Ghanaian jewellery industry: its problems and solutions
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Date
2008-08-10
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Abstract
Many developing countries including Ghana possess significant deposits of precious and non-precious metals, materials, and stones, but many of these natural treasures are merely exported as raw materials. Although the countries including Ghana have an ancient tradition of jewellery production and a large handicraft capacity for manufacturing, jewellery is only exported in very modest quantities, if any at all. This potential can be exploited if the problems in the industry are identified and solved.
Ghanaian goldsmiths and other jewellers are all known for their important jewellery manufacturing and have raised their work to the Master craft level, taking on apprentices who help them to produce their works including jewellery. Jewellery is widespread in all cultures in Ghana. The gems and jewellery often say something about general identity, ethnic identity or the wearer’s status. It also reveals the culture in which they originate.
Every imaginable resource and item can be used in jewellery production. Be it artificial or synthetic material like plastic, broken bottle etc, or natural materials like leather, animal bone, seeds, coconut shells egg shells, metals like gold, silver, brass, iron, and even clay and tree backs, and also bamboo. In the course of carrying out this work, surveys were carried out on both producers and consumers of jewellery products. The researcher at the end of the work, has unearthed as many problems and solutions as possible.
The following methods of research were used to come out with this thesis: Questionnaires to producers and consumers, personal interviews, documents including books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and periodicals were also be used as regards to the review of related literature and Internet.
This research project covered Accra, Ho, Kumasi, Koforidua and Cape Coast, and it is hoped that with the recommendations implemented, and the government playing its role, the jewellery industry in Ghana would live up to its desired expectation. Jewellers must also know that they have a role to play in the success of the industry.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the Department of General Art Studies,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology,
in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
(African Art And Culture).