ABOUT SERICA

Earning a degree is a prestigious achievement in sophisticated society. In the developing world, having reached this academic pinnacle is justifiably a matter of considerable pride. We believe that it is an accomplishment that should be marked by an enduring symbol. British graduates wear the "old school tie", the United States has a similarly well-established tradition of the class ring, worn, with pride, by graduates at every level of education. In spite of the relative significance of attaining a tertiary qualification in Africa, we award no such symbol of exceptional accomplishment.

African universities are eager to support a project that will extend their own efforts to establish their brands in an increasingly competitive market. The graduation ring presents the perfect marketing collateral for a prestigious educational institution. The ring carries the Institution's presence into every facet of society touched by their graduates. Distinctive, distinguished, tasteful and subtle; this powerful symbol marks its owner as an achiever and associates the graduate with the institution that conferred the degree.

Serica's vision is to establish the tradition of graduation rings in South Africa. Creating this tradition through the establishment of partnerships with our finest educational institutions is our mission.

Serica is a recently formed, South African company, invested in the beneficiation of South African precious metals, with an 70% empowerment shareholding and management. Our skills and experience lie in the manufacture of high quality jewellery, in the tertiary education field, in marketing and in management.

Our manufacturing partner, now integrated into Serica, is South Africa's most respected and progressive manufacturing jeweller. We are investing in research and development to improve quality and contain costs. We provide significant skills training to previously disadvantaged individuals in the community. Combining extensive international experience with the benefits of local resources we have the skills, the drive and the capacity to provide an exceptional service to this market.

In the interest of establishing the tradition of wearing academic rings in Africa we have focused on partnering with the leading institutions in the tertiary education sector. Our rings represent a significant opportunity for Universities to leverage their brands, complementing their own drives to establish and maintain meaningful contact with alumni.