silver, gold, white gold and platinum. Gemstone selection and certified gemstones are available, along with personal guidance on designs, materials and gemstone choices.
- Can customers commission custom jewellery?
- Yes. Continental Jewellers specialises in bespoke commissions. Customers can work with Mohi to design a piece from scratch, selecting the metal, gemstones and style to suit their requirements.
- What is the connection to Dean Ismail & Sons?
- Continental Jewellers is inspired by the legacy of Dean Ismail & Sons, the Colombo Fort jewellery business founded by Mohi's grandfather. Continental Jewellers is a new and independent venture, not a continuation or successor of that business.
- How can customers enquire?
- By email at [email protected], via WhatsApp at +94 77 329 0829, or through the contact page.
You do not need to inherit the valuables of a family to inherit its values.
Mohiyadeen Ismail (MOHI)
Continental Jewellers Sri Lanka exists because one man decided that a family history worth living is a family history worth preserving. We invite you to be part of that continuing story.
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