DW SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019

FOunDER: Late Vidya Vinod Kala 

Alok Kala 

Editor and Publisher 

Arpit Kala 

Associate Publisher 

Contents 

Vol. 46 # 6 • september-october 2019 

Vijetha Rangabashyam 

Senior Editor 

Gunjan Jain 

Business & Marketing 

Sanjana Parikh 

Features Writer 

Dhananjay Kokate 

Graphic Designer 

Subscription: 

India: 

Annual: Rs. 1500.00 

Single Copy: Rs. 300.00 

Overseas: Annual 

Airmail: US$ 150.00 

Administrative & Editorial Office : 

‘Journal House’, A-95, Janta Colony, 

Jaipur-302 004 (India) 

Ph.: (91-141) 2614398, 2610906, 

2602900 

E-mail: jaipur@diamondworld.net 

Website: http://www.diamondworld.net 

Mumbai Office : 

Unit No 19, Ground floor, 

Vasan Udyog Bhavan, opposite Phoenix 

Mills, Sun Mills Compound, Lower Parel 

(West), Mumbai - 400013 

Phone- (022) 26756055/66 

E-mail : mumbai@diamondworld.net 

Owner : 

International Journal House 

Publisher and Printer: Alok Kala 

Printed at : 

Thomson Press India Ltd., Faridabad 

Published from : 

Journal House, 

A-95, Janta Colony, 

Jaipur 

Cover Story - Asian Jewellers in the UK 

54 

Cover courtesy: The 

Forever Emeralds necklace 

from Bulgari Cinemagia 

High Jewellery Collection 

London JeweLLery retaiL - anaLysis 

The GrowinG 

neTwork 

of AsiAn 

Jewellers in 

london 

Indians comprise of about 1.4 million people in the United Kingdom making 

them the single largest visible ethnic minority population in the country. 

British Pakistanis are number two with a population of 1.17 million. With a 

population of half a million, Bangladeshis are also not too far behind. There 

are close to 700 jewellers in the UK and London alone has 150 jewellers of 

Asian origin that cater to the needs of the Asian population. Asians the world 

over are known for their entrepreneurial skills and business acumen and Anil 

Prabhakar during his recent visit to the UK analysed the Asian diaspora within 

the jewellery community

115 

78 

traDe Fair 

COUTURE India 

4th Edition of COUTURE India 

dazzles in New Delhi 

115 

Design stuDio 

Alessio Boschi 

Stroke of Genius 

78 

64 

traDe Fair 

September Gem & 

Jewellery Fair – Hong 

Kong 

Quality Buyers at 

HK September Fair 

78 

traDe Fair 

Vicenzaoro September 

Bellissimo! 

84 

93 

special Feature 

Technology Talk 

Why Diamond Testing 

Machines are a Priority? 

112 

nation notes 

Spain 

A Spanish Sojourn 

105 

the rock talk 

pantone a/W 2019 

The Beckoning of Seasons 

68 

traDe Fair 

IIJS 2019 

Diamonds Faired Decently 

Well at IIJS 2019 

68 

105 

112

editorial 

Fair and Square 

We are right in the middle of the show season as trade fairs 

both domestic and international crowd the entire gems and 

jewellery industry this time of year. From IIJS to Hong Kong 

September show, Vicenzaoro to COUTURE India, the gems 

and jewellery industry is truly global. A unique melting pot 

of nationalities and cultures the industry comes together during trade fairs to 

build their networks and smoothly conduct transactions. 

The issue’s cover story focuses on the impact Indians have created in United 

Kingdom with a key focus on the jewellery market in London. It explores the 

market size and consumer purchasing patterns of the Indians living in the UK. The 

annual Vicenzaoro trade fair in Italy saw some of the most famed manufacturing 

houses across the globe display their skills and expert craftsmanship when it 

comes to jewellery manufacturing. We take you up close and personal to this 

coveted show and bring you interesting anecdotes from famous designer Alessio 

Boschi. 

Diamond Testing is the need of the hour as the market has been flooded with 

growing numbers of lab grown diamonds. The issue conducts an in depth study 

into the various diamond testing machines available in the current market. Treat 

your eyes to some of the most stunning jewellery creations from IIJS Show and a 

comprehensive report on the luxury business boutique show COUTURE India. 

Have a good read & Happy Diwali! 

Editor 

Alok Kala 

DiamonD WorlD september-october 2019 29

Round & About 

Rough & Mining 

Matryoshka diamond found in Yakutia 

An unusual diamond with another 

diamond moving freely inside 

was mined in Yakutia at the Nyurba 

mining and processing division of 

ALROSA. Due to its peculiarity, the 

stone resembles a traditional Russian 

Matryoshka doll. According to the 

experts who have studied the find, 

this is the first such diamond in the 

history of global diamond mining and 

could be over 800 million years old. 

Despite its complex structure, it 

weighs only 0.62 carats (0.12 grams) 

and dimensions of 4.8 x 4.9 x 2.8 mm. 

The internal cavity has an estimated 

weight of 0.02 carats (0.004 grams) 

and dimensions of 1.9×2.1×0.6 mm. 

"The most interesting thing 

for us was to find out how the air 

space between the inner and outer 

diamonds was formed. Due to the 

presence of the dissolved zone, 

one diamond began to move freely 

inside another on the principle of 

matryoshka nesting doll," said Oleg 

Kovalchuk, Deputy Director for 

innovations at ALROSA's Research 

and Development Geological 

Enterprise. 

Petra finds Big Blue Diamond at Flagship Mine 

Petra Diamonds has found a 20.08 carat blue stone at its flagship mine 

in South Africa, offering some relief to a miner struggling with weak 

demand and a mountain of debt. The company said it found the gem quality 

Type IIb diamond at its Cullinan mine. It gave no forecast on the price, 

blue gem quality stones are among the most valuable in the world. 

Petra’s share price collapsed to a record low amid falling diamond prices 

and concerns that it will struggle to repay debts. It wrote down the value 

of its mines by almost $250 million and said co-founder and Chairman 

Adonis Pouroulis will depart, after its long-serving chief executive officer 

left earlier this year. “With Petra’s balance sheet under focus, the recovery 

and sale of special diamonds incremental to cash flow forecasts represents 

a positive for the stock,” said BMO analysts Edward Sterck. 

30 september-october 2019 DiamonD WorlD

Round & About 

Rough & Mining 

ALROSA remains industry leader in social investments 

ALROSA confirmed its status as a 

leader among gold and diamond 

mining companies in terms of investments 

in social programs, according to a study 

conducted by the PwC Advisory. Every 

year ALROSA allocates 3% of its revenue 

to social expenses and remains the 

absolute industry leader by this indicator. 

In 2018, the company allocated almost 

$168 million for social investments, 

including regional development 

programs, corporate social programs for 

employees and their families, as well as 

about 500 social and charitable projects. 

The study covers the period from 

2016 to 2018 and focuses on key aspects 

of sustainable development, including 

investments in social programs and 

environmental protection measures, 

energy and water consumption, 

greenhouse gas emissions, and the 

number of female employees. 

"ALROSA is a company of 

regional significance in Yakutia, with 

about 50,000 people living in our 

monotowns today. Therefore, social 

responsibility is our top priority and 

we continue to be one of the leaders 

in this area. We also contribute to the 

social and economic development of 

the Arkhangelsk region, where our 

subsidiary Severalmaz operates." said 

Sergey Ivanov, CEO of ALROSA. 


Round & About 

POLISHED DIAMONDS 

Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. hosted a ‘Swachh 

Bharat Awareness Cycle Ride’ on Gandhi Jayanti 

Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. organised an 

intensive fitness event ‘Swachh Bharat Awareness 

Cycle Ride’to mark the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. The 

ride incepted from Haji Ali, Ghatkopar & Goregaon 

till BKC in Mumbai. 450 riders participated in this 

event which included office employees accompanying 

with friends and families. The major objective to host 

this Cycle ride was to spread awareness and support 

the noble cause of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ and also 

aiming to prohibit the usage of plastic. 

Ghanshyam Dholakia, Founder and Managing 

Director, Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd.said, ‘I believe 

that a healthy mind and body is crucial for our lives and 

to do so we organise and run various fitness activities 

for our employees as well as friends and families. I was 

pleased to see that everyone actively participated in 

this cycle ride and made it a successful event.’’ 

Hini Star Launches the OPTICA Series 

Hini Star launched its new opticalpatterned 

diamond collection, 

The OPTICA Series, with the release 

of STELO, ROZO and FLORO, three 

patented innovative diamond cuts 

featuring symmetrical patterns that 

create unprecedented brilliance and 

light performance. 

The Optica Stelo features 91 facets 

aligning to form a perfect star that radiates with brilliance 

and luminosity. The Optica Rozo’s optically-precise 

56 facets are a fiery and passionate reinterpretation of 

romance. The Optica Floro feature 77 facets that reveal 

intricate reflections that quietly 

break the rules – illuminating the 

individuality of its owner. 

Speaking on the opening day of 

the Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem 

Fair, where Hini Star traditionally 

exhibits, Smit Virani, of Hini Star 

remarked: “The OPTICA Series 

is designed to meet the demands 

and characteristics of today’s consumers and how they 

experience a diamond. For retailers this means an 

opportunity to enhance customer engagement and buying 

experience to boost sales.” 


Round & About 


Divine Solitaires launches at SS 

Jewellers, marks a new partnership 

In its first association with SS 

Jewellers, Divine Solitaires completed 

a successful launch at the store of the 

Gurgaon-based jeweller on September 

26, 2019. Jignesh Mehta, Founder & 

MD, Divine Solitaires and Anuj Jain, 

Partner, SS Jewellers were present at 

the venue to mark the beginning of this 

partnership. 

Jignesh Mehta, Founder & MD, 

Divine Solitaires said, “We’re glad to 

start this association with a well-known 

brand like SS Jewellers because they 

too stand by the values of our brand. 

Gurgaon is a great market and has a lot 

of potential because of its cosmopolitan 

outlook. Their preferences in jewellery 

are inclined towards contemporary 

trends of fine solitaire jewellery. We are 

The Fancy Color Diamond Index 

(FCDI) indicates a decrease 

of 0.1% in overall prices of Fancy 

Color Diamonds in Q2 2019. 

Pink diamonds continued to rise, 

while prices of Blues and Yellows 

declined. Comparing this quarter to 

the corresponding quarter in 2018, 

Pink diamonds showed an upturn 

of 0.4% in Q2 2019, compared to a 

0.5% decrease in Q2 2018. Yellow 

diamonds displayed a decline of 

LtoR- Gaurav, Garima, Shefali, Anuj, Jinesh Mehta, 

Sudhir at Divine Solitaires launch at SS Jewellers 

very sure that this potent association will 

be a success.” 

Anuj Jain, Partner, SS Jewellers said, 

“We are living in a day and age where 

diamonds are a statement, one of status, 

the feel-good factor and with asset value. 

By having Divine Solitaires in our store, 

we not only stand tall as a retailer of repute 

but also one that helps the middle-class 

consumer gain faith and confidence in a 

product that has largely been ambiguous 

in terms of its buyback.” 

Pink Diamonds Outperformed Blues and 

Yellows in Q2 2019 

0.8% vis-a-vis the 0.2% increase 

in Q2 2018. Blue diamonds showed 

a 0.3% decrease in Q2 2019 

compared to a 1.5% increase in the 

same quarter in 2018. 

GIA grades 

ALROSA's 14.83 ct 

pink diamond The 

Spirit of The Rose as 

Fancy Vivid Purple- 

Pink 

“ 

Nijinsky” is a rare 27.85 carat 

clear pink rough diamond, from 

which The Spirit of the Rose diamond 

was cut. It was the largest pink crystal 

ever mined in Russia. The “Nijinsky” 

rough diamond was unearthed in July, 

2017 from the Ebelyakh deposit in 

the Republic 

of Sakha 

(Yakutia) in 

northeast 

Russia, 

immediately 

m a k i n g 

headlines. 

With its 

impeccable characteristics, free from 

defects and flaws, and exceptionally 

rich pink colour, the crystal was rated 

as the best discovery of the year by “The 

National Jeweler”. The preparation 

and cutting process, which took a full 

year, was performed at the “Diamonds 

of ALROSA” cutting factory in 

Moscow. The stone’s size, colour and 

clarity required special attention from 

cutters and polishers. It is named “The 

Spirit of the Rose” under the name of a 

legendary ballet. 


Round & About 


Leveraging its Growing Digital Presence, JB And Brothers 

has Introduced Three New Services, Coming Soon 

Forever pushing the envelope when it 

comes to servicing their clients, JB 

And Brothers has launched three new 

features to their repertoire of services. 

With an aim to simplify the diamond 

purchasing process, the polished 

diamond giant has introduced these 

services so that clients all over the world 

can view, select and purchase the goods 

of their choice with enhanced ease. 

Diamond tracing and origin has 

gained momentum in recent times and JB 

And Brothers leaves no stone unturned 

in allowing its clients to retrace their 

diamond’s journey from mine to polish. 

Known as Dream Diamond, this service 

helps you know the value of your diamond 

starting from the process of mining to 

rough stage then from rough stage to rough 

planning and then to polished diamond. 

After that the diamond gets certified and 

then, it fits into the jewellery. Clients can 

rest assured that any piece of diamond 

purchased is 100% authentic. 

The second service launched is 

3D diamond View which provides the 

viewer the satisfaction of physically 

3D - DIAmoND VIew 

viewing the stone by showing you all 

possible inclusions for example knot, 

crystal, feather, needle or pinpoint etc. So 

even without referring to the diamond’s 

certificate, the client will be able know 

exactly where the inclusions are and what 

type of inclusions does it have, which 

makes buying diamonds online easy, 

enjoyable and realistic. 

Finally, the company announced 

the introduction of Live Chatbot, a 

revolutionary AI Assistant to solve all 

queries at any place and anytime. What’s 

more is that you will get instant answers 

to all of your queries. You can also buy 

stones directly by simply sending a text 

using the chatbot service. This alternative 

method of communication guarantees 

24/7 service to all clients. 


Round & About 

Asso. & TrAde Bodies 

VIP delegation from Angola at WFDB-IDMA 

Presidents Meeting Opening Session 

The World Federation of Diamond 

Bourses (WFDB) Presidents 

Meeting kicked off in Dubai with 

special sessions on lab-grown 

diamonds and provenance and 

traceability. An important delegation 

from Sodiam including Chairman Dr. 

Eugenio Bravo da Rosa took part in 

the ribbon cutting to officially open 

the Presidents Meeting. 

Angola has extensive diamond 

reserves estimated at 180 million 

carats. In 2018, Angola’s total rough 

diamond production was 8.4 million 

carats with a value of $1.2 billion. As 

part of its strategic plans, Angola has 

the intention to establish a Diamond 

Bourse in Luanda. Ernie Blom said: 

(L-R) Ronnie Van der Linden, President of IDMA, Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman of the 

DMCC, Ernie Blom, President of the WFDB, Dr. Eugenio Bravo da Rosa, Chairman of Sodiam, 

Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO 

“We are happy to welcome this 

important delegation from Angola, 

a key player for future diamond 

mining potential and we welcome 

the important changes which have 

been taking place in the country. 

Obviously WFDB stands ready to 

welcome a new diamond bourse 

and we are happy that this is being 

studied.” 

GJEPC applauds announcements made 

by FM to Boost Exports 

Gem & Jewellery Export 

Promotion Council (GJEPC) 

has been representing G & J Sector 

Policy concerns and issues to the 

Government with an objective 

to give impetus to exports from 

the country. In a recently held 

Board of Trade meeting on 12th 

September, GJEPC Chairman 

Pramod Agrawal had urged several 

key policy recommendations to 

the Government. In a major relief 

to the gem and Jewellery industry, 

Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala 

Sitharaman, announced measures 

to boost exports from the country. 

Pramod Kumar Agrawal, 

Chairman, GJEPC said, “With 

great pleasure I would like to thank 

and acknowledge the positive 

announcements made by the Hon’ble 

Finance Minister today. I am glad 

that the Govt. has understood the 

concerns of the Gem & Jewellery 

Sector and have come up with 

various measures to boost exports 

and facilitate trade.” 


Round & About 


DCWC organizes a Social Soiree with 

other leading organizations 

Diamond Club West Coast 

organized a social event at Kues 

in Downtown, Los Angeles on August 

21 in collaboration with GIA Alumni, 

IDCA (Indian Diamond & Colorstone 

Association), 24 Karat Club of 

Southern California, and WJA (Women 

Jewelers Association) to bring together 

leading organizations and its members 

for a delightful evening of networking 

and socializing. 

Close to 150 industry members and 

guests gathered for a night filled with 

food, fun, and drinks. Each head of their 

respecting organizations gave a brief 

introduction, welcomed their members 

and shared about their upcoming 

events. Moshe Salem, President of the 

GJEPC hosts India US Gems and Jewellery Buyer 

Seller Meet in Mumbai 

The India - USA Gems and 

Jewellery Buyer Seller Meet, 

organized by GJEPC at Renaissance 

Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel 

commenced from 10th September 

to 12th September. The event was 

inaugurated by GJEPC Vice Chairman 

Colin Shah, Executive Director 

Sabyasachi Ray, US coordinators 

Holly Granofsky and Nancy Robey 

and Australian coordinator Jeremy 

Keight. 

DCWC, expressed his enthusiasm and 

appreciation for the large turnout. He 

welcomed all the organizations to join 

us at the upcoming Gala on April 2020. 

The meet saw 

prominent US Jewellery 

Retailers, wholesalers 

and distributors, target 

retailers as board 

representatives of merchandising/ 

buying group and best practice 

group comprising independent 

retail jewellers, as well as VP 

merchandising and buyers from large 

and small regional chains. 

The ceremony began with the 

The theme of the Gala is “celebrating 

everything precious in our lives: gems 

and women.” 

auspicious lamp lighting 

followed by a welcome 

address by Colin Shah. 

He revealed that the 

Indian gems and jewellery 

industry exports $10 billion worth of 

goods to US market each year. “We 

would like to increase and improve 

our export numbers to the US and so 

we urge buyers as well as exhibitors 

to give their valuable feedback on 

how this can be done.” 


Round & About 


GIA India Shares ‘Diamonds – Are They Forever’ 

with Consumers of Cygnus Jewellery in Surat 

GIA India organised a seminar on 

“Diamonds – Are They Forever?” 

to help customers of Cygnus Jewellery 

in Surat, Gujarat, gain knowledge and 

confidence. More than 60 diamond 

connoisseurs and buyers of diamond 

jewellery attended the seminar on 

September 19. The seminar helped 

potential consumers understand the 

importance of independent diamond 

grading reports and a jeweller’s 

responsibility to sell with disclosure. 

“Building consumer confidence is 

very important for GIA and the gem 

and jewellery industry. GIA India has 

been working with jewellers to organise 

consumer seminars and to conduct 

complimentary training for their sales 

GIA Instructor Vijay Parmar presenting the seminar on ‘Diamonds – Are They Forever’ to customers of 

Cygnus Jewellery in Surat 

staff to help them explain diamond 

quality effectively. Jewellers see merit 

in such initiatives and I’m thankful to 

Cygnus Jewellery for giving GIA India 

the opportunity to share knowledge 

with its consumers.” said Nirupa 

Bhatt, Managing Director of GIA India 

and Middle East. 

Exceptional and inspiring leaders honoured at JNA Awards 2019 

The eighth annual JNA Awards 

ended on a high note and was 

well attended by industry dignitaries 

and trade leaders in Hong Kong 

on 17 September. A total of 45 

Honourees were feted for their 

notable accomplishments in the past 

year. Among them, 16 were honoured 

as Recipients across 11 award 

categories by a highly-respected and 

experienced panel of judges. 

Several Indian companies were 

recognized for their contribution 

to the gems and jewellery industry. 

Kapu Gems, India was awarded the 

eSupplier of the Year. In the category 

of Industry Innovation of the Year – 

Production Technology, Sahajanand 

Technologies Pvt Ltd, India was 

awarded. For Outstanding Enterprise 

of the Year – India, H.K. Designs was 

declared the winner. Abhay Chordia 

of Ashok Jewels won the award of 

Young Entrepreneur of the Year. 


Round & About 


DRC Techno launches New Lab-Grown 

Diamond detection instruments 

DRC Techno announced the 

introduction of two new 

instruments designed to identify 

laboratory grown CVD and HPHT 

diamonds. Their J-Mini and 

J-Detect 9000 devices offer different 

features and price points to 

supplement their globally 

recognized J-Smart Pro 

machine. 

DRC’s current technology 

developments address the 

concerns of the jewelry 

industry in scanning 

loose diamonds or those 

mounted in jewelry from 

0.003 carat of any shape 

with colors from D through 

GIA Upgrades iD100 Gem Testing Device to 

Screen Pink Diamonds 

GIA (Gemological Institute of 

America) released a software 

upgrade on September 4th for the 

industry-leading GIA iD100® gem 

testing device, giving the instrument 

the ability to distinguish natural pink 

diamonds from laboratory-grown (HPHT 

and CVD) diamonds and diamond 

simulants. The GIA iD100 Pink 

Diamond Software Upgrade leverages 

advanced spectroscopic technology, 

combined with GIA's decades of 

K. Diamond identification from 

production sources to the retailers 

is now essential at every level. The 

new J-Mini is designed for over-thecounter 

ease of use while J-Detect 

research into pink diamonds. The new 

software is available for purchase on the 

GIA Store at store.GIA.edu for $ 249 

9000 is made for larger applications. 

“Our technology finds undisclosed 

lab grown diamonds at every stage of 

the diamond distribution pipeline 

from diamond companies and 

jewelry manufacturers to the finest 

retailers. We find them 

almost everywhere we 

test,” he said. “Our sample 

database now has increased 

considerably compared to 

any other similar service 

providers, which helps us 

to analyze each stone that 

is scanned." said Vipul 

Sutariya, director of the 

company. 

as a download for current GIA iD100 

owners or pre-installed when ordering 

a new device. 

“As the presence of laboratory-grown 

diamonds increases in the market, it is 

beneficial to have a robust, researchbased, 

proven gem testing device such 

as the GIA iD100,” said Anthony 

Brown, GIA director of instruments 

operations. “Even though our monthly 

sales have tripled, we are able to fulfill 

orders within two business days.” 


Round & About 


IGI's Know Your Diamond Jewellery Seminar 

continues to educate diamond enthusiasts 

As a part of their continued 

efforts to educate consumers of 

diamond jewellery, IGI conducted 

a Know Your Diamond Jewelry 

seminar for the esteemed clientele 

of Tejasvi Jewellers. The knowledge 

driven session was well attended and 

appreciated. Introducing diamond 

jewelry in a more technically 

educative manner has helped the 

participants view their diamonds from 

a fresher perspective. 

Beyond designs and the many other 

visual aspects in the jewellery, the 

seminar took the attendees through 

the journey a diamond takes from the 

mines onto beautiful diamond studded 

creations. The importance of jewelry 

certification too, was explained to the 

participants to whom the art of reading 

an IGI certificate was also imparted. 

HRD Antwerp is expanding its business operations in India 

HRD Antwerp is expanding its 

business in India with new 

services which include jewellery 

grading and retail based education 

courses. An HRD Antwerp Jewellery 

Report is an official document in which 

a jewellery item is authenticated for 

different purposes, such as insurance, 

inheritance or purchase. It can also be 

used to determine the market value of a 

jewel. These reports provide a general 

description of the jewel including the 

setting style, the diamonds it contains 

(L-R) Ramazan Mete Alak - EVP Global Sales 

of HRD Antwerp (Diamond High Council) with 

M. P. Ahammed (Chairman - Malabar Gold and 

Diamonds), Asher O (MD, India - Malabar Gold and 

Diamonds and Jayantilal Challani 

and the precious metals of which it is 

made. 

Ramazan Mete Alak – EVP 

Global Sales states, “In today’s 

global scenario, consumers are 

shifting from jewellery to other 

luxury products due to the variety 

of new choices. However, India is a 

growing market and will be soon the 

leader in the jewellery segment. In 

a world of new developments, it is 

Trust & Transparency that will always 

triumph.” 


Round & About 


Sarine Technologies Launches Advanced Lab Services 

at Bharat Diamond Bourse for BDB Members 

The new Sarine Lab Services were 

officially launched on August 12th 

at a Grand Opening event, arranged 

with the endorsement of the BDB 

committee and with the participation 

of Mehul Shah, Vice President of the 

Bharat Diamond Bourse. Together, the 

BDB Committee and Sarine decided 

to allow any BDB member free access 

to lab services that can help them add 

value for their customers. 

The Sarine Lab Services at BDB 

provide pregrading to ascertain Light/ 

Cut grade for sorting purposes and 

are provided for free. If a report is 

required, this can be obtained with 

an additional fee. Light Performance 

results are analyzed via the Sarine 

Light system and Cut grade 

IGI helps students in Mumbai review novel career options 

The 

International 

Gemological Institute 

conducted a ‘Young 

Gemologist’ workshop for 

the students of Panbai 

International School, Mumbai. 

Known to enthuse young 

and budding gemologists, 

the workshop has been 

introducing the world of gemstones 

and diamonds across the country. 

From the formation of diamonds 

and gemstones to the composition 

and varieties in each, the session 

(L-R) Michael Goren, VP Global Sales & Marketing at Sarine, Mehul Shah, VP BDB, Ramniklal Shah, Venus, 

Rajeshwari Mehta, VP Business Development at Sarin India, Yoav Efrat, Managing Director at Sarin India 

measurement is determined with the 

Sarine DiaMension ® HD system. 

David Block, CEO of Sarine 

Technologies, reflected that, “We 

are thrilled to open the new Lab 

Services center at the BDB, making 

helped young minds go beyond 

the conventional framework of 

gemological studies. The mines to 

market story and the various shapes 

and styles that polished diamonds 

the lab experience accessible for BDB 

members. Our partnership with the 

BDB committee and members is a 

source of pride for Sarine, as we work 

together to advance the industry into 

the 21st century.” 

and colored stones take 

fascinated the students. The 

workshop also introduces a 

whole new branch of study to 

the young minds, encouraging 

them to search for a career in 

a stream that offers so many 

varied opportunities. The 

interactive session also gave 

an opportunity for students to view 

the grand architecture of a diamond 

under a microscope and to observe 

the many optical phenomena in 

polished gemstones. 


Round & About 

Retail & e-commeRce 

PGI India launches “Men of Platinum” campaign 

Platinum Guild International 

– India lends a powerful 

and a much-desired narrative to 

masculinity as they foray into a new 

category – Platinum Jewellery for 

Men. Conceptualized and developed 

by Famous Innovations, the 

campaign was launched on the 18th 

of September, with interesting prebuzz 

content on digital. Two social 

experiments marked the beginning 

of the campaign that aimed at testing 

a man’s character – his values & 

prove exactly how rare men with 

extraordinary values are – especially 

in adverse situations & more so when 

the stakes increase. 

Elaborating on why the man today 

chooses platinum, Sujala Martis, 

Director - Consumer Marketing, 

Platinum Guild International – India 

says – “Platinum is as rare as the 

values that define men of character, 

which is why we call them men of 

platinum. Today’s man aspires to lead 

a life of personal greatness, beyond 

the status defined by wealth alone. 

Look at the success narratives around 

us – they display an extraordinary set 

of values. Platinum is the preferred 

metal of choice for this rare breed of 

men”. 

Buccellati is world famous for 

its rich history and patrimony, 

distinguished by exceptional 

craftsmanship and unique know-how 

was acquired by Swiss luxury holding 

goods company Richemont. The 

transaction closed on 26 September 

2019 and will have no material 

financial impact on Richemont’s 

consolidated net assets or operating 

result for the year ending 31 March 

2020. The results of Buccellati will 

be reported under the Jewellery 

Maisons business area. 

Richemont acquires Buccellati 

Commenting on the acquisition, 

Johann Rupert, Chairman of 

Richemont, said: “Buccellati meets 

the needs of today’s customers who 

are looking for creative jewellery, 

with a highly distinctive style. We 

welcome Andrea Buccellati, his 

family and his team. “ 

Andrea Buccellati, Honorary 

Chairman and Creative Director of 

Buccellati, said, “We are proud to 

join Richemont, a family-spirited 

Group and nurturer of prestigious 

luxury Maisons, with an undisputed 

expertise in jewellery.” 


ound & about 

Retail & e-commeRce 

For All Questions on Diamonds, There Is Only 

One Answer – FOREVERMARK 

Forevermark, 

the 

diamond brand from 

the De Beers Group, 

has launched its latest 

consumer campaign 

#TrustForevermark to 

help all prospective 

buyers allay their doubts, 

fears and questions 

that arise when buying 

diamonds. 

The campaign 

reaffirms the trust the 

brand, Forevermark 

inspires. It highlights the essence 

of the brand and the apprehensions 

consumers face when purchasing 

a diamond. The campaign was 

formulated through agency Greycells. 

It showed that when buying a diamond, 

Forevermark launches its flagship store with Fortofino in Chandigarh 

Forevermark, opens its exclusive 

diamond flagship store in 

partnership with Fortofino, a jewellery 

brand for every occasion. This is the 

first Forevermark store in the city, 

which exclusively retails Forevermark 

diamonds in a wide variety of elegant 

cuts, designer jewellery and loose 

diamonds. 

Forevermark withholds the promise 

of transparency, trust and a high level 

of confidence, which the patrons of 

consumers are constantly looking for 

reassurance that they have indeed 

bought a genuine and natural diamond. 

The diamond “Question mark” seen 

across the campaign encapsulates all 

the concerns of a consumer, establishing 

(L-R) Sachin Jain- President Forevermark, Sonali 

Bendre & Sanjiv Talla- CMD Fortofino launching 

Forevermark Flagship store in Chandigarh 

Chandigarh strongly deserve when buying 

diamonds. The brand provides the world’s 

most carefully selected natural diamonds, 

Forevermark as the final 

destination to put at 

rest, all their diamondbuying 

anxieties. 

“As Forevermark, 

we want our customer 

to embrace the festivity 

behind the purchase 

and not worry about 

the genuineness of the 

product. Through the 

#TrustForevermark 

campaign, we aim to 

reassure the consumer 

about the assurance the brand 

provides, being among the world’s most 

beautiful, natural, rare and responsibly 

sourced diamonds,” said Sachin Jain, 

President, Forevermark India. 

each with its unique inscription number 

to guarantee the most beautiful, rare 

and responsibly sourced diamonds. 

The store houses all the exquisite 

Forevermark collections including 

the Black Label Collection, Tribute, 

Half carat Collection and Twogether 

Collection to name a few. Apart from 

jewellery displays, the store offers 

unique interactive experiences for the 

customers including a diamond gaming 

screen. 


Cover Story 

London JeweLLery retaiL - anaLysis 

The GrowinG 

neTwork 

of AsiAn 

Jewellers in 

london 

Market size and characteristics 

Based on the 2016 census, UK has a population of 

65 million and a per capita GDP of 28,448 pounds. 

Retail is the largest private sector employer in UK 

and employs 3 million people. According to Mintel, 

a London based privately owned market research 

agency, United Kingdom’s jewellery market is estimated 

to be around 4.5 billion pounds per annum. 

Adam Smith the Scottish Economist famously known 

as the father of capitalism was the first one to describe 

United Kingdom as the ‘Nation of Shopkeepers’ 

in his book Wealth of Nations published way 

back in 1776. He had said that the Government of 

Britain was exceptional because it was “influenced 

by shopkeepers”, by which he meant small and medium-sized 

traders and businesses. 

The UK economy differs today from the rest of the developed 

world. The entrepreneurship spirit still runs 

strong. In 2018, there were 5.7 million businesses 

in the UK, of which 95 per cent were small ones. 65 


Cover story 

Indians comprise of about 

1.4 million people in the 

United Kingdom making 

them the single largest visible 

ethnic minority population in 

the country. British Pakistanis 

are number two with a 

population of 1.17 million. 

With a population of half a 

million, Bangladeshis are also 

not too far behind. There are 

close to 700 jewellers in the 

UK and London alone has 

150 jewellers of Asian origin 

that cater to the needs of the 

Asian population. Asians 

the world over are known for 

their entrepreneurial skills 

and business acumen and 

Anil Prabhakar during his 

recent visit to the UK, studied 

the Asian diaspora within the 

jewellery community 

per cent of UK’s retail sales are contributed by independents 

and the jewellery sector is no different. It 

is dominated by independent family run businesses. 

While there are some large multiple chains, such as 

H Samuel, Ernest Jones, Beaverbrooks, Fraser Hart, 

Goldsmiths and F Hinds, which have a presence in 

many shopping centres and larger town centres, the 

family jeweller is commonplace and remains one of 

the last bastions of true independent retailing to be 

found on Britain’s high streets. 

Consumer preference for buying fine 

jewellery in the UK 

• 29 per cent of the consumers prefer to 

buy jewellery from chain stores such as H 

Samuels. Their preferred destination for 

fashion jewellery is Argos chain store with a 

store count of over 883 doors. 

• 22 per cent from Independents. 

• 12 per cent from premium store chains 

& departmental stores such as Harrods, 

Harvey Nichols & Selfridges. 

E commerce: According to Euromonitor International, 

the UK is at the forefront of digital retailing 

among Western markets. Relative to countries 

such as the US, France and Germany, the UK sees 

e-commerce capture a greater share of sales. Mobile 

commerce accounts for a larger proportion of 

e-commerce. Services such as click-and-collect are 

more developed in the UK. 

Online sale as per cent of total retail sale in 

UK is 20 per cent and is the highest in the 

world. France is 17.4 per cent & U.S. is 16.4 

per cent. 

UK jewellery sales via the online channel continue 

to be driven by demi-fine and costume jewellery 

brands rather than fine jewellery players due to the 

enduring perceived risk associated with purchasing 

big-ticket items online. The vast majority of UK 

jewellery sales still take place offline, with jewellery 

and watch specialists alone accounting for two 

thirds of all fine jewellery value sales and a third 

of costume jewellery value sales (Source: Euromonitor). 

Bangladeshi women are decision makers when 

it comes to buying jewellery. Self-purchase is 

common among Bangladeshi Muslim Women 

who have high disposable income as they 

get Meher or mandatory payment from their 

husbands when they get married 

Vikram Santilal, Jeram Jewellers 


Cover Story 

India’s jewellery trade with UK 

India exported U.S. $ 108.60 million worth of cut 

and polished diamonds to UK during the year 2018 

– 2019. The corresponding figure for the export of 

plain and studded gold jewellery was US $ 233.20 

million (Source: GJEPC). While the export of rough 

and polished diamonds increased by 5 per cent over 

the previous year, the export of plain and studded 

gold jewellery fell by a whopping 50.65 per cent. 

The major jewellery markets in the UK are: 

• London 

• Leicester 

• Birmingham 

• Manchester 

• Leeds 

• Glasgow 

London has the highest population of people of Indian 

origin. There are 5, 42,857 Indians living in London 

alone. The largest group of British Indians are 

those of Punjabi origin, accounting for an estimated 

45 percent of the British Indian population followed 

by other communities including Gujarati, Malayali, 

Telugu and Tamilians. Southall is dominated by persons 

of Punjabi origin from India as well as Pakistan. 

It is referred to as Little India. The main street 

in Southall is called The Broadway where most jewellers 

have set up shops. 

Joy Alukkas store on Green Street 

Our store has been in operation 

for the last ten years. It has 

been doing reasonably well. 

The clientele of this store 

is predominantly Bengali 

Muslims of Bangladeshi origin 

who prefer to buy plain gold 

jewellery. As 85 per cent of the customers 

are Bengalis, the store is stocked with plain 

gold jewellery. The fastest moving product 

categories are bangles and chains 

Jojan Thomas, Joy Alukkas 


Cover story 

Customers in Tulja Jewellers 

Wembley is another area that has a high population 

of Asians and is dominated by persons having roots 

in the state of Gujarat. The largest concentrations of 

British Bangladeshis live in east London boroughs. 

They form one of the UK’s largest groups of people 

of overseas descent and are also one of the country’s 

youngest and fastest growing communities. Green 

Street in East London has emerged as a major market 

for Asian consumers. 

The jewellery retail scenario in Asian dominated 

areas looks underdeveloped and primitive as compared 

to rest of London. Visiting jewellery markets 

in Southall and the Green street gives you a feeling 

as if you are Delhi’s Karol Bagh market. 

All the jewellery stores in these areas have two sliding 

doors that are locked from inside. One has to 

press the bell in order to enter a store. There have 

been increasing instances of armed robberies at retail 

outlets that has necessitated the need for caution. 

With the exception of Joy Alukkas, all jewellery 

stores are mom and pop stores. Joy Alukkas set up 

a store on the Green Street way back in 2009. Their 

store is comparatively smaller as compared to any of 

their stores you find in an Indian city. 

Visuals of film start Kajol adorn the stores and there 

are danglers announcing the Big Summer Sale offering 

0 per cent deduction on old gold exchange. 

Jojan Thomas, the showroom manager informed me 

that the store has been in operation for the last ten 

years. It has been doing reasonably well. The clientele 

of this store is predominantly Bengali Muslims 

of Bangladeshi origin who prefer to buy plain 

gold jewellery. As 85 per cent of the customers are 

Bengalis, the store is stocked with plain gold jewellery. 

They prefer to get married in the UK. Weddings 

are big buying occasions. The fastest moving product 

categories are bangles and chains. Joy Alukkas’ 

brand ambassador Kajol finds an instant connect 

with Bengalis. 

British Bangladeshis are people of Bangladeshi 

origin who have attained citizenship in the United 

Kingdom, through immigration and historical naturalisation. 

During the 1970s, large numbers of Bangladeshis 

immigrated to the UK, primarily from the 

Sylhet Division in north-eastern Bangladesh. The 

largest concentration lives in east London boroughs, 

such as Tower Hamlets. They buy gold jewellery for 

adornment and investment. 

Thomas informed me that 100 per cent of their 

stocks are imported from their Dubai office. Joy 

Alukkas has been contemplating opening their second 

store in Southall. They advertise primarily on 

Bangladeshi TV channels and it has proved beneficial 

for them. 

Most of the other jewellery stores on Green Street 

are owned by Gujarati jewellers from Kathiyawad 

who migrated to London via East Africa. Vikram 

Santilal of Jeram Jewellers is one such jeweller 

whose ancestors migrated from Madagascar. He is 

The last two years have been bad for business. 

The prices of gold has shot up drastically that 

has led to the customers adopt a wait and watch 

approach. Customers are postponing their 

purchases hoping for prices to come down 

Vijay Lodhia, Tulja jewellers 

We are unhappy about the heavy price under 

cutting prevailing on Green Street. There 

are unscrupulous elements who are selling 

smuggled gold ornaments and it is not possible 

to match their prices 

Zahid Khan, Pakeeza Jewellers 


Cover Story 

The Broadway - Southall 

an active member of the Green Street Jewellers Association 

(GSJA). Vikram has been trying to bring 

innovation in designs and choice of materials and 

precious stones. He informed me that Bangladeshi 

women are decision makers when it comes to buying 

jewellery. Self-purchase is common among Bangladeshi 

Muslim Women who have high disposable income 

as they get Meher or mandatory payment from 

their husbands when they get married. By focusing 

on design and diamonds, Vikram has been able to 

improve his margins in a market that is characterised 

by high volumes and low margins. 

Tulja jewellers are a leading jeweller on Green 

Street. While all other jewellery stores wore a deserted 

look, Tulja jewellers store was crowded. 

Named after the Indian Goddess of Jewellery, Tulja 

is a family-owned business where every British 

bride of South Asian heritage dreams of selecting 

her wedding jewellery.The family are descendants 

of jewellers in Rajkot , who expanded their business 

internationally in the early 1900s, sailing to Yemen, 

then moving to Khartoum, Sudan, and eventually to 

London in the early 1990s. Vijay Lodhia Tulja’s coowner 

was very frank and upfront in expressing his 

views. He informed me that the last two years have 

been bad for business. The prices of gold has shot 

up drastically that has led to the customers adopt a 

wait and watch approach. Customers are postponing 

their purchases hoping for prices to come down. 

Tulja caters to customers from all communities including 

Punjabis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Pakistanis, 

Sri Lankans and other South Asian customers, as 

well as non-Asians. Over a period of time, they have 

diversified their product portfolio to include wedding 

sets, diamond jewellery and 22 carat yellow 

gold jewellery. 

By spreading their net wider, Tulja jewellers have 

been able to succeed in a competitive market. Vijay 

has spent substantial money on sponsoring musical 

shows to attract clients to his store. Vijay was 

all praises for the Pakistani customers. The affluent 

Pakistani customers don’t haggle. Their preference 

is towards jewellery studded with precious coloured 

stones. They are few in number in Green Street but 

are his favourites. 

The same sentiment was echoed by Zahid Khan 

the owner of Pakeeza Jewellers. Zahid is a jeweller 

of Pakistani origin who owned a jewellery store in 

Jewellery displayed at Pure jewels 


Cover story 

New York. He chose to migrate to London after the 

9/11 attacks. The average price points of jewellery 

purchased by a Pakistani jeweller are higher than 

other Asian customers. Zahid was unhappy about 

the heavy price under cutting prevailing on Green 

Street. There are unscrupulous elements who are 

selling smuggled gold ornaments and it is not possible 

to match their prices was his lament. 

Dr. S A Khan of Daata Jewellers of Pakistani origin 

is an accidental jeweller. He came into the jewellery 

business serendipitously. A qualified medical 

doctor and an academician to boot, Dr. Khan is a 

manufacturer and a retailer. He is a respected name 

on Green Street. According to Dr. Khan, Brexit is 

the main culprit as it has created an uncertainty in 

the minds of the consumer. 

Jayant Raniga of Pure Jewels by Bhanji Gokaldas is 

one of the most proactive South Asian jewellers on 

Green Street. Over 40 years ago, Bhanji Gokaldas 

and his three sons arrived in London and set up their 

bespoke Asian gold jewellery workshop. They have 

the distinction of being the first Asian jeweller on 

Green Street. Jayant, an ex-banker and economist 

joined the family business in 2003. He was quick 

to spot an opportunity in the wedding market. The 

area around Green Street in East London is a hub for 

wedding related purchases. Indians either bought 

their wedding trousseau in India or they would buy it 

from Green Street. Asians from far flung areas would 

commute all the way to Green Street. The challenge 

was to get them to his store. He did this systematically 

by advertising in wedding related magazines, 

taking part in exhibitions and doing store events. 

Retailing of international watch brands such as 

Rado, Omega and Seiko also helped to attract the 

attention of consumers from all nationalities. The 

next and logical step was to focus on diamond jewellery. 

Pure jewels manufacture wedding, engagement 

rings and gem set bands in house. These are fast 

movers and contribute to 90 per cent of the studded 

jewellery segment. 

Their key to success has been the fact that they have 

Southhall 

changed and evolved with the new set of young and 

urban customers. Jayant likes to call Pure Jewels a 

technologically driven company. He is also an early 

adopter of digital marketing techniques to attract 

consumers to his online ecommerce store as well as 

the physical retail outlet. The online channel contributes 

to 25 per cent of his total sale. 

British Asian weddings are known for their grandeur 

and lavish celebrations. The instances of mixed 

marriages have increased in London. It is common 

to find an Indian girl getting married to an English 

groom and vice versa. This segment is open to suggestions 

and has a higher budget. These couples 

love diamonds and the designs play an important 

role in the choice of their jewellery. 

Proactive jewellers such as Naveen Kumar of Ra- 

Brexit is the main culprit as it has created an 

uncertainty in the minds of the consumer 

Dr. S A Khan, Daata Jewellers 

Pure Jewels is a technologically driven company. We 

are an early adopter of digital marketing techniques to 

attract consumers to our online ecommerce store as 

well as the physical retail outlet. The online channel 

contributes to 25 per cent of our total sale 

- Jayant Raniga, Pure Jewels by Bhanji Gokaldas 


Cover Story 

Jewellery displayed in Southhall Store 

mesh Jewellers and Kishan Kumar of Taj Jewels 

have worked meticulously on the jewellery that they 

retail. Both of them have their stores on The Broadway 

in Southall. More than half of the retail area at 

Taj Jewels is allotted to diamond jewellery. The Ramesh 

Jewellers’ store has all the jewellery that the 

Asian bride would look for. 

Sunil Babber of Ram Prakash Sunderdass & Sons 

(RPS) Jewellers in Southall is a leading player in 

the UK. The secret of his success is in the quality of 

relationship that he enjoys with his customers, business 

acumen and foresight. 

Explaining the Punjabi psyche, he explained to me 

the importance of jewellery in their weddings. Weddings 

are occasions where the entire family gets an 

opportunity to display their wealth and status. 

A Punjabi from India or Pakistan has similar tastes. 

The joint family spirit is thriving among the Pakistanis. 

It is more so because of economic compulsions. 

Most Pakistanis have small businesses. Living 

in a joint family has its advantages. Costs get shared 

and the closely knit members help each other. Weddings 

are occasions where they do not hold back and 

splurge on jewellery buying. The investment angle 

is predominant in their purchase. 

Talking about the Indian consumers, Sunil said that 

the new generation Indians are well educated. They 

are earning good money in their professions and corporate 

careers. They are setting up nuclear families 

and moving away from Southall to other localities for 

a better quality of life. 

RPS jewellers have expanded their business to London’s 

diamond district located at Hatton Gardens. 

This commercial area is in the Holborn district has 

over 800 diamond merchants involved in the wholesale 

and retail of diamonds and diamond jewellery. 

Hatton Garden was once dominated by the Jewish 

community. It now has a sizable presence of Indian 

businessmen. Sunil’s son Sameer Babber looks after 

the retailing business at Hatton gardens. Their two 

outlets Abrahams and RPS diamonds are among the 

prominent stores. 

Vivek Khandelwal Director of Emdico London Limited 

has an office in the building that is aptly called 

New generation Indians are well educated. They 

are earning good money in their professions and 

corporate careers. They are setting up nuclear 

families and moving away from Southall to other 

localities for a better quality of life 

Sunil Babber, Ram Prakash Sunderdass & Sons 

(RPS) Jewellers 

Jewellery displayed at Joy Alukkas 


Cover story 

100 Hatton Garden. The name ‘Emdico’ is derived 

from ‘EM’erald ‘DI’amond ‘CO’mpany and originates 

from the company’s early focus and specialty 

in supplying high quality Emeralds and Diamonds 

to gemstone dealers and jewellery manufacturers in 

the UK. Emdico has production facility in Mumbai 

and workshops in London & Italy. 

Explaining the prevailing situation in the jewellery 

industry, Vivek opined that the sale of diamond jewellery 

has been affected. The middle and low priced 

segment comprises of customers who buy diamonds 

& jewellery for gifting and as fashion accessory. 

Increase in price of diamonds has resulted in customers 

looking for alternatives such as watches and 

mobile phones. 

The quality and workmanship of non-precious fashion 

jewellery has improved over a period of time. 

This has resulted in the consumers buying fashion 

jewellery. The market at the top end is relatively 

stable. However, the buyers are demanding longer 

credit periods that impact our margins. The imports 

from India has reduced due to the competition from 

alternative sources such as China and Taiwan. 

Dilip Sekhawat of Rosin Jewels is a leading wholesaler 

of gold and diamond jewellery in the UK. They 

have sourcing offices in BDB and Italy. According to 

him, the depreciation of Sterling Pound and the fluctuating 

gold prices have impacted the gold jewellery 

business. This has resulted in consumers buying 

less gold during weddings. In the UK, the burglaries 

have increased and keeping gold at home has 

become risky. The fact that the young consumers are 

losing interest in gold jewellery is well documented. 

To address the concerns of the industry, British 

Asian jewellers are setting up an autonomous networking, 

lobbying and educational forum comprising 

members who are interested in the British Asian 

jewellery market and doing business with Asia. 

The jewellers are currently crafting a constitution 

for a so-called British Asian Jewellers’ Alliance 

(BAJA), expected to comprise mainly UK-based retailers 

and wholesalers with business and family ties 

to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Turkey and 

other countries. The British Asian jewellery market 

is believed to account for more than 2 percent 

of total UK jewellery turnover, and is a high-value 

segment of the market due to British Asian tastes for 

22- and 18-carat gold jewellery. 

“BAJA will welcome anyone interested in the British 

Asian market whatever their background and 

will be completely autonomous,” said Mehul Lodhiya, 

owner of wholesaler Nysa Creations and one of 

the architects of BAJA. Jayant Raniga of Pure Jewels 

and David Brough, editor of Jewellery Outlook 

complete the trio of BAJA architects. 

The sale of diamond jewellery has been affected. 

The middle and low priced segment comprises 

of customers who buy diamonds & jewellery for 

gifting and as fashion accessory. Increase in price 

of diamonds has resulted in customers looking for 

alternatives such as watches and mobile phones.. 

The market at the top end is relatively stable. 

However, the buyers are demanding longer credit 

periods that impact our margins. The imports from India has 

reduced due to the competition from alternative sources such as 

China and Taiwan 

Vivek Khandelwal, Emdico London 

The depreciation of Sterling Pound and the 

fluctuating gold prices have impacted the gold 

jewellery business. This has resulted in consumers 

buying less gold during weddings 

-Dilip Sekhawat, Rosin Jewels 


Company nEWS 

KGK Group 

GoinG Live 

Adding another feather to its cap, the KGK Group introduces 

an online diamond trading platform, KGK Live 

With a significant presence 

across the globe in the 

gems & jewellery industry, 

the KGK Group has its fingers in 

every pie. Be it mining, diamond 

manufacturing, coloured stones, 

studded jewellery or even real estate, 

the KGK Group is a formidable name 

in the gems and jewellery industry. 

Their unique vertically integrated 

business model that spreads from 

mines-to- retail is what sets it apart 

from any other organization. Currently 

head quartered in Hong Kong, the 

group originated in 1905 when 

Keshrimalji Kothari began trading 

Burmese coloured gemstones in 

Jaipur, India. It is his principled and 

passionate approach that forms the 

foundation of this Group and continues 

to shine in every transaction the Group 

makes. 

The group is active in Asia, 

Americas, Europe, Africa and 

Australia with a team strength of 

12000 employees the world over. 

To ensure high quality and value, 

the KGK Group invests in primary 

gemstone mining in South America 

and Africa. It is committed to 

ethical sourcing and benefiting local 

communities and does not source from 

conflict zones ensuring the mines 

conform to best practices. In the 

diamonds category, KGK deals only 

in natural diamonds and tracks each 

stone from rough to finished product. 

The KGK Group was one of the first 

companies to reach out to international 

brands and create valuable 

partnerships, thereby creating a 

global presence. Strategic tie ups with 

renowned brands like Judith Ripka 

have helped their growth by sharing 

and exploiting the mutual business 


Company nEWS 

synergies. The Group serves every 

segment of the jewellery market with 

collections featuring diamonds and 

gemstones in platinum, gold and silver 

settings. With its integrated mines-tobrands 

approach, the Group enables 

cost efficiencies that translate into 

exceptional value. 

Carrying forward its passion of 

keeping up with modern trends KGK 

has devised a unique diamond trading 

platform. Since we are living in the 

technology driven modern digital 

world, there is a fierce price pressure 

and competition and to leverage under 

these markets. To keep up the pace 

amongst the leading players of the 

industry, one has to be upbeat and 

this brought forth an imperative idea 

to develop an online trading platform 

called KGK Live. With an aim to serve 

their consumers in a better way, the 

platform was set up. 

The KGK Live vertical offers some 

outstanding offers to clients all over 

the world for polished diamonds using 

a fixed price mechanism. Clients can 

bid for the diamonds of their choice 

and it is sold on a bid to buy system. 

It operates on preferential sales to 

clients having best prices on new 

arrival inventory. One of the most 

unique features of this initiative is 

that it is both fast and dynamic. As the 

name suggests, KGK Live is actually 

live 24/7, everyday. It’s simple user 

interface and user friendly approach 

ensures that you can view goods, 

makes selections and place your bids 

in a quick and easy manner. The 

interface has been designed keeping in 

mind the young and vibrant approach 

that the Group stands for. 


Trade TraDe Fair 

September Gem & Jewellery Fair – Hong Kong 

Quality 

BuyersatHK 

septemBer 

Fair 

While local political 

protests and ongoing 

U.S. China trade war were 

posing a threat to the 

sustenance of the fair, it 

has definitely given a boost 

and uplifted the sentiment 

of the local trade, as the 

gemstone section was 

seen buzzing with activity 


Trade Fair 

The 2019 edition of the 

September Hong Kong 

Jewellery & Gem Fair – the 

biggest marketplace for the global 

jewellery community – presented a 

wide selection of diamonds, coloured 

gemstones and pearls as it opened its 

doors at the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE). 

The show featured 30 group 

pavilions and 25 theme zones, with 

precious materials at the AWE from 

September 16 to 20, and unveiled 

finished jewellery collections, 

packaging solutions, tools and 

equipment, and industry-related 

technologies at the Hong Kong 

Convention & Exhibition Centre 

(HKCEC) from September 18 to 22. 

A lot has been at stake for the 

September Hong Kong fair given the 

current political unrest. Speculations 

were rife about the prospect of the 

show because of the ongoing local 

protests against the government and 

the US-China trade war. There had 

been requests from the GJEPC as 

well as the Antwerp Diamond Centre 

to postpone the show, but Informa 

Markets, which organizes the show 

rejected the requests as the continuity 

of the show was important for the 

health of the local businesses. 

As many companies avoided 

participating and some buyers too did 

not participate in the show because 

of the local protests, the expectation 

as such was below average. The show 

marked its beginning with far less 

visitors as compared to the previous 

years, but exhibitors claimed that 

the response has not been bad. The 

gemstone pavilion was especially 

buzzing with serious activity. All the 

major international brands including 

Full Richmond Group were seen on 

the floor buying. 

Response for loose diamonds was 

relatively slow but exhibitors were 

optimistic. Buyers were heard saying 

that many exhibitors didn’t display 

big stones or high price merchandise 

because of insurance issues. Hence 

a lot of small goods, stones with low 

colour and clarity were on display. 

The local players were happy that 

the show took place amidst all the 

tension – had it not happened, it 

would’ve been worse and resulted in 

recession in an already slow market, 

they said. The show will definitely 

aid in bringing more business and 

will keep the offices busy for the next 

couple of months, the locals said. 

Considering this is the last show of 

the year, and as it is positioned ahead 

of festive season, it definitely worked 

as an impetus to the markets that is 

currently going through a slowdown. 

“Jewellery & Gem World Hong 

Kong remains the ultimate meeting 

place for the global jewellery 

industry,” said David Bondi, Senior 

Vice President – Asia at Informa 

Markets. “What’s happening in Hong 

Kong now and the uncertainties in 

the global economy are affecting us 

in a certain way. Visitor turnout was 

down but traffic quality was up. We 

did receive positive compliments from 

exhibitors and high-quality visitors 

who engaged in serious trading at the 

show.” 

Visitor numbers from China saw the 

biggest drop compared with year-ago 


Trade Fair 

figures while Japan, Israel and some 

markets recorded an increase in buyer 

turnout. Professional buyers also made 

the most out of their trip by spending 

more time at the show compared to 

previous editions. 

As the biggest and the last global 

jewellery sourcing event of the year, 

the September Fair is an integral 

part of the industry and for many 

companies, Bondi continued. 

“They use the fair as launch pads 

for their new collections, products 

and services, which account for a 

year’s worth of work and promotions 

from our customers’ side,” he shared. 

“This only serves to reaffirm our strong 

commitment to deliver the September 

Fair to the industry.” 

Celine Lau, Director of Jewellery 

Fairs at Informa Markets, commented, 

“The positive feedback that we 

have received from buyers and 

exhibitors prove just how important 

the September Fair is to the jewellery 

trade. We deeply appreciate the 

confidence and trust that our industry 

partners and customers have placed in 

us and we look forward to delivering 

an even more outstanding sourcing 

experience to the global jewellery 

community in the years to come.” 

Annually, the September Fair offers 

the final sourcing opportunity for 

serious buyers who are building up 

their inventories for the coming peak 

selling seasons. 

“No one can afford to miss the 

opportunity to generate much-needed 

revenues during the Christmas and 

New Year season,” Lau added. “This 

gave us the resolve to deliver the best 

September Fair possible to the global 

jewellery community.” 

Tech Pod sessions ran at regular 

intervals until September 22 in Hall 

3B of HKCEC, giving attendees the 

opportunity to discover new solutions 

that could help them drive business 

growth. 

Also at the HKCEC, gemmological 

laboratories and trade associations 

shared their latest research findings 

and industry updates at sessions 

scheduled until September 22. 

Meanwhile, show organiser Informa 

Markets unveiled at the show the 

refreshed brand identity of its June 

and September Fairs: Jewellery & 

Gem Asia Hong Kong for the June 

edition and Jewellery & Gem World 

Hong Kong for the September show. 

The 2020 edition of Jewellery 

& Gem World Hong Kong, the 

biggest jewellery fair in the world, is 

scheduled for September 13 to 17 at 

the AWE and September 15 to 19 at 

the HKCEC. Asia’s No. 1 mid-year 

event, Jewellery & Gem Asia Hong 

Kong, will be held from June 25 to 28 

at the HKCEC next year. 


Trade Fair 

IIJS 2019 

DiamonDs Faired 

Decently Well At 

iiJs 2019 

One of Asia’s biggest G&J shows, this year IIJS played host to 3000 

exhibitors and had around 35,000 visitors 


Trade Fair 

Dignitaries at the inaugural lamp lighting ceremony 

The 36th edition of IIJS opened 

in a grand manner at Bombay 

Exhibition Centre. One of 

Asia’s biggest G&J shows, this year the 

show played host to 3000 exhibitors 

and had around 35,000 visitors. The 

inauguration, along with the flag 

hoisting ceremony saw the attendance 

of this industry’s crème de la crème. 

Present at the show were Chief Guest- 

Ashish Shelar, Minister of School Education, 

Sports and Youth Welfare of 

Maharashtra, Guests of Honor - Paul 

Rowley, Executive Vice President, 

Diamond Trading, De Beers Group & 

Evgeny Agureev, Director of the United 

Selling Organization, ALROSA, Chairman 

- Pramod Agrawal, Vice Chairman 

- Colin Shah, Convener (National Exhibitions) 

Mansukh Kothari, Co Convener 

– Kirit Bhansali and other dignitaries. 

“It is very important that we get 

demand for jewellery and reach new 

markets. G&J industry needs to adopt 

world’s ever-evolving ways of doing 

business. The trade needs to capatalise 

on the ongoing U.S China trade war 

and see how we get more business from 

both China and U.S. Diamonds form 

the largest component of Indian G&J 

industry and it is going through a crisis. 

We recently requested De Beers to 

increase its marketing spends. We also 

had a long discussion with ALROSA 

and requested them also to pump in 

more funds in marketing. The council’s 

main agenda is to promote small 

and midscale businesses. The Council 

has set up 4 CFCs in Gujarat and more 

are coming up in Coimbatore, Kolkata, 

Maharashtra and more,” said Pramod 

Agrawal, Chairman, GJEPC. 

Speaking on the challenges faced by 

the diamond industry, Paul Rowley, Executive 

VP, Diamond Trading, De Beers 

Group, “I am very optimistic about the 

trade even though we are facing quite a 

bit of challenges. Going forward we will 

be spending more in marketing in U.S. 

and gradually other markets as well. 

Macroeconomic challenges are impacting 

businesses across the world. In my 

36 years of existence in the diamond 

industry, I have not faced these kinds 

of challenges - with Brexit, US-China 

trade war and more! And the G&J industry 

has its own share of problems. 

But what is important is that how we 

tackle all of this collectively. I have 

always been impressed by the shared 

energy of this country. We have a strong 

domestic market for diamonds in India 

and I don’t think that is something 

we should ignore. India is perhaps the 

youngest country in the world right now 

YS18 


Trade Fair 

and millennials just like all of us are in 

love with diamonds.” 

Chief Guest, Ashish Shelar insisted 

on improvising skills to match international 

standards when it comes to 

jewellery. “If the responsibility of shaping 

and cutting the diamonds in such 

a way that it shines brilliantly is with 

the industry, ensuring that you get the 

right human resource for the same lies 

with the department of Education. PM 

Modi and Commerce Minister Piyush 

Goyal are doing everything they can to 

support the trade. We are going to have a 

Jewellery Park here in Maharashtra and 

we need good human resource who are 

highly skilled to make jewellery of international 

standards. So, we will soon 

open a G&J school and university where 

students can hone their skills.” 

With an additional Hall 7 that will 

have 100+ exhibitors, enhanced security 

and ease of entry, this year’s IIJS delivered 

more than what it had promised. 

JB & Brothers 

Exhibitors Speak 

First day was not required - we didn’t 

get too many enquiries, so the mood 

started off on a dull note but gradually 

things have picked up. I don’t think 

India is affected as much by the 

macroeconomic seen. Domestically 

there is still demand and we are 

geared up because there are a lot of wedding dates this 

year - Ankit Shah, Ankit Gems 

The show has 

performed better 

than what we 

expected. Of 

course, demand 

for big carat sizes 

are not very good 

but small sizes are still seeing a good 

response - Sanjay Shah, Gold Star 


Trade Fair 

Wondercuts 

Ankit Gems 

Economic slowdown coupled with 

gold price hitting an all-time high has 

certainly had its share of impact. Having 

said that, a majority of the exhibitors 

believed that the show fared better 

than what they had expected. 

The 36th edition of IIJS welcomed 

the trade amidst a lot of global and domestic 

upheavals – markets globally 

haven’t been performing well and the 

diamond trade is going through a very 

big crisis that it hasn’t experienced in 

a while. There were concerns of course, 

amidst the jewellery fraternity about 

how the show would perform given all 

these factors – but as they say, whatever 

the case, the show must go on and so it 

did. The five halls (with the addition of 

Hall 7) were packed with crowds, especially 

on the second day leading up to 

the weekend. 

It is all in the mind, if you want to 

take things in the positive stride, 

everything will be positive. I think 

the trade in India is still doing better 

as compared to U.S. and China. 

The rise in gold price has slowed 

down the market a little bit but that 

will get better soon. For us, solitaires are doing very 

well and 0.5 ct and 1 ct sizes are doing very well. I 

am very optimistic - Ghanshyam Dholakia, Hari 

Krishna Exports 

Highlights 

30,000 visitors attended 

the show through four days 

2nd and 3rd day of 

the show saw packed 

audiences with Hall 7A 

seeing the most number of 

crowds 

Preview day continues to 

be a waste of time without 

any value addition 

Entry and exit continues to 

be tedious 

A versatile portfolio of 

international attendance is 

much needed 

The trade has seen a 30 

per cent decrease in 

business volumes 

Price in gold hike has had 

its impact on the show 

Gold, light weight jewellery 

performed well 

Jadau and colour stone 

jewellery witnessed decent 

enquiries 

Diamonds have fared 

better than last year 


Trade Fair 

Hall 1 didn’t get major attention this time as 

visitors finished their businesses in Hall 5, 6 

and 7A. Visitors from Asian countries as well 

as Middle East were seen, but there weren’t 

too many from the likes of the U.S., Europe 

and the UK 

Varni Gems 

A majority of the exhibitors felt that 

IIJS continues to give the industry a 

much needed impetus, especially now, 

with all the issues surrounding import 

duty hike and rise in gold price. While 

the visitor turn out is overall satisfactory, 

with buyers attending the show, a 

better filtration system has been an issue 

at IIJS where many end consumers 

were seen scouting for jewellery at the 

show floor. 

IIJS has always been good for the 

domestic market. Every retailer, from 

small to big, from tier 2 and 3 cities as 

well as metros look forward to the show, 

especially because of the ongoing buying 

season. Visitors from Asian countries 

as well as the Middle East were 

seen, but there weren’t too many from 

the likes of the U.S., Europe and the 

UK. However, domestic visitor attendance 

has only gotten better over the 

years. 

Though exhibitors received many enquiries, 

whether or not it will result in 

actual business is something only time 

will tell. But the upcoming festive season 

and the fact that there is one too 

many auspicious days this year have 

given the jewellers some kind of solace 

and despite the somber mood, jewellers 

were still hopeful. 

The preview day, which was created 

to get exclusive buyers (by invitation) to 

the show, has resulted in no value addition, 

as a majority of them believed that 

the preview day hasn’t really amounted 

to anything. Tedious processes surrounding 

entry and exit continue to be 

an issue much to visitors’ dismay. Complaints 

regarding quality of food have 

also been a major issue and the biggest 

grouse seems to be that of the floor plan 

– as many believed that Hall 1 didn’t 

get major attention this time as visitors 

finished their businesses in Hall 5, 6 

and 7A. 


First day should be open for 

all. We have been getting 

enquiries but whether or not 

they will convert into sales is 

something we will have to wait 

and see. This time I hardly got 

any free time as I was attending 

to customers and this was not the case last year 

as the footfall was dull – Mehul Dungrani, 

Varni Gems 

We have displayed 22ct 

close setting for jewellery 

which has received 

maximum enquiry and 

orders. Compared to 

last year, this year has 

been very good. U.S. is 

doing very stable but China is not doing 

very well and this is helping us in some 

ways – Vipul Sutariya, Dharmanandan 

Diamonds 


Trade Fair 

COUTURE India 

4th EdItIon of 

COUTURe IndIa 

dazzles In 

nEw dElhI 

Featuring 60 top jewellery manufacturers across the 

country, with new additions like Retail Innovation & a 

glamorous fashion show ‘Beyond Brilliance’, COUTURE 

India drew 100 + hosted buyers from around India and 800 

jewellers in and around Delhi over a course of three days 

The 4th Edition of COUTURE 

India was a reigning success 

despite market sentiments. 

The business boutique show has 

become one of the most sought after 

jewellery exhibitions in a span of four 

years, where both manufacturers and 

buyers look forward to participating 

in the show to experience the best of 

everything. Providing a one-of-kind 

experience be it jewellery or events 

surrounding the show has remained 

COUTURE India’s specialty, and this 

year too, the organizers pulled all stops 

Tara Fine Jewels 


Trade Fair 

(L-R) Subhash Bhola, K Srinivasan, Anand Shah, Vijay Khanna, Alok Kala, Mansukh Kothari & Arpit 

Kala at the inaugural lamp lighting ceremony 

(L-R) Nirupa Bhatt, Ajay Kala, Subhash Bhola, Alok Kala & Himanshu Shekhar 

Ghatiwala Jewellers 

in making sure the elite manufacturers 

and retailers did business in an 

atmosphere filled with leisure and 

luxury. 

The show opened on 26 September 

to a packed audience and the who’s 

who of the industry was present – the 

inauguration was witnessed by Chief 

Guests Subhash Bhola of Bholasons 

Jewellers, Vijay Khanna of Khanna 

Jewellers, K Srinivasan of Emerald 

Jewel Industry, Anand Shah of Anand 

Shah Jewels and Mansukh Kothari of 

Vasupati Jewellers. 

“Every year, we strive to become 

better and give our best to both 

exhibitors and retailers. From its 

inception, COUTURE India has tried 

to create a bridge between the cream 

of the crop of this jewellery industry, 

finest of jewellery manufacturers and 

select retailers. A unique buying 

experience is what sets us apart from 

the rest of the shows,” said Arpit Kala, 

show organizer. 

Speaking on the show’s ever 

evolving nature, Subhash Bhola of 

Bholasons Jewellers said, “This show 

is a trendsetter – every time a retailer 

comes here, they change the look and 

feel of their showroom, their jewellery 

and everything else. It is very inspiring 

to be here and the show is definitely 

promising,” 

K Srinivasan of Emerald Jewel 

Industry commented, “This is my first 

time here and honestly I am surprised. 

Only the best are here and the show 

also has been organized very well. 

Kudos to the team.” 

This year, the show had an 

additional attraction – Retail 

Innovation that included brands that 

cater to technological, grading and 

architectural/interior requirements 

of the retailers. Virtual Diamond 

Boutique, DRC Techno, MiRRar by 

StyleDotMe, eJohri and V-Design 

Architects were part of this unique 

initiative by COUTURE India among 

other brands. 

“This show is extraordinary and 

they have set a benchmark. I know 

a lot of people in this industry who 


Trade Fair 

I have lost touch with but now I am 

able to reconnect with them, thanks 

to COUTURE. The environment is 

so peaceful to concentrate and buy 

jewellery. And there is a great mix of 

contemporary and traditional jewellery. 

The organizers have thought of every 

little detail,” said Sumeet Anand of 

Punjabi Saraf Jewellers. 

The show was divided into three 

broad categories- Hall of Sparkle 

housing diamond studded jewellery, 

Hall of Heritage housing gold and 

jadau jewellery and Diamonds by 

DW for loose diamonds and coloured 

gemstones. Each section had prominent 

manufacturers in their respective 

categories and displayed their skill and 

creativity through their jewellery pieces. 

Radhika Jewels 

Bollywood Night by Rooh 

“This is our second time here. The 

show is very well organized and we 

are well taken care of. The place is 

not crowded and we get one on one 

attention which is great. The jewellery 

is also light weight and as per cosumer 

preferences,” said Shail and Devika 

Kapoor of Kashi Jewellers. 

After a hard day’s work, exhibitors 

and buyers were seen unwinding and 

relaxing at the Bollywood Night where 

Dubai based band Rooh performed 

a few foot tapping numbers for the 

audience. It was a night full of great 

music, revelry and good networking 

opportunities. Taking the whole 

show to another level was ‘Beyond 

Brilliance’ fashion night, which had 

models walking the ramp wearing 

exquisite jewels from the exhibitors. 

Dressed in stunning cocktail gowns 

for the first sequence, the models 

adorned contemporary diamond and 

coloured stoned jewels that added to 

the sparkle of the night. It was the 

opulence and grandeur of the Indian 

outfits that beautifully complemented 

the rich heritage of the Indian themed 

jewellery pieces in the second 

sequence giving the night a touch of 

royalty. 

This year too, COUTURE India 

hosted IJ Knowledge Forum. An 

illustrious panel featuring Viraj 

Sheth of Batukbhai & Sons, Tejpal 

Ranka of Ranka Jewellers, Pooja 

Sheth of Limelight Labgrown 

diamonds, Meghna Saraogi of 

MiRRar by StyleDotMe and Vibha 

Sarin Prabhakar of MMTC –PAMP 

discussed the changing scene of 

jewellery retailers and potential 

solutions to entice the ever elusive 

consumer as part of the IJ Knowledge 

Forum. The Forum was moderated by 

jewellery and watch consultant Anil 

Prabhakar who also shared valuable 

insights on the current retail sector 

and his predictions for the future of the 

industry. 

COUTURE India drew 100 + 

hosted buyers from around India and 

800 jewellers in and around Delhi over 

a course of three days. 


Buyers speak 

This show is extraordinary 

and they have set a 

benchmark. I know a lot of 

people in this industry who I 

have lost touch with but now 

I am able to reconnect with them, thanks 

to COUTURE. The environment is so 

peaceful to concentrate and buy jewellery. 

And there is a great mix of contemporary 

and traditional jewellery. The organizers 

have thought of every little detail. 

-Sumeet Anand, Punjabi Saraf Jewellers 

Trade Fair 

This is our second time here. The 

show is very well organized and we 

are well taken care of. The place is 

not crowded and we get one on 

one attention which is great. The 

jewellery is also light weight as per the consumer 

preferences 

- Shail Kapoor, Kashi Jewellers 

I liked the services section which was 

very interesting. There were a couple of 

decisions that I was delaying since the past 

few months which I was able to close on, 

thanks to the ease that the show provides 

-Pratap Kamath, Abaran Timeless Jewellery 

Due to the selective nature of exhibitors at the COUTURE, I have always liked this show. 

Since we are getting a lot of time with the manufacturers we are able to also customize 

the pieces as retailers. So it’s a great platform where everyone is under one roof. The 

show organization is also very beautiful and year by year they are improving. 

Prerna Khurana, Khurana Jewellery House 


This is my first show in 

India and what better 

platform than the 

COUTURE India! The 

show organization has 

been tremendous, everything has 

been to perfection. Especially the 

fashion show, Beyond Brilliance 

was done really well. The setup is 

very similar to the Couture show in 

Las Vegas and this is a very focused 

show in terms of the buyer group 

that they bring in. 

Sweta Jain, Goshwara 

We had heard about COUTURE India show 

and now having experienced it, I can say 

that the best part of the show is that all the 

designer jewellery manufacturers have come 

together and we have the best buyers. The 

format is excellent as we do not have to travel to and fro 

from the venue. It’s more like a family experience 

Sanjay Jain, Manoj Ornaments 

It’s by far one of the best shows I have 

participated in. Both the manufacturers and 

retailers are both top category and it makes 

it really pleasurable for us to do business. 

Viral Kothari, Kosha Fine Jewels 



Vicenzaoro September 

Bellissimo! 

An economic crisis, rising gold prices or a general shift in preference of the consumers, 

nothing can really bring down the spirit of Vicenzaoro, a show committed to the excellence 

of jewellery craftsmanship says Vijetha Rangabashyam 

Art and design is intrinsic to Italy. 

Creating beautiful things with 

painstaking artistry runs in their 

DNA. From architecture to food, fashion, 

and music, the Italians take pleasure in 

arduousness. It is no wonder then that 

this country that gave birth to renaissance 

among other cultural ideologies, which 

stand the test of time, is also known for 

its excellence in jewellery. It is home to 

jewellery and craftsmanship steeped in 

thousands of years of tradition. Arresting 

designs in buttery gold from Florence, 

Milan and Vicenza, colourful jewellery 

with juicy gemstones exclusive to Rome 

and radiant jewellery in rustic designs 

with corals and turquoise from Capri and 

Amalfi Coast – each region is known for 

its unique sense of flamboyance, but they 

all exude an aura of bonafide Italian je ne 

sais quoi that is inimitable. 

Vicenza, though quaint, is filled with 

city slickers who know their jewellery 

in and out. If you drive down from Fiera 

di Vicenza fairgrounds to the heart of this 

medieval city, you will witness another side 

to it– a bustling Piazza dei Signori, where 

you might find locals sipping on the neon 

orange, very palatable Spritz Veneziano and 

animatedly talking, probably about jewellery, 

among other things. Home to world 

famous brands like Roberto Coin, Fope and 

Pesavento, jewellery heritage in Vicenza 

dates back to a time older than some of the 

beautiful buildings the city houses. Basilica 

Palladiana, named after Andrea Palladio, 

one of Italy’s famed architects, also a 

resident of Vicenza, with its majestic white 

marble arches, nestles Museo del Gioiello, 

the only museum dedicated to jewellery in 

Italy. A cultural attraction, the museum is 

funded by the Italian Exhibition Group, 

organizers of Vicenzaoro, a jewellery trade 

show that has proven to be very important 

for Europe, over the years. 

This year, the September edition welcomed 

over 1300 exhibitors and visitors 

from 117 nations. In addition to this, 

around 500 buyers were hosted from all 

over the world. The mood was rather subdued 

for sure, as Europe, is at the centre 

of an ongoing economic crisis. The bigger 

maisons have definitely flourished in Europe, 

in turn they have caused the smaller, 

family owned businesses to further downsize, 

many have even disappeared. An Indian 

exhibitor on a condition of anonymity 

told me that the show was once talk of the 

town and getting a booth was tough not to 

mention costed the earth, today things are 

Verdi coral 

bracelets 



not the same. But the show is of cultural 

significance in all of Italy, of taking pride 

in their rich history of art and magnificent 

craftsmanship. 

The decreasing popularity of Baselworld 

has also in some ways created an 

undue advantage for Vicenzaoro. Over the 

last couple of years, the show has managed 

to regain its past glory with excellent 

infrastructure, steady expansion and more 

importantly an aggressive PR strategy. 

The timing of the show is also something 

worthy of talking about – the European 

buyers, which constitutes a major portion 

of the visitor footfall, attend the show to 

stock their Christmas inventory. 

The layout, which was divided into 

Icon, Look, Creation, Essence, Expression 

and Evolution as in the previous years was 

easy to navigate. Design Room, a space 

dedicated to high jewellery designers was 

back this time with designers like Alessio 

Boschi, Lydia Courteille, Mattia Cielo, 

Marie Mas, and Tomasz Donocik among 

others exhibiting their stunning creations. 

Spreading SuStainability 

The theme of the show was “Sustainability”- 

a burning aspect that has become 

a part and parcel of many successful 

luxury brands. In the jewellery industry 

especially, considering the investment is 

significantly larger, adopting sustainable 

measures are all the more necessary. The 

opening talk, titled “Spreading Sustainability” 

moderated by the editor of Sole 

24 Ore, Fabio Tamburini, had speakers 

including Matteo Ward, CEO and CMO, 

WRÅD, Simonetta Di Tommaso, official 

with the Ministry for Economic Development, 

Will Kahn, Marketing Director of 

Moda Operandi and Contributing Editor 

with Town and Country Magazine, and 

Cristina Squarcialupi, Vice President, 

UnoAerre Industries. “We are trying to 

provide products that are based on new 

sustainable values. Products like bags, 

shoes and jewellery have to be environmentally 

conscious and should not be 

hazardous to your health. We are trying to 

understand the term sustainability. Traceability 

is paramount. There are many 

interesting technology that is starting 

around this. 89 per cent of the people who 

fall between the age brackets of 16 to 60 

all want to know where their products are 

coming from. In economic terms, since 

natural resources are dwindling it is very 

important to introduce these dynamics. 

Traceability and trackablity can be introduced 

in an economic way,” said Matteo 

Ward of WRÅD, a sustainable clothing 

brand. 

“My company is into the recovery of 

precious metal. We are no longer digging 

gold in the mine and so there is less 

(L-R) Will Kahn, Cristina Squarcialupi, Fabio Tamburini, Simonetta Di Tommaso & Matteo Ward 

Mattia 

Cielo 


Trade Fair 

impact on the environment. We already 

have a history of using recycled gold,” 

said Cristina Squarcialupi of UnoAerre 

Industries. “In Italy, new rules will have 

specific duties for companies that centre 

around auditing, having proper risk management 

practices. An effective and solid 

management system must be communicated 

to the suppliers - supply chain both 

upstream and downstream should be established. 

You have to declare where and 

how you buy gold and how you pay with it. 

This will be compulsory on the 1st January 

2021. Companies have to comply with 

these rules if they process more than 100 

kilogram of metal per year. Sustainability 

must be viewed as an opportunity,” added 

Simonetta Di Tommaso. 

“I’ve seen an increased consumer interest 

in sustainability. Especially in the 

jewellery industry, investment is huge 

and it’s important that your investment is 

safe. Tiffany for example has been fully 

transparent about their diamonds. People 

want to know where, how and who their 

purchase is impacting. If you are a jewellery 

shopper it is a given that you have 

that disposable income. Our generation is 

participating in consumer activism. They 

are boycotting companies, which are not 

INCREASE IN VISITOR 

TURNOUT 

Middle east (+23%) 

north america (+22%) 

russia and Ukraine (+19%) 

asia (+18%) with a 

particular increase in 

Japan by (+43%) 

Portugal (+51%) 

romania (+28%) 

austria (+9%) 

(L-R) Lauren Kulchinsky Levison, Paola De Luca, Lynn Yaeger, Alba Cappellieri & Katerina Perez 

adopting sustainable practices. They only 

want to spend if they know it’s environmentally 

friendly,” said Will Kahn. 

Trendvision Jewellery+ 

ForecasTing 

Another interesting panel discussion on 

trends was moderated by Lynn Yaeger, the 

famous fashion editor of Vogue USA, with 

Paola De Luca, Lauren Kulchinsky Levison 

VP, Chief Style Officer and Curator 

of Mayfair Rocks, jewellery blogger and 

influencer Katerina Perez and Alba Cappellieri 

– director of the Vicenza Jewellery 

Museum and professor at Milan Polytechnic. 

“Connecting the consumer with the 

market is important. This sector was close 

minded and traditional. Today, thanks to 

the digital era, everything is connected. 

What I mean by trends is vision and emotional 

values, diversity of communities - 

different values. Titanium is going to play 

a big role with gold price skyrocketing 

and it’s a more flexible metal. The way 

jewellery is distributed and perceived will 

also change things. The blogging world 

has changed things. When you invest in 

machinery, you need to think of how many 

pieces of jewellery you can sell,” said 

Paola. 

“I truly believe in culture and it is essential 

in understanding not just jewellery 

but the different components of jewellery. 

Jewellery has a unique definition. 

There are different contexts, meanings 

and values related to jewellery. Right now, 

authorship is the new branding. Brass 

jewellery can be cheap but the value can 

come from authorship and craftsmanship. 

Building authorship is also a big service 

for your client,” said Alba. 

“I see jewellery as a form of art. For me 

design is very exciting. Jewellery also connects 

people. When I have a person following 

me, in a way if I can inspire them 

through jewellery. It’s also the emotional 

value. When I post a picture of a piece of 

jewellery, I do it because I love the piece 

with all my heart, but when I wear a piece, 

I probably think of whether it is in trend or 

not,” said Katerina. 

“I don’t like the word trends, I like the 

Cedille frog earrings 


Trade Fair 

Commentary on Lab- 

Grown Diamonds 

Lab grown diamonds will 

not compromise the position 

of natural diamonds. They 

will be used and interpreted 

in a different way. I would 

embrace lab-grown for sure 

but there needs to be clarity 

at the retail level 

– Paola De luca 

Lab grown is not sustainable 

and green at all. It’s the 

biggest myth. They are 

interesting in terms of how 

they can be used and that’s 

where it stops 

- Alba Cappellieri 

Personally, lab grown 

diamond doesn’t speak to 

me. I don’t see value in it. But 

then, at the end of the day 

it’s about the consumer and 

whether or not he or she sees 

value in it 

- Katerina Perez 

I don’t believe in lab-grown 

anything. I think it’s like GMO 

food 

- lauren Kulchinsky 

levison 

Sicis Arabesque ruby ring 

word moments. As a retailer, if you use 

the word trends know that they can go 

out anytime. You should be using words 

like heritage, timeless etc, so that your 

products are going to last forever. There’s 

a language for every audience. Use your 

imagination. Be careful when you use the 

word trends because it can be detrimental 

to your business,” said Lauren. Adding on 

consumer experience, she said, “Only our 

family takes care of our clients. Our East 

Hampton location is only open 10 weeks 

a year. It’s a resort experience. Our main 

location is a by appointment only store. It 

was a warehouse that we bought and we 

created this beautiful lounge. We’ve had 

bridal showers and engagement parties 

there. We have been in the business from 

1927 and we have evolved. I suggest anyone 

in brick and mortar to have a viewing 

room or change it up. Fire some clients, 

and I have done it. If you think they are 

not fitting in your mould then be done with 

them. I have made more money like this. 

Fire the customer who runs to the wholesaler 

for a better price. You don’t need 

them. Keep the clients who don’t mind 

paying, keep them happy. 

T.EvoluTion 

T.Evolution, the technological and innovative 

soul of the show focused on the 

technologies and digital methodologies 

that are playing an increasingly more central 

role in jewellery creation processes. 

The space hosted companies from the 

gold districts like Vicenza, Valenza, Arezzo 

and Naples. The categories included 

3D printing, workshop tools, workbench 

equipment and services and products for 

jewellery engineering. 

It also included a full program of workshops 

and technical seminars with the 

most qualified experts. 

With T.Evolution, Vicenzaoro makes 

room for the most advanced innovations 

in the industry and meets exhibitors’ and 

traders’ extremely high demand for continuity 

throughout the year in terms of 

machinery and technologies: in predominantly 

industrial terms, with the event in 

January, and with focus on gold and jewelry 

workshops at the September edition. 


Trade Fair 

The Jewellery 

XPANDABLE by Picchiotti 

The meticulous combination of 

know-how and modern science has 

been instrumental in the creation 

of the popular and revolutionary 

XPANDABLE COLLECTION. The 

XPANDABLE designs incorporate 

innovative technology that, ingeniously 

and invisibly, solves a myriad of fit and 

comfort challenges, allowing rings and 

bracelets to expand and contract with 

ease for comfortable, durable wear. A 

vast array of bands, rings and bangles 

smoothly fits all fingers and wrists, 

thanks to a ground-breaking hidden 

spring mechanism. The collection has 

been manufactured with the utmost 

care and the highest standards of perfection 

for durability to give the wearer 

many years of enjoyment. “We started 

out with about 10-12 designs. Today 

we have more than 200 with the main 

PICCHIOTTI style signatures characterizing 

the vast assortment. From the 

extensive use of baguette-cut stones to 

precious center gemstones that make 

each ring an exclusive one-of-a-kind, 

to stackable and colorful fashion-forward 

creations, the Xpandable rings 

and bracelets have been embraced all 

over the world not only by women who 

have fit and comfort challenges, but 

also by women who appreciate freedom 

from bracelet clasps and poorly fitting 

rings,” says Giuseppe Picchiotti, 

Founder and President of the Italianbased 

company. 

Belle Époque 

by Damiani 

The iconic Belle 

Époque necklace with 

its detachable cross 

is a precious tribute 

to the Maison’s prestigious 

anniversary 

with bright, colourful 

princess-cut sapphires 

set into a white gold 

frame. 


Trade Fair 

Vertigo by Stephen 

Webster 

Vertigo is the final chapter in Webster’s 

Altered Perspective trilogy and 

what a dizzying edit Mr Webster has 

saved for last, marrying modern design 

innovation to technical materials in a 

collection dominated by earrings as 

the central force. Inspired by radically 

modern architecture such as the new 

horizons building by Melbourne based 

architects; Lyons. Vertigo collection 

combines strong angular lines, colour 

and extreme perspective to twist reality 

and create illusions of depth and 

dimension. 

Vertigo incorporates titanium to 

practically achieve the oversize 

shoulder dusting, Isosceles hoops. 

Other styles include the Acute hoop, 

left angle stud, obtuse hoop and the 

scalene hoop. Materials include, 

18ct white and yellow gold, titanium. 

Opaque piano black and arctic white 

enamel. Round and baguette cut diamonds. 

One of a kind ‘Lost Horizon, 

cocktail ring and earrings. Featuring 

Mauve spinel’s, grey spinel baguettes, 

round colourless diamonds, 18ct white 

gold. You decide which is which. 

Eka Anniversario by Fope 

Eka – meaning ‘one’ in Sanskrit – is a 

whole new way of wearing gold bracelets. 

Based on one of FOPE’s inventions 

from the 1950s, it applies the concept 

of flexibility to jewellery, blending 

together luxury and innovation. With 

its classic gold mesh design reworked 

in ultra-contemporary style, Flex’it has 

proved an instant global success. 


Trade Fair 

Swan Brooch by 

Palmiero 

Inspired by the very famous ballet 

“SWAN LAKE” by trajkovskij, 

Palmiero interprets the character of 

the beautiful princess transformed into 

a swan by the spell of an evil sorcerer 

and much loved by Prince Siegfried. 

With this jewel Carlo Palmiero 

symbolically expresses the power of 

love. The beauty and the strength of 

the feeling that animates Odette, in 

the wait to become again the beautiful 

girl that she was, are evinced by the 

sensual movements 

of the design 

Unique piece, 

originated 

from a careful 

handwork. It 

is a brooch 

with a 

delicate 

design, 

conceived 

to be a jewel to wear 

and 

collect. A wax block is entirely handmodelled, 

then decomposed into 

several parts: from the wings expertly 

perforated to express lightness, to 

the long and sinuous neck, to the 

head as realistic as possible and 

then assembled and set from the 

hands of expert artisans. A profound 

message of love and virtuosity for this 

masterpiece, on which designers and 

artisans have worked continuously 

for several months. Fully made of 

gold and covered by almost 29 carats 

of very precious white and black 

diamonds and yellow sapphires, that 

complete the magic of this beautiful 

jewel symbol of harmony, purity and 

innate elegance. 

Cheriè by Chantecler Capri 

Long sautoirs with 

sinuous shapes, in 

pearls, onyx, red 

coral, white and 

turquoise coral, illuminated 

by finely 

set diamonds, are the 

protagonists of the 

Cheriè Collection. The 

secret of the sautoir 

elegance is a wise, 

imperceptible “scaling” 

of the spheres, 

the result of hours of selection and pairing. The synthesis 

of an extraordinary manufacturing ability, able to reconcile 

a unique style with reliability over time, is expressed 

by the tuft of stones, tied to the Sautoir with a sphere that 

incorporates a cardan joint, a small mechanism that allows 

the tuft to rotate free without twisting the threads of 

the necklace. The essence of the Caprese 

spirit and the noblest art of Italian 

jewelry. The sautoir is accompanied by 

sculptural rings and earrings, which 

are fun and easy to wear. Seen here is 

a Sautoir in red corals and pave white 

diamonds and a ring set in pink gold, 

cabochon red coral and diamonds pave. 


Trade Fair 

Anniversary 100 by Antonini 

Antonini celebrates its century-spanning history with a 

significant collection in terms of both its wide and the bold 

choice made in the use of materials. Faithful to its history, 

which has seen the exclusive use of gold and diamonds 

for the “ready to wear” collections Sergio Antonini - the 

creative director of the brand - when designing the collection, 

he had in mind the malleability of gold and its 

most striking feature, which since antiquity and over the 

centuies has made it an immediatly recognizable element: 

its sheen. The pieces are crafted in yellow and white gold, 

embellished with subtle waves of diamonds. Since 1919 

in the heart of Milan: this is the Antonini story, a company 

which for three generations has been making jewellery 

with a unique and recognizable design, directly influenced 

by the motivations that the city offers, architecture, design 

and contemporary art, all passions that Sergio Antonini 

enjoys in his daily life. 

Titanium by Giovanni Ferraris 

The Titanium collection is the synthesis of 

luxury, volume and lightness. An equation that 

Giovanni Ferraris solved in his own way, imagining 

things from an alternative point of view. The 

alternative is titanium, an extraordinary technological 

material that is difficult to work with. 

Only the craftsmanship can tame it to make original 

jewels, with a featherweight and large size. 

In addition to the hundreds of hours of work, the 

luxury in titanium jewels is in the important carat 

of diamonds and precious stones: pavé that cover 

the entire surface. 


Special Feature 

Technology Talk 

Why DiamonD 

TesTing machines 

are a priority? 

With the growing demand of lab grown diamonds, it is more important now 

than before to develop technology that can effectively distinguish natural 

diamonds from their synthetic counterparts. Sanjana Parikh finds out about 

the different diamond testing machines available in the market and how they 

are helping in bringing about more transparency 



Technology has permeated 

through every aspect of the 

jewellery business, so it’s no 

surprise then that the diamond industry 

too has become rather dependant 

on this technology. With the sudden 

increase in the volumes of synthetic 

diamonds, specialized machines that 

can accurately identify a natural 

diamond is the need of the hour. Not 

only does it give a stamp of authenticity, 

it also increases the confidence of 

the consumer towards brands selling 

diamonds or jewellery. Various diamond 

grading labs and testing companies 

have introduced a number of diamond 

testing machines that have interesting 

features and are available for purchase 

by diamond graders. 

Important factors 

to consIder before 

SYNTHdetect by De Beers Industries Services 

purchase 

Some of the important aspects to 

consider before purchasing a verification 

instrument is types of diamonds 

used i.e. size, colour, shape, and loose/ 

mounted as those influence the choice 

of instrument. Large volumes of melee 

will require different levels of automation 

than small number of larger 

stones, so the volume of goods plays a 

key role. Some instruments require no 

experience at all whereas other devices 

require trained operators. So if you are 

considering purchasing an advanced 

instrument, you need to make sure that 

you have a skilled operator who can use 

it. Depending on your requirement, you 

must decide if you require a portable 

instrument if you operate in various locations 

or test stones outside your own 

premises. As with any purchase, budget 

plays a key role in the final decision. 

Diamond Verification Instruments 

vary greatly in cost, due to several factors 

and so it’s important to keep cost 

in mind. 

Understanding the indispensable nature 

for diamond verification systems, 

Diamond Producer’s Association (DPA) 

has launched The ASSURE Program 

which has developed a universal standard 

to test the performance of Diamond 

Verification Instruments in a consistent 

manner. “The program delivers 

ongoing testing of Diamond Verification 

Instruments to ensure the trade is fully 

informed of the relative performance of 

the Diamond Verification Instruments 

in the market. The instruments are rigorously 

tested in a transparent manner 

against a unique common sample and 

standard. The ASSURE sample will 

also evolve to include new synthetic 

diamonds as they are identified. The instruments 

submitted to ASSURE have 

been tested in accordance with the 

methods and protocols in the Diamond 

Verification Instruments Standard,” 

says Richa Singh, Managing Director - 

India, Diamond Producers Association. 

pushIng boundarIes 

The Gemological Institute of India 

(GIA) is the authority in diamond 

J Mini by DRC Techno 



certification and grading. GIA is investing 

heavily in research and instrument 

development to understand these 

new materials that enter in the supply 

chain, and is in a unique position to 

develop instruments and services capable 

of distinguishing natural diamonds 

from potentially laboratory-grown and 

treated diamonds. The GIA iD100® 

gem testing device is a result of these 

long-standing research efforts. It is 

a sophisticated and easy-to-operate 

desktop instrument that combines advanced 

spectroscopic technology with 

GIA’s 60 years of diamond and gemstone 

identification research to distinguish 

natural diamonds from laboratory-grown 

(HPHT and CVD) diamonds 

and diamond simulants. Nirupa Bhatt, 

Managing Director, GIA, India and 

Middle East shares, “Rapid advances 

in the technology for laboratory-grown 

diamonds and treatments make it crucial 

that the gem and jewellery industry 

has reliable methods for identifying 

them. GIA is committed to continued 

improvements, and the device now has 

the capabilities to identify blue-togreen 

and brown diamonds in addition 

to diamonds in the colourless to nearcolourless 

range. Additionally, a Pink 

Diamond Software Upgrade now gives 

DiaTrue CXL by OGI Systems 

There are various devices available to the trade in the 

market. One needs to check for the reliability of such 

devices before using. It’s not only about the price, but 

also whether the device is meeting the objective of 

accurately distinguishing between natural diamond, 

laboratory-grown diamond and simulant material - 

nirupa Bhatt, Managing Director, GIA, India and Middle East 

the instrument the ability to distinguish 

natural pink diamonds from laboratorygrown 

(HPHT and CVD) pink diamonds 

and simulants. These two significant 

improvements make proper identification 

of laboratory-grown diamonds 

more accessible to retailers and manufacturers 

around the world by expanding 

capabilities of the GIA iD100.” 

Synthetic VS natural 

Based in Surat, India, DRC Techno is 

a non-profit company actively engaged 

in research and development of technologies 

and solutions for the diamond 

manufacturing and jewellery industry. 

Vipul Sutariya of DRC Techno says, 

“Diamond testing is of utmost importance 

in the current market scenario. 

Let’s say if you have a brand that is 20 

or 30 years old and a consumer buys a 

diamond from you, and it turns out to 

be a synthetic diamond, it can cause a 

big problem for your brand. So if you 

can provide the consumer with an authenticity 

report, that proves that the 

diamond is in fact a natural diamond, 

it can boost consumer confidence in 

your brand. Since the entire jewellery 

industry is based on trust, the consumer 

deserves to be well informed 

and to have tested products of natural 

origin. Speed, accuracy, trust and cost 

effective are the main characteristics 

of a diamond testing machine. One of 

the main characteristics of a natural 

The ASSURE 

program 

delivers 

ongoing testing 

of Diamond 

Verification 

Instruments to ensure the 

trade is fully informed of 

the relative performance of 

the Diamond Verification 

Instruments in the market. 

The instruments are 

rigorously tested in a 

transparent manner against a 

unique common sample and 

standard. 

-richa Singh, Managing 

Director - India, Diamond 

Producers Association 

Since the 

entire jewellery 

industry is 

based on trust, 

the consumer 

deserves to be 

well informed and to have 

tested products of natural 

origin. Speed, accuracy, 

trust and cost effective are 

the main characteristics of 

a diamond testing machine 

- Vipul Sutariya, DRC 

Techno 



Comparison Chart 

De Beers 

OGI Systems (DiaTrue GIA (iD100) 

DRC Techno (J Mini) 

Industry Services 

(SYNTHdetect) 

CXL) 

Type of product Mounted jewellery and 

loose stones 

Mounted Jewellery and 

loose stones 

Mounted jewellery and 

loose stones 

Mounted jewellery and 

loose stones 

Size Limit 0.001 ct-100 ct All 0.005 ct + 0.003 ct + 

Result Pass or Refer Diamond, Synthetic 

diamond, Diamond 

Pass or Refer 

Diamond, Synthetic 

Diamond, Refer 

simulants, Suspicion 

Speed 583 stones per hour Multiple stones 

183 stones per hour 935 stones per hour 

simultaneously 

Operation Manual Manual Manual Semi- automatic 

diamond is the nitrogen content it contains; 

a natural diamond contains 98% 

nitrogen. Another characteristic of a 

natural diamond is the low intensity of 

phosphorescence. Lab grown diamonds 

tend to have heavy intensity phosphorescence 

.” 

Providing advanced technological 

tools for the diamond industry since 

1990, OGI Systems has its presence 

across Europe, Asia, USA and South 

Africa. OGI Systems owner Daniel 

Benzano says, “Many parcels have mix 

lab grown stones and so it is imperative 

that every jewellery factory should have 

a testing device within its premises. 

Each device is judged on three factors 

namely, accuracy, user friendliness and 

speed. OGI Systems’ Diatrue testing 

devices can be used for different verticals. 

For example, Diatrue mobile is 

suitable for loose diamond testing and 

small jewellery. Retail stores prefer Diatrue 

CS as it helps them test both loose 

diamonds and finished jewellery pieces 

. For manufacturing factories and pawn 

shops, Diatrue CXL is a favourite. Indian 

markets prefer Diatrue A4 as it can 

test larger jewellery pieces that India is 

known for.” 

“There are various devices available 

to the trade in the market. One 

needs to check for the reliability of 

such devices before using. It’s not 

iD100 by GIA 

OGI’s Diatrue 

testing devices 

can be used 

for different 

verticals. For 

example, 

Diatrue mobile is suitable 

for loose diamond testing 

and small jewellery. Retail 

stores prefer Diatrue CS as it 

helps them test both loose 

diamonds and finished 

jewellery pieces - Daniel 

Benzano, OGI Systems 

only about the price, but also whether 

the device is meeting the objective 

of accurately distinguishing between 

natural diamond, laboratory-grown 

diamond and simulant material,” 

concludes Nirupa Bhatt. 


Company profile 

Ranchhodbhai K Detroja, Chairman & 

Managing Director 

Ratnakala Exports Pvt Ltd 

Shining 

Legacy 

With almost 40 years of experience in the 

trade, Ratnakala Exports Pvt Ltd has garnered 

trust and respect amongst its patrons 

Ratnakala Exports Pvt Ltd, 

under the guidance of 

Ranchhodbhai K Detroja, 

Chairman & Managing Director 

of the Company, started Diamond 

manufacturing business in 1983 

with a few workers and today, the 

company has grown to be the largest 

manufacturer of polished diamonds. 

Ranchhodbhai says, “Success of 

Ratnakala can be attributed to 

our customer-centric philosophy, 

quality focus and hard work of our 

employees.” The Company has 

presently two state-of–the-art and 

highly modernized manufacturing 

units, both located in Gujarat at 

Surat and Navsari, engaging highly 

qualified personnel who look after the 

manufacturing & managerial functions 

efficiently. 

Ratnakala deals in diamonds 

ranging from 0.18 carats up to 2.00 

carats – GIA Certified and Non- 

Certified in grades of IF to I2 with 

colours from D to N in Round, Heart, 

Cushion, Emerald, Marquise, Oval, 

Pear, Princess, Radiant, Square 

Emerald and Square Radiant shapes. 

Most of the production is GIA Certified 

and it creates confidence among the 

customers to buy, based on its report. 

Ratnakala has created consistency in 

assortment and quality of cutting. This 

has created an immense confidence 

in buyers to place repeat orders 

without examining the diamonds. 

They have regular buyers from all 

major countries and export polished 

diamonds to U.S.A., Belgium, Hong 

Kong, Israel, Thailand, U.A.E. and 

many other countries. Ratnakala had 

earlier marketed its polished diamonds 

as the largest producer of small size 


Company profile 

diamonds in the sieve size from -6.5 to 

+2, popularly known as ‘stars’ and -2 

to -0000 sieve size polished diamonds. 

The company’s marketing strategies 

includes participation in trade 

fairs in India and abroad to display 

and promote the products in the 

international markets. Ratnakala also 

participates in diamond buyer-seller 

meets for promoting and marketing 

of diamonds to end consumers. They 

have launched the company website 

www.ratnakala.com, which provides 

information to their clients about the 

company and products. They regularly 

upgrade the company’s website to 

make it dynamic, so that customers 

from any part of the globe can view 

the available stock along with the GIA 

Certificate to place order 24X7. 

Ratnakala has an associate 

company, M. RAJESH B.V.B.A., 

ANTWERPEN, BELGIUM,(RAPNET 

ID - 105304), which exclusively 

sources rough diamonds and markets 

polished diamonds from Ratnakala in 

European markets. M.Rajesh B.V.B.A. 

also participates in international trade 

fairs for promotion and sales of its 

goods. They have a marketing affiliate, 

JIYA GEMS (HK) LTD, HONG 

KONG, (RAPNET - 107309), which 

exclusively markets the goods in China 

and other surrounding Countries. 

Ratnakala sources its rough 

diamonds directly from the mining 

companies by participating in rough 

diamond auctions and sourcing from 

open markets internationally. They 

maintain diamond tracking in terms 

of carats and pieces i.e. at every 

stage right from allocation of rough 

diamond lots to different factories, 

which has reduced production cycle 

which is of great advantage to the 

customers. The company has made 

huge capital investments in new 

technologies such as Laser Machines, 

Sarin Planners, Maxi Cut machines, 

Four-P Laser Machines, Automatic 

Polishing Machines and Galaxy Ultra 

Machine for obtaining more yield, 

better symmetry, reduction of cost and 

increasing productivity. 

visit: www.https://www.ratnakala.com/ 



Downsizing and dialing back 

Are Online StOreS the 

next DeStinAtiOn fOr 

luxury retAil BAnDS? 

The global economic slowdown has led to major downsizing in the luxury retail 

space with several brands shutting shop. However, there’s no better time for the 

online arm of luxury brands to flex their muscles says Sanjana Parikh 



The luxury retail segment is 

undergoing a massive slowdown 

as renowned brands like BCBG 

Max Azria, Diesel, Roberto Cavalli and 

many more have folded; shutting down 

their brick and mortar stores across 

cities. The latest brand to fall prey to 

this global domino effect is the iconic 

American brand Barneys New York, as 

it filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy, which 

allows the brand to continue operating 

while it executes a reorganization plan. 

CEO Daniella Vitale cited the changing 

retail environment, sky high rent 

structures along with muted demand 

from consumers led to its fall. 

According to reports, Goldman Sachs 

dropped its 2019 forecast for luxury industry 

sales growth from its previous 7 

per cent to 5 per cent. Another survey 

by J.P. Morgan concluded that according 

to ultra high net worth investors i.e. 

those with more than $30 million in liquid 

financial assets 75 per cent expect 

a recession to hit the U.S. by 2020. In 

a video to company employees, Gucci 

CEO Marco Bizzarri, revealed that the 

good times won’t last in spite of the 

brand being one of the fastest growing 

legacy luxury brands in the world. 

The U.S. has the heaviest concentration 

of millionaires by far, with 41 per 

cent of the world’s millionaires or 17.4 

Goldman Sachs 

dropped its 2019 

forecast for luxury 

industry sales 

growth from its 

previous 7 per cent 

to 5 per cent 



Privacy and security 

have become the 

new keywords that 

now define well 

bred individuals 

which makes it 

even more difficult 

for luxury brands 

to establish a 

connection with 

them 

million living in the country. The most 

prosperous countries are China with 

3.5 million millionaires, Japan 2.8 million 

and the UK 2.4 million. Capgemini 

defines the High Net worth Individual 

(HNWI) as those with investible assets 

of $1 million or more, excluding primary 

residence, collectibles, consumables 

and consumer durables. 

A CAutionAry tAle 

However, changing cultural tides have 

posed a serious threat to luxury retailers. 

As the rich get richer, there is a 

glaring divide between the rich and 

poor across the globe. There is rising 

resentment amongst the general masses 

at this unfair wealth distribution and 

growing anxiety amongst the wealthy as 

evident by the situation in France. 

Protests sparked against the wealthy 

elite in Paris by working and middle 

classes who donned yellow coloured 

vests as part of their uniform, giving it 

its name Yellow-Vest protests. French 



President Emmanuel Macron’s is widely 

regarded as the President of the rich 

as rising fuel prices and high cost of living 

has led to disproportionate burden 

of the government’s tax reforms, which 

fall on the working and middle classes 

in the country. This backlash against 

the well healed French citizens has 

majorly impacted luxury retail sales as 

the industry has seen a decline of 20 

percent to 40 percent in the past year. 

Redefining LuxuRy 

Luxury is no longer only defined by 

sparkling diamonds or flashy cars. Instead, 

new age millionaires prefer to 

live a more subdued and low-key existence. 

Privacy and security have become 

the new keywords that now define 

well bred individuals which makes it 

even more difficult for luxury brands to 

establish a connection with them. The 

rise of conscious and mindful spending 

on experiences rather than products 

has put luxury retail brands on the 

back foot. The diamond industry has 

undergone a major upheaval in the past 

few years as millenials are choosing to 

spend their hard earned money on expensive 

gadgets, travel and other unusual 

experiences rather than a piece 

of jewellery. 

digitaL deLuge 

For the longest time luxury brands 

The U.S. has the 

heaviest concentration 

of millionaires by far, 

with 41 per cent of the 

world’s millionaires or 

17.4 million living in the 

country 



Luxury goods sales are 

growing nearly threetimes 

faster online than in 

physical retail, at 14% as 

compared with traditional 

retail at 5%. A Consumer 

Insight Report published 

by Deloitte reveals that 

millenials, which account 

for 83.1 million people, 

have made the switch to 

online shopping 

have shied away from adopting digital 

platforms to push sales. Instead they 

opted for prime location stores in some 

of the most cosmopolitan international 

cities, state of the art fixtures and fittings 

which added to the grandeur and 

opulence of the brand along with ample 

number of sales staff to assist customers. 

However, the digital deluge has 

spared no one, and luxury brands are 

no exception. With most consumers 

preferring the convenience of online 

sales, luxury brands are doing their 

level best to catch up. Euromonitor International 

published a report that said 

luxury goods sales are growing nearly 

three-times faster online than in physical 

retail, at 14 percent as compared 

with traditional retail at 5 percent. 

There has been a significant shift 

from in store sales to online sales with 

each brand offering e-commerce services 

through their respective websites. 

LVMH, parent company of world renowned 

handbag brand Louis Vuitton, 

launched its own multi-brand website 

known as 24 Sevres while maintaining 

separate websites for its house brands. 

Barneys too was able to expand its online 

sales to $200 million from $18 million 

since February 2017. 

With the emergence of multi brand 

platforms like Shopbob, Moda Operandi 

and Net-a-Porter, high end brands 

prefer to showcase their products as 

it eliminates overhead costs while directly 

targeting their consumers. A 

Consumer Insight Report published by 

Deloitte reveals that millenials, which 

account for 83.1 million people, have 

made the switch to online shopping. 


The Rock rock Talk 

Pantone 

Autumn/Winter 

2019 

The 

Beckoning 

of 

Seasons 

Pantone’s Autumn-Winter colour palette is a veritable feast of 

robust colours that remind us of thickets, autumnal leaves, blue 

sky and more. Here are breathtaking pieces of jewellery that 

transports us to a world of wonderful hues 


The rock Rock Talk 

Vram moonstone ring 

Munnu The Gem Palace sapphire, moonstone & 

diamond flower ring 

Cartier Belle Epoque moonstone, 

sapphire and diamond plaque 

brooch, circa 1915 

Arunashi blue 

moonstone 

sugarloaf ring 

Bluestone 

Once in a Blue Moon 

Pantone claims that this is a colour of “quiet resolve”. 

Frosty shades with a hint of blue exude calm and 

serenity. We found moonstone best captures this cool 

and tranquil vibe 

Arunashi moonstone ring 

Fabio Salini moonstone 

navette earrings 

Nicholas Varney diamond, moonstone, fire opal & 

gold ventoux bracelet cuff 

Sylvie Corbelin carved 

moonstone ring 

Dana Rebecca Designs moonstone 

ring In 14K rose gold 

Cartier high jewellery watch in white gold, quartz, 

sapphire, chalcedony, jade, moonstone and diamonds 

Colette pearl and moonstone jewellery 

Nicholas Varney pear shaped blue moonstone, 

K2 blue granite ear clips 


The Rock Talk 

Stephen Webster Murder She Wrote Lady 

Macbeth ring 

Julia Lloyd George rhodolite 

garnet ring 

Chaumet ‘Aria Passionata’ 

ring in rhodolite garnets 

and red tourmalines with 

diamonds 

Biking Red 

Bold & Passionate 

Full of passion, this bold colour made us think of all the 

gorgeous pieces crafted in exquisite rhodolite garnet. From 

Chaumet to maverick jewellery designer Stephen Webster, 

this stone has been a favourite for many a brand 

Pamela Huizenga18K gold earrings with 

fossilized coral, trilobite fossil, rhodolite 

garnet, and diamond frames 

Boucheron serpent bohème pendant 

earrings 

Chaumet Est une fête Aria Passionata rhodolite 

garnet bracelet 

Tessa Packard puzzle 

rhodolite garnet earrings 

Sylvie Corbelin earrings 



Fabio Salini 

amethyst cabochon 

and leather ring 

Fred Leighton amethyst & gold 

cannetille pendant earrings 

Avakian Joker 

amethyst 

earrings 

Noor Fares 

divina 

amethyst 

pendant 

Grapeade 

Mauve Magic 

This muted mauve shade reminds us of vast lavender fields 

and nothing quite captures its allure as much as amethysts 

Bounkit amethyst and 

sky blue quartz cuff 

Naeem Khan amethyst and mother 

of pearl chandelier earrings 

Bounkit faceted 

amethyst necklace 

Renee Lewis 18k gold 

amethyst earrings 

Nicholas Varney 

platform ring 

Simon Teakle antique 

amethyst necklace 

Verdura Byzantine 

riviere amethyst 

necklace 

De Grisogono melody of 

colours amethyst ring 


The Rock rock Talk 

Anabela Chan 

earrings 

Forest Biome 

In the Wilderness 

Greenery and wilderness have remained a constant source of 

inspiration for jewellers. This forest green shade cannot be 

expressed better than rich, stately emeralds 

Amrapali gold flower drop 

earrings with diamond, ruby, 

emerald 

Anabela Chan m’o 

exclusive emerald 

cinderella ring 

Amrapali gold ring with 

diamond & emerald 

VBH sugar loaf cabochon emerald ring 

Martin Katz ring 

Bayco emerald & 

diamond ring 

Saboo 18K white gold, emerald, 

tsavorite, opal and diamond ring 

Arunashi carved emerald and opal 

infinity earrings 

Martin Katz carved 

emerald earrings 

Bussati emerald ring 



Wendy Yue 

18K rose gold, 

coral, sapphire, 

tourmaline, 

tanzanite, 

tsavorite, ruby 

and diamond ring 

Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Kenneth 

Jay Lane coral drop earrings 

Peach Pink 

Oh So Peachy! 

Subtle, minimalist and feminine, this pretty shade 

evokes a pleasant feeling. Pink opals and corals in 

lighter shades fit the bill seamlessly 

Casa Castro peach quartzite 

coral earrings 

Anabela Chan opal coral earrings 

Simon Teakle for Moda Operandi 

vintage Van Cleef and Arpels earrings 

featuring a blush-pink rose quartz 

Renee Lewis antique rose quartz, 

moonstone, pink agate, kunzite, 

quartz, angelskin coral earrings 

Eleuteri detachable coral earrings 

Sutra Pink opal & 

diamonds earrings 

David Webb 

crossover ring 

Eden Presley giving tree 

flower vine earrings 


nation notes 

Spain 

A SpaniSh Sojourn 

a country known for siesta and salsa, Spain is a market brimming with 

high end luxury jewellers and a considerably sized diamond industry. With 

revenues touching $2,925 million in 2019, Spain is an important market in 

gems and jewellery industry 


nation notes 

Intensely passionate and devoted to 

living the good life, the European 

country of Spain is no stranger 

to luxury. Spain, with a GDP of $1.3 

trillion and a population of 46.6 million 

people, is the fourth-largest economy 

in the Eurozone. Spain’s economy grew 

2.6 per cent in 2018, exceeding the 

Eurozone average. Forecasts for the 

next several years suggest GDP growth 

of 2.1 per cent in 2019 and 1.9 per 

cent in 2020. As the economy recovers, 

rising employment and disposable 

incomes suggest that Spaniards are 

spoiling themselves. This is resulting 

in the growing importance of impulse 

consumption, thereby increasing 

consumption of high end gemstone and 

diamond studded jewellery pieces. 

Political tensions between Spain’s 

central government and the Catalonia 

region remain high, stoked by the unconstitutional 

October 2017 independence 

referendum. However, there has 

been little to no negative impact for 

U.S. companies exporting to Spain and 

Catalonia remains one of the principal 

economic regions within Spain. 

SpaniSh Speciality 

Spain plays a major role in the European 

jewellery sector. It is the fourth 

largest manufacturer behind Italy, 

Britain and Switzerland, with an estimated 

turnover of €1.5 billion. According 

to analysts, Spain has a series of 

key competitive advantages, including 

premium quality, a largely handcrafted 

production process, a highly skilled 

workforce and the ability to offer a wide 

range of products. 

While Spain may not have any large 

scale mines for diamonds or precious 

gemstones, it is home to one of the rarest 

and coveted gemstones, Sphalerite 

can be found in the mines of Spain. It 

has often been described as a gemstone 

with a “fire” that exceeds diamond. The 

reddish orange hues of the stone make 

it an exceptional stone, but due to its 

low hardness rating on the Mohs scale, 

it is a poor choice for jewellery pieces. 

This is why it has been described as a 

‘collector’s stone’ 

FactS & FigureS 

The business structure in Spain includes 

some 3,800 factories, most of 

which are small workshops with less 

than five employees. Just under 10 

per cent of companies operating in the 

market have a workforce of more than 

ten. Spain has a number of major production 

locations. Córdoba specialises 

in small items, period jewellery in the 


nation notes 

Spanish exports are 

highly concentrated, 

with just ten countries 

accounting for 82 % 

of the total exports. 

Switzerland is Spain’s 

top client with exports 

worth €141.5 million and 

a 26.8 per cent share of 

the export total 

with 10.9 per cent, Hong Kong with 6.6 

per cent and Portugal with 6.4 per cent. 

Isabelline style, gold and silverware. 

Valencia is positioned in the mid-high 

jewellery segment. Madrid produces 

primarily top-end jewellery and gold 

watches while Barcelona makes topend 

and modernist jewellery. 

Spanish exports are highly concentrated, 

with just ten countries accounting 

for 82 per cent of the total exports. 

Switzerland is Spain’s top client with 

exports worth €141.5 million and a 

26.8 per cent share of the export total. 

France has been ranked second, with 

13.5 per cent, followed by the USA, 

The ArT of Jewellery 

MAking 

Spanish jewellery design is synonymous 

with quality, design and originality, 

and every bit as good as the most 

coveted international brands. According 

to statistics published by the Spanish 

Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX), 

Spain’s export earnings totaled €528.1 

million, of which jewellery, gold and 

silver exports accounted for €308.4 

million and watches €219.7 million. 

The results have been very positive, 

with jewellery and watch exports growing 

by 46.5 per cent. Particularly spectacular 

was the rise in jewellery, gold 

and silver exports in 2010, up 70 per 

cent on the previous year. Watch exports 

have also shown growth at 22.6 

per cent. These figures demonstrate the 

buoyancy of Spanish design and the 

enterprising spirit of business leaders 

who have recognized that globalization 

is the best way to compete in a global 

market. 


Design stuDio 

Ring front side 

Seven Princess Collection - The 

Seven Pavilions 

Alessio Boschi 

Strokeof 

Genius 

Designer extraordinaire Alessio Boschi believes in no 

boundaries when it comes to creating. From pieces that 

address climate change to those that celebrate his Roman 

heritage, he wants his jewellery to remain meaningful and 

unforgettable finds out Vijetha Rangabashyam 

Alessio Boschi hasn’t lived in 

Italy in over 24 years. He 

grabs hold of any opportunity 

that reminds him of his roots and 

hence, for him, participating in 

Vicenzaoro is a no-brainer. “It’s my 

chance to come back home. The 

fair is becoming more elegant and 

interesting every year, they are doing 

it in the right way by promoting it well, 

professionally and by fulfilling the 

gaps that weren’t met by the previous 

management of the Basel Fair, 

especially when it comes to flexibility 

and servicing the exhibitors and also 

by charging them correctly,” he says. 

When I met him there, he was a busy 

man. He was kind enough, though, 

to show me a masterpiece, a Persian 

inspired turquoise ring, with a 10ct 

carved emerald center that magically 

unfolds into a string of 7 enameled 

carpets when opened. Each carpet 

has a different engraving and design 

matching each of the seven provinces 

and their distinctive aesthetic. I was 

awestruck at once. We couldn’t really 

talk beyond that at the show but as 


Design stuDio 

promised, he spoke to me 

over Skype, on returning 

to Bangkok, after 

having attended a rather 

productive September 

Fair in Hong Kong, where 

he also won an award for his 

Leonidas man set, crafted in 

silver, set diamond chains in antique 

style with inserts in 18kt rose gold and 

Tahitian keshis and circled pearls. 

Alessio is a self-confessed 

maverick, not just when it comes to 

his designs but also socially. “Hong 

Kong was great. I bought some 

exceptional pearls, which are very 

rare, especially a purplish one from 

a scallop called Lion’s Paw pearl. 

But for me, fairs are not working 

like they used to. The traditional 

way of approaching customers is 

changing dramatically,” he says. 

Alessio is also very circumspect 

about media and reportage nowadays. 

“I don’t really trust what is being 

said and spread by the media these 

days. In the industry there is a 

misunderstanding that lab created 

diamonds are sustainable and this is 

the biggest lie to please and hide the 

interests of companies backing this 

product, and these companies are at 

the same time manufacturing testing 

machineries to detect these synthetic 

diamonds, which are created by 

using chemicals in high temperature 

physical conditions in their labs, both 

of which are much more hazardous 

than excavating natural diamonds from 

the mines. There is an underground 

movement which is not transparent, for 

example, jewellery or fashion bloggers 

are supposed to promote and enlighten 

us about the so called “trends” are in 

Homage to Renaissance necklace & earrings with pearls and rubellites 

and a stunning demonstration of micro mosaic painting 

reality just serving their customers and 

brands, which are paying them to be 

more visible in the market. Another 

big example is what’s happening 

between HK and China, which has 

being manipulated by some other 

countries, let’s just leave it at that,” he 

says. 

Originally from Rome, Alessio has 

lived and worked in Italy, Greece, 

France and Australia, before he moved 

to Bangkok. His eponymous brand 

has become well known for its highly 

detailed, intricately engineered pieces 

of jewellery in a span of six years. 

Being in Bangkok, Alessio is part of a 

culture that is diametrically opposite 

to Italian. “The Thai people are very 

shy, they are not very demanding and 

certainly not confrontational, and 

Italians on the other hand are too 

curious, intensely passionate and very 

opinionated. They want to interfere 

in everything. I miss Italy now more 

than before. Despite how much I like 

Thailand and the humble attitude 

of Thai people, I really miss the 

animated way of communication by the 

Europeans, in particular the Italians, 

with whom I feel more familiar.” So 

he visits his home in Italy that he 

bought in a medieval village a few 

years ago to unwind, which he says has 

become increasingly important for his 

wellbeing. It is situated in a fairytale 

village called Bagnoregio, two hours 

north from Rome near Tuscany, where 

he creatively recharges himself after 

running for months to attend shows 

and events in various cities worldwide. 

Alessio wants everything to be 

perfect – if you have one good look 

at his jewels, you’ll understand why. 

“I am very nervous when I work and 

when something is not perfect, it 

drives me insane. It is not easy to be 


Design stuDio 

around me at that time. I admit that I 

am challenging but I want to pursue 

excellence and only with this aim 

and with this dream, I can get good 

results.” 

Alessio always wanted to go to 

art school but his mother told him to 

get his fundamentals in place first. 

“I thank my mother for that because 

when I later joined art, I realised I 

was able to grasp things quicker than 

the others.” Later, when he decided 

first to apply to a fashion school, his 

friends intervened. “They asked me 

why I am choosing fashion when I 

stop at every single jewellery store 

in Rome.” Within a matter of weeks, 

he bought books and magazines on 

jewellery and something inside him 

changed, there was an inner discovery. 

So, he decided to shift from fashion 

to jewellery. Alessio is a man of 

pride, rightfully so – he takes pride 

in his heritage, in his designs and 

he admits that he has always been 

good at what he does, right from his 

college days. Most people in his ranks 

are not modest. But when he talks 

about jewellery or how good he is at 

making them, you don’t get the sense 

that he’s being conceited, but you do 

realise that jewellery is something 

this man was born to do. When he 

was seven years old his mother took 

him to Greece on a holiday. He was 

Narcissus Bridge Ring 

at a museum in Athens and witnessed 

Philip’s treasure, Alexander the 

Great’s father jewellery. “My mom 

told me she couldn’t pull me away 

from the glass cases. That was when 

I fell in love with the sparkle of gold, 

the engravings and all the beautiful 

carvings. My forefathers were painters 

and architects during the 17th 

century and more than religion and 

politics, I believe in reincarnation and 

energies.... so, I think something is 

still there running in my blood and in 

my DNA!” 

Alessio believes in the 

Peacock’s Dream Ring 

metaphysical. He tells me, you are an 

Indian, so you will understand and 

continues, “I have been told, more 

than once that I am a reincarnation 

of a Greek sculptor, a very old soul 

passing through the classical period. 

I have been told that both men and 

women were in love with me fascinated 

by my art. I even know who but I won’t 

say because it is a little pretentious,” 

he smiles. It’s not a wonder then why 

his jewellery is also transformative 

in nature. With Alessio, more often 

than not, what you see is not what you 

get – you always get something more. 

An orchid in a necklace has to live 

multiple lives, serve many purposes, 

as a pair of earrings, a pendant or a 

brooch for it to be Alessio’s. Everybody 

looks to nature for inspiration, but for 

Alessio it has been a guiding force 

constantly. Nature was his safe place 

during his turbulent childhood, during 

the separation of his parents. Nature 

was his cocoon and today he pays his 

homage to nature with his jewels. He 

takes cues from natural phenomena 

jewellers normally don’t think about, 

at times even anomalies. My favourite 

from his Naturalia collection is the 

Melting Arctic ring. It is a powerful 

piece that addresses climate change 

with technical mastery. A natural white 

topaz is carved to look like a melting 

glacier. On opening (which is a blue 


Design stuDio 

moonstone cabochon that looks like a 

drop of water) there is a pool of dark 

blue lapis lazuli with a layer of white 

carved quartz to look like the little 

waves of the deep arctic waters. The 

scene is surrounded by tiny Paraíba 

tourmalines and diamonds. Inside, 

there is a poignant moment, a mother 

polar bear being detached from her 

cubs on a pair of druzy quartz carved 

to look like melting ice patches. The 

bears are carved out of tagua nuts or 

vegetable ivory. 

His brand has come to be known 

for its jewels that are conversational 

pieces, theatrical and unconventional 

in their demeanour. But Alessio hates 

the word brand. “I am so tired of 

this word. Everybody is a brand now. 

Everything is a brand now. I wish there 

was a word that was less pretentious. 

I am not pretentious and I never 

want to be so. We need to change this 

perception that artists and creative 

people are or could be pretentious 

or are justified to have a bad and 

sometime unbearable behavior just 

because they are creating something. 

On the contrary, I think that 

“humility” is the key of success. A 

brand also means being structural and 

everything about structure and rigid 

politics and hierarchy scares me.” 

Alessio likes to use the word “precious 

journey” instead of brand, which he 

claims is whimsical. “Of course I care 

whether people buy my jewellery or 

not, but I want them to remember me 

and my creations for something. I want 

to create that emotional connection 

between audience and my pieces, an 

unspoken subtle liaison, an invisible 

dialogue which will remain cemented 

in people’s soul and memory.” 

The usage of colours is very 

important to Alessio. In his previous 

experiences in Australia, he was in 

charge of coming out with collections 

by using gemstones that would 

enhance the multiple hues of pearls 

in shades ranging from champagne to 

golden, silvery blue or pinkish tones 

and Tahitian pearls that come in pitch 

black to peacock, aubergine, reddish 

and greenish hues. “I believe colour 

is everything in life. It is passion – 

you don’t have the same mood in the 

afternoon that you experience in the 

evening.” Movement is also an integral 

part of Alessio’s jewellery and the 

ergonomic quality lends his pieces a 

more high-end appeal. “The movement 

of the jewellery follows the movement 

of the body. They become timeless 

and the stones are inclined to sparkle 

more with movement.” You can’t take 

the Roman out of Alessio and hidden 

elements that are bound to surprise 

the onlooker are one of his signature 

techniques. “It’s in my blood. You walk 

through a tiny street in Rome and you 

end up in a grand piazza, everything 

Melting Arctic ring 

built during the Baroque period was 

so dramatic.” And for him it is the 

ludic characteristic of jewellery that 

is most interesting, which is why he 

makes some of them multifunctional. 

“A woman needs to play with her 

jewellery. She needs to be amused, 

she needs to interact with her precious 

jewels. She needs to wear the surprise 

and enjoy herself.” 

Every piece is a story and the 

story is the soul of his pieces. In 

one of his earlier works, ‘Homage 

to Renaissance’ he narrates the 

story of Florence, the birthplace 

of Renaissance by demonstrating 

astounding micro-mosaic technique 

with a smattering of pearls and 

rubellites. The strands of pearls and 

rubellite beads feature a locket with 

a micro-mosaic painting of Duomo di 

Firenze (Cathedral of Florence) and 

Caterina de’ Medici. The earrings are a 

pair of lockets and when opened, they 

unleash a micro-mosaic painting of 

Michelangelo’s David on one side and 

the Coat of Arms of Florence on the 

other. This obsession, to create pieces 


Design stuDio 

with painstaking artistry 

is very characteristic of 

Italian creations. “We 

are at the centre of 

the Mediterranean. 

Our DNA is mixed 

– we have Spanish, 

Greek, German, 

French, English, 

Slavic, Arab, Persian and 

Phoenician and so many 

other genes in our DNA. 

If you know a little bit of 

anthropology, you will understand 

that when so many cultures come 

together, amazing things happen. This 

is why we love studying details so 

astutely.” 

His love affair with Persia is also 

something that is evident in his pieces 

and the next one will be a book in 

the form of a ring. The cover of the 

book is created by one of the biggest 

engravers in Italy, Massimiliano, who 

works for a luxury maison and is well 

known for his signature “Ramage” 

technique. The ring will be finished 

by an Armenian manufacturer who 

Alessio claims is a genius goldsmith. 

He is also working with a Venetian 

family to create a series of miniature 

princesses painted and enameled, 

which in turn will go inside the pages 

of a locked hidden book. The holding 

of this book with a little tassel of seed 

pearls is done by an Indian company 

in Jaipur known for its meena 

technique of inlayed flakes of rubies. 

The turquoise for the book is sourced 

from the best mines of Iran and the 

mother of pearl from Australian shells. 

“This is the most interesting part of 

what I do. I use the best craftsmanship 

and artists from all over the world. 

Rose de France 

Necklace 

The Maharajah Frescoes Earrings 

I feel like an orchestra 

director, coordinating 

my creativity and know 

how with these craftsmen 

to create a beautiful 

symphony.” Alessio believes 

in the whole, in his team, 

in the coming together 

of creativity. It will take 

almost six months for Alessio 

to finish making this book ring 

and at any given time, he works 

with almost 30 craftsmen. 

“Now, I am working with a young 

and talented Persian designer Shayan 

and a great teacher and model maker 

Bahman, to create a ring about 

the fascinating philosophy behind 

Sufi, and it will fit perfectly in my 

collection. I also feel the responsibility 

to pass my knowledge to new 

generations and to help those young 

and talented people to start their own 

journey.” While Alessio is working on 

other pieces of the Seven Princesses 

collection, he wants to create pieces 

that are more artistic, complicated and 

challenging. How can his jewellery 

possibly be more of all those things? I 

really can’t wait to find out. 


Stone talk 

Spinel 

Spinel is irresistible: it comes in many colours including a rare vivid red colour 

that rivals ruby. In fact, many of the famous “rubies” of history are actually spinel. 

Burmese lore says spinel crystals were “polished by the spirits” because they are 

often such a beautiful shape. 

It is known to be a symbol of power, victory and new hope. 

Colour 

Spinel comes in a range of hues – orange, intense red, 

pastel to vibrant pink, all shades of purple, blue and violet 

through bluish green. Traces of chromium cause intense 

red and pink colours. Orange and purple are caused by a 

mixture of chromium and iron. The presence of iron creates 

violet to blue spinel, but if cobalt is present too, it can 

produce a rare, saturated blue colour. 

©GIA 2019. GIA®, the GIA logo and Gemological Institute of America® are registered trademarks of Gemological Institute of America, Inc. 


Stone talk 

Clarity 

Lighter colours of spinel are usually relatively free of 

inclusions. Saturated reds and blues are rare and sometimes 

included. Some spinel has interesting inclusions that refl 

ect the gem’s octahedral crystal growth. Groups of these 

microscopic inclusions can resemble human fi ngerprints. 

Treatments 

Some spinel may be heat treated to improve clarity, but it is 

a stable treatment. In rare cases, spinel may also be fracture 

fi lled to improve its apparent clarity. 

Sources 

Fine large red spinel crystals, historically referred to as 

“Balas rubies,” were mined in central and southeast Asia. 

Key mining locations are Myanmar (formerly known 

as Burma), Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Tanzania and 

Madagascar. 

To learn more about spinel and other popular gemstones 

visit GIA.edu/gem-encyclopedia 

This article is provided by GIA (Gemological Institute of America ® ). 

GIA.edu 

Butterfly Image Courtesy of: Courtesy of Bernadine Johnston and Buzz Gray 

Learn More About GIA Education Programmes and Laboratory Services in India 

GIAindia.in Email: labindia@gia.edu Email: eduindia@gia.edu

DW SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2019

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?