About
A house built at the source
JOALYS is an independent gemstone house. It was founded by Ilyes Makria, who sources colored stones directly — going to where they come out of the ground rather than buying down a chain of middlemen.
The beginning
It started the way most honest things do: by going there. Ilyes spent close to two years sourcing colored stones in Sri Lanka, learning the trade hand to hand, building relationships with the people who actually pull sapphires, spinels and other stones from the earth.
JOALYS is young, and we treat that as a strength. There is no inherited inventory to clear, no house line to protect — only stones chosen one by one because they were worth choosing.
Sourcing direct
Most colored stones change hands several times before they reach a buyer, and each pair of hands adds a margin. We cut that chain. Working at the source means we can offer the same stone for noticeably less, and it means we can stand behind exactly where it came from.
Verified, not just described
Sourcing is one job; judging a stone is another. Every gemstone we sell is verified by a GIA-trained gemologist before it is offered. Ilyes is the founder and the person who finds the stones — the gemological verification is done independently, so the assessment you read is not the seller marking his own homework.