MajorsDec 19, 2025
MadaLuxe Group Acquires Ippolita The luxury goods company said founder Ippolita Rostagno will remain at the brand’s helm.
EditorsDec 28, 2016
India Dreaming: Two Heritage Design Houses
If a trip to India isn’t in the cards for 2017, New York City’s Madison Avenue has shoppers covered with two excellent fine jewelry boutiques.
Sanjay Kasliwal collar
Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, Madison Avenue has long been a luxury shopping destination. From Chopard to Buccellati, Aaron Basha to Georg Jensen, and of course the mothership, Fred Leighton (just try to pull me away), fine jewelry has a firmly planted foothold in the neighborhood.
In the last couple of years, the ritzy street’s most exciting new tenants have something in common: an illustrious Indian heritage.
Sanjay Kasliwal opened on Madison Avenue in 2014, named for its owner. The Kasliwal family is behind The Gem Palace, the Jaipur-based jewelry house that has been a go-to for royalty, socialites, Hollywood and Bollywood stars for more than 150 years.
Sanjay Kasliwal’s gold, diamond and emerald belt
A blackened silver, gold, pearl and emerald collar
Blackened silver, gold, ruby and diamond ring
Gold earrings with multi-colored gemstones
Blackened silver, gold and diamond ring
Sanjay Kasliwal is an eighth generation designer from the family. His daughter, Shalini Kasliwal, a product of two jewelry families, both the Kasliwals and her Italian mother’s family who did business with the Kasliwals, has run the Madison Avenue boutique since it opened.
Kasliwal’s designs are, to me, quintessentially Indian, meaning they are a celebration of color, expressed in rubies and emeralds, and rich materials, like 22-karat yellow gold and blackened silver.
Every piece of jewelry in the New York boutique is timeless and possesses a unique story. Highlights I saw on a recent visit included the “Poison Ring,” an emerald stunner that opens to reveal a secret compartment, and an antique gold and emerald belt from the design house’s archives.
A photo posted by Ashley Davis (@ashleylikesgems) on Dec 18, 2016 at 8:54am PST
About half of a mile south of the Sanjay Kasliwal boutique, Nirav Modi opened its first stateside location in 2015, as part of an international push for the third-generation jewelry business.
Like the most recent generation of the Kasliwals, Modi also combines European and Indian influences in his namesake designs. Modi is a third-generation diamantaire who was raised in Antwerp.
Nirav Modi’s Endless-Cut Diamond Ring, featuring “barrel-cut” diamonds, which portray the illusion of continuing without end
Nirav Modi’s Jasmine Cascade diamond earrings
This image of the Jasmine Ear Studs illustrates the half-briolette cut, dubbed the "Mughal-cut," that is the star of many of Nirav Modi’s designs.
The Embrace series represents a technical feat. This bracelet, composed entirely of 18-karat yellow gold and white diamonds, expands to slide over the wearer’s hand, then constricts upon the wrist.
The Jasmine Ring
His work has become a fixture on celebrities; Rosie Huntington-Whitely is a brand ambassador, and starlets like Kate Winslet and Priyanka Chopra are often pictured in Modi designs on the red carpet.
Modi marries the beauty of exquisite quality diamonds, both white and natural color diamonds like pink, purple and yellow, with innovative design.
His patented Endless Cut aims to achieve the illusion of an endless ring of diamonds in an eternity band by tension setting several “barrel-cut” diamonds without prongs. The process took 10 years to create.
Modi also utilizes what he calls “Mughal-cut” diamonds, essentially a rose-cut briolette he created, in many of his designs
to maximize sparkle and surface value of the stones.
Inspired by his daughter’s elastic toy bracelets, the designer also created a series of Embrace bangles, currently on display in the Madison Avenue storefront, that utilize moving parts to expand (to be slid over the wearer’s hand) and constrict (once settled on the wrist).
Whether shoppers are looking for traditional colors à la Sanjay Kasliwal or modern, technological innovation from Nirav Modi, Madison Avenue has both to offer, a lucky thing for those of us who don’t have India on our 2017 travel agenda.
Inspired by his daughter’s elastic toy bracelets, the designer also created a series of Embrace bangles, currently on display in the Madison Avenue storefront, that utilize moving parts to expand (to be slid over the wearer’s hand) and constrict (once settled on the wrist).
A photo posted by NIRAV MODI (@niravmodijewels) on Dec 6, 2016 at 6:35am PST
Whether shoppers are looking for traditional colors à la Sanjay Kasliwal or modern, technological innovation from Nirav Modi, Madison Avenue has both to offer, a lucky thing for those of us who don’t have India on our 2017 travel agenda.
More on Editors
The Latest
MajorsDec 19, 2025
LVMH Names New Bulgari CEOLaura Burdese, who joined the Italian luxury brand in 2022, will take on the role in July.
AuctionsDec 19, 2025
Jean Schlumberger’s ‘African Cat’ Is Purr-Fection Need a gift for the cat lover who has everything? Look no further than our latest Piece of the Week.
Brought to you by
Impacting Tomorrow TodayHow Jewelers of America’s 20 Under 40 are leading to ensure a brighter future for the jewelry industry.
AuctionsDec 18, 2025
Audemars Piguet Reclaims Historic Pocket Watch at AuctionIt purchased the “Grosse Pièce,” an ultra-complicated Audemars Piguet pocket watch from the ‘20s, for a record-breaking price at Sotheby’s.
Weekly QuizDec 18, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Lab-GrownDec 18, 2025
Kira Jewels Debuts Custom Lab-Grown Diamond Jewelry ServiceThe lab-grown diamond grower now offers custom engagement and fashion jewelry through its Kira Custom Lab Jewelry service.
WatchesDec 18, 2025
Bob’s Watches to Open Store in New York’s JFK AirportThe boutique is slated to open this week inside Terminal 8, offering pre-owned Rolex watches and more to international travelers.
Brought to you by
Roseco Releases New Full-Line CatalogRoseco’s 704-page catalog showcases new lab-grown diamonds, findings, tools & more—available in print or interactive digital editions.
Supplier BulletinDec 18, 2025
Cell Jammers Are Targeting Your Business. Here's How to Beat ThemSponsored by Digital Monitoring Products
CrimeDec 17, 2025
Man Pleads Not Guilty to Swallowing Fabergé PendantThe special-edition egg pendant ingested in a New Zealand jewelry store was recovered after a six-day wait.
EditorsDec 17, 2025
2025 Jewelry Rewind: The Best Piece of the Week PicksAssociate Editor Natalie Francisco plays favorites with Piece of the Week, selecting a standout piece of jewelry from each month of 2025.
CollectionsDec 17, 2025
Lucy Hale Stars in Jacquie Aiche’s Holiday CampaignThe “Love and Desire” campaign is inspired by the magic that follows when one’s heart leads the way, said the brand.
GradingDec 17, 2025
SSEF Announces 2025 Scholarship WinnersTwo awardees will receive free tuition for an educational course at the Swiss lab, with flights and lodging included.
MajorsDec 16, 2025
Pandora’s New CEO Will Step Up EarlyBerta de Pablos-Barbier will replace Alexander Lacik at the start of January, two months earlier than expected.
AuctionsDec 16, 2025
Suzanne Belperron, JAR Shine in Sotheby’s First Auctions at New HQSotheby’s held its first two jewelry sales at the Breuer building last week, and they totaled nearly $44 million.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
TJS Now Accepting Scholarship Applications for 2026Winners will receive free registration and lodging for its fourth annual event in Detroit.
ColumnistsDec 16, 2025
Beyond Unboxing: Creative Reveals to Drive Reach and EngagementHere are six ideas for making more engaging content for Instagram Reels and TikTok, courtesy of Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams.
Events & AwardsDec 16, 2025
Diamonds Do Good Names 2026 Award RecipientsThe honorees include a notable jewelry brand, an industry veteran, and an independent retailer.
CrimeDec 15, 2025
Men Receive Life Sentences in Home Invasion Murder of Jeweler Carlos Jose Hernandez and Joshua Zuazo were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole in the 2024 murder of Hussein “Sam” Murray.
Policies & IssuesDec 15, 2025
Sara Yood Named Co-Chair of RJC Standards CommitteeYood will serve alongside Eduard Stefanescu, the sustainability manager for C.Hafner, a precious metals refiner in Germany.
IndependentsDec 15, 2025
M.S. Rau to Open Store in AspenThe New Orleans jeweler is also hosting pop-up jewelry boutiques in New York City and Dallas.
AuctionsDec 12, 2025
13.54-Carat Paraíba Tourmaline Sets Records at Christie’sSet in a Tiffany & Co. necklace, it sold for $4.2 million, the highest price and price per carat paid for a Paraíba tourmaline at auction.
MajorsDec 12, 2025
David Webb Reveals Ice-Cold Holiday Window DisplayThe jeweler’s “Deep Freeze” display showcases its iconic jewelry designs frozen in a vintage icebox.
CollectionsDec 12, 2025
Piece of the Week: Oscar Heyman’s Sphene RingTake luxury gifting to new heights this holiday season with the jeweler’s showstopping 12-carat sphene ring.
Events & AwardsDec 12, 2025
IGI Jewelry Design Contest Now Accepting SubmissionsThis year's theme is “Unveiling the Depths of the Ocean.”
TrendsDec 11, 2025
Pinterest 2026 Trend Report: Brooches, Bold Gold, Cool BlueIn its annual report, Pinterest noted an increase in searches for brooches, heirloom jewelry, and ‘80s luxury.
GradingDec 11, 2025
GIA to Offer Origin Determination for 3 More GemstonesStarting Jan. 1, customers can request the service for opal, peridot, and demantoid garnet.
