Log in
JOIN
Primary Menu
News
Latest Diamond News
Featured
Top Stories
Jewelry Connoisseur
Videos
Podcasts
Webinars
Free Digital Subscription
Magazine
Latest Issues
Flipbook
Special Reports
About the magazine
Free Digital Subscription
Library
Special Reports
Rapaport Research Report
Price List Archive
About Library
Free Digital Subscription
Diamond Prices
Rapaport Price Lists
About Diamond prices
FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION
Trading
Diamond Marketplace
Diamond Auctions
Jewelry Auctions
Brokerage
About Trading
Free Digital Subscription
About Us
About Rapaport
Rapaport Info Kit
Diamond Prices
Social Responsibility
Advertising
Diamond Trading
Diamond Grading
Careers
Media center
Calendar
Rapaport Store
Contact Us
Search
Renew Membership
Diamonds.Net
RapNet.com
Rapaport Auctions
Rapaport Store
Rapaport Lab Express
Rapaport TechNet
FairTrade
Rapaport Academy
More
בס"ד
Diamond Prices
Rapaport Diamond Prices
Rapaport Diamond Specifications
Rapaport Price Lists
Price Calculator
Real Time Price Data
All About Price Lists
Subscribe
Buy Historical Price Lists
News
Latest Diamond News
Videos
Martin Rapaport
Trade Calendar
TradeWire Email
NewsBrief Email
News Feed
Subscribe
Reports
Reports Home
Research Report
Price Statistics Reports
Auction Reports
Special Reports
Magazine
Table of Contents
Flipbook
About the Magazine
Special Supplements
Subscribe
Store
Trading
RapNet Diamond Trading Network
Rapaport Auctions
Investment Diamonds
Rapaport Laboratory Services
RapNet Instant Inventory
Join RapNet
About Us
About Rapaport
Media Center
Investment Diamonds
Rapaport Events
Rapaport Conferences
Corporate Responsibility
Ethical Diamonds & Jewelry
Careers
Advertise with Us
Rapaport Info Kit (PDF)
Contact Us
Customer Service
Contact Regional Offices
Contact a Representative
Christie’s Gives Pink Diamond $35M Price Tag
---
Small-Stone Scanner Drives Sarine Sales
---
India’s Goldiam Ups Lab-Grown Offering to Weather Inflation
---
Tiffany Debuts Jeweler Training Program
---
US Polished Imports Grow Slightly in August
---
Early Deals Support October Holiday Shopping
---
Brilliant Earth Warns of Caution Among Consumers
---
Petra Puts Tanzania Mine on Pause for Three Months
---
Richemont Jewelry Sales Jump Amid Global Strength
---
New Rapaport.com Website to Launch Tuesday, Nov. 15
Rapaport Magazine
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
Special Report Blood Diamonds
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
Special Supplement Ancient Beauty, Bold Future
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
Table Of Contents
In-Depth
Note from the publisher
Why Lab-Grown Cutters Struggle to Find Rough
Cover
India’s Entrepreneurial Spirit
Family ties run deep
On the cutting edge
Surat on the rise
Putting the 'change' in exchange
Delivering the goods
The big picture
City of dreams
India Considers Its Future
Retail
Gold standard
Avenues of growth
Style & Design
Elegance in bloom
Fred’s legacy
International allure
Magical metamorphosis
Treasures of the Maharajas
Coveted Corundum
India on the mend
Royal blue
Markets & Pricing
Miners still reporting shortages
Holiday confidence high for diamonds
Cautious optimism as consumers favor jewelry
Style & Design
International allure
Meet three designers who are redefining Indian jewelry flavors to appeal to American tastes.
By Preeta Agarwal
Milan Chokshi
CEO, Moksh
Sitting on the cusp of a traditional and modern India, fine-jewelry brand Moksh is an amalgamation of all things Indian. Its people, processes, inspirations and products all bring forth a distinct Indian flavor, yet fit beautifully in the global arena.
Emboldened by a family legacy of over 50 years in the gem and jewelry business, Milan Chokshi founded Moksh in 2004. It was born out of Chokshi’s intense admiration for art and architecture, and over the years, it has become synonymous with stylish designs and peerless craftsmanship. The brand is renowned especially for using keshi pearls in its jewelry.
It has only been three years since Chokshi began selling to an American clientele. Today, the brand has two distinct jewelry streams that reflect the different markets. Its fine-jewelry collections — such as Taantvi, Empress and Nuur — are more complex, detailed and embellished, targeting the Indophile and the Indian diaspora. The second range includes its Bombay, Ladakh, Paro and Jodhpur collections, which are cleaner interpretations of the same design language and target a more global customer, particularly an American one.
The two categories use similar raw materials, but the former’s embellished bangles and large necklaces become delicate bracelets and dainty, layered pendants in the latter. These toned-down designs fall within a fast-moving price range of under $10,000, and though they may be lighter, they have charmed hearts globally while maintaining Moksh’s signature aesthetic.
The brand — which does all its gemstone and diamond sourcing, jewelry design, and manufacturing in India — has found admirers from South America all the way to Russia. In the US, luxury brand development agency The EAB Project currently represents Moksh.
“We are largely leveraging [the agency’s] relationships with clients, who we meet and interact with at the Couture show in Las Vegas,” says Chokshi. “We are also using digital and social media to amplify our presence in the US.”
mokshjewellery.com
Niraj Menda
creative director, Studio Rêves
Billing itself as “the manufacturers’ manufacturer,” Studio Rêves creates breathtaking, durable, comfortable diamond- and gem-studded jewelry in gold and platinum. Technology is this brand’s best friend, and the trio of brothers behind it — Anuj, Niraj and Dheeraj Menda — are always on the lookout for new manufacturing techniques to incorporate into their setup.
“We keep our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility up to date with the world’s best machinery, materials and processes for all types of machine- and man-made jewelry, allowing us to stock cutting-edge designs,” says Niraj. He recently unveiled a new range of products in titanium, making the brand one of the few manufacturers in India to work with the metal.
At Studio Rêves, the siblings weave dreams with precious materials, evolving the classics without disturbing their soul. They offer the same products in all countries, without adjusting the designs to fit each target market. “Any timeless design with precious metal and stones is our product range. There are no boundaries for beautiful creations. We have realized that practicality wins in every product, along with price categories.”
Familial ties with sightholder Lakhi Group — the Lakhi brothers who own it are the Mendas’ maternal uncles — make it easy for the brand to source diamonds for its jewelry. As for gemstones, the company makes sure to buy only the best from carefully vetted, socially conscious manufacturers and dealers.
To strengthen its presence in the US, Studio Rêves exhibits at exclusive shows such as Couture in Las Vegas and regularly sells its goods on online platforms like RapNet and 1stdibs. It is the agile flexibility of the necklaces, the graceful fall of the chandelier earrings, and the oomph of the cocktail rings, along with the impeccable attention to detail, that is driving its popularity in the US.
As a team that focuses on innovation, the Menda brothers believe that “togetherness has been a keen trend all over the world, and celebrating connections is the essence of our latest offerings.”
studioreves.com
Vishal Kothari
founder and creative director, VAK Fine Jewels
A strong sculptural aesthetic and a contemporary edge characterize the creations of VAK, a daring brand with unexpected compositions that provide an understated wearability and femininity. Visually striking, its jewels reinterpret motifs from nature and architecture, be it the lotus flower, climbing vines, or the intricacy of Mughal designs.
“I wanted to be sculptor or a couturier or a musician,” says founder Vishal Kothari. “My expression as a jewelry creator today is an amalgam of this. I have a strong artisanal bent and find art everywhere. I like to think I am a creator. To be able to create is very humbling.”
The VAK product range is diverse, eclectic and available across most global markets. The collections — with names like Summer Blooms, A Lotus Pond, The Arch of Heaven, and Architectural Splendor — are not country-specific in their styles, but do give a nod to history and design periods.
Portrait-cut diamonds are a personal favorite of Kothari’s. “With their roots in ancient Indian gem history, they were among the earliest cut diamonds. Like slivers of magic, these shards of diamonds are an exercise in pure precision and flirt with elegance and romance.”
The brand creates 120 one-of-a-kind works per year for its high-jewelry collection. Each is a seamless canvas of floating gemstones, skillfully set in minimal metal to emphasize their natural beauty and boldness. A technical innovator with a mastery of metallurgy and artisanal craftsmanship, Kothari creates new possibilities in his work with portrait-cut diamonds and colored gemstones.
For him, the US is an important market with a consistently growing client base. Known among a niche US clientele for years, VAK has progressed organically to become part of auctions at Sotheby’s and Phillips. This year, the brand formally began selling at select galleries, and most recently started offering its products via online luxury retailer Moda Operandi. VAK’s retail presence through these channels and several pop-ups has helped fuel the buzz.
“The American market is very mature when it comes to jewelry, and very sophisticated. To see my pieces being appreciated is very gratifying,” says Kothari.
instagram.com/vakjewels
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2021. To subscribe
click here
.
« Previous Article
Next Article »
Comment
Email
Print
Facebook
Twitter
Share
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Delicious
Digg
Tags:
Preeta Agarwal
Add Comment:
Name:
*
*
Headline:
Comment:
*
?
Cancel