India’s is a world-famous jeweler, known for its elaborate Indian-inspired designs and extravagant gems. The Kasliwal family established the brand in 1852, when they were made the official jewelers of India’s royals in Rajasthan (a northern Indian region known as the Land of Kings).
The family boasts over nine generations of jewelers in their venture and has designed jewelry for the world’s elite-varying from Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana to Nicole Kidman. The Kasliwals have also displayed their most famous pieces at highly regarded institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Kremlin Museum Moscow. This includes precious stones that belonged India’s royal families over the past 150 years.
Today, Samir Kasliwal is at the helm of the Gem Palace’s India operations together with his cousins, and he’s also a jewelry designer by trade, having studied gemmology in both Italy and the U.S. We met with Samir to chat about inspiration, how to buy fine jewelry, and what’s next for the extraordinary jewelers.
“Living in Jaipur (Rajasthan’s pink city), I am inspired by the gorgeous palaces and romantic architecture of Rajasthan, as well as the natural beauty. Many of our jewelry designs are inspired by the animals and lotus flowers found in the natural ecosystem. Beyond Northern India, living in Italian cities like Venice and being trained by my father and uncle for so many years have had a tremendous creative influence on our collections.”
India’s tradition of craftsmanship is rooted in techniques that were developed over 150 years ago. The jewels are completely handmade and require the expertise of three to four specialists per piece.
“The jewelry design concepts are rooted in Indian motifs like peacocks, parrots, and lotus flowers, all imbued with vibrant colors.”
Ask for the certification of the stones and ensure that it is from a reputable laboratory like the GIA to accurately assess the situation.
” A stone that looks too clean may be synthetic. You want to see some impurities, but not that many. An example of this is an emerald. It should be green and not yellow or brown.”
