Jewelry Industry: The Center of Livelihood in Meycauayan
Did you know that there is a jewelry capital of the Philippines? If you did not, well, do not feel bad, I probably would not have known as well if I did not live in the city.
The jewelry industry feeds a lot of families in Meycauayan, including mine. Most of the available job opportunities in the city involve it. There are hundreds of establishments that deal with the making and selling of jewelry within the city alone. To be more specific, the streets of Brgy. Calvario is teeming with dozens of jewelry shops. It is a wonder how it is not the center of robbery as well.
A House of Gold
My family lives in Meycauayan, and like most families in our neighborhood, jewelry making is our main source of work. My father and two of my uncles are stone setters. They insert gems and stones into the jewelry. Meanwhile, my mother is a secretary of a jewelry shop owner.
Since we all live in the same house, my father and my uncles have this separate workspace where they do their work. It is funny, I once asked why they always put a rug underneath their tables. Turns out, that bits and pieces of gold and silver fall out as they work. Sometimes it is because the stones are smoothened and shaved, therefore the fallen gems are kept and sold.
My father even spent 8 years in Brunei as a stone setter. He had the privilege of assembling jewelry pieces for the royal family there. According to him, a lot of his coworkers were Filipinos who also came from Meycauayan or around Bulacan.
However, as time went by, fewer people bought jewelry. This extremely affected the livelihood in Meycauayan. Lots of shops closed and my uncles even got laid off from work. It is a tough time for the jewelry industry around the city, especially when there are a lot of more industrialized competitors selling rings and necklaces such as Pandora.
Invest in quality and authenticity
I know that real gold and silver are way more expensive, however, in jewelry, quality should be the priority. A lot of brands offer cheaper prices, sure, but they are quick to tarnish and are less original. Additionally, this store-bought jewelry severely gets devalued over time, meanwhile, authentic ones rarely depreciate and increase in value in the future.
If you ever want to purchase and invest in jewelry, then support local and buy from Meycauayan!
