MajorsMar 13, 2026
24 Karat Club of New York’s Banquet to Return to Waldorf AstoriaThe reopening of the Waldorf Astoria means a homecoming for the industry group’s annual event, which will take place Saturday.
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
CollectionsMar 12, 2026
Jessica McCormack Sends Gold, Gemstones Into ‘Orbit’McCormack looked to the 19th century’s “golden age” of astronomy when designing her new celestial-themed collection.
Events & AwardsMar 12, 2026
Johnny Nelson Wins David Yurman Gem Awards GrantNelson will be honored as the inaugural grant winner at the Gem Awards gala on Friday.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
TechnologyMar 12, 2026
Caratwise Launches, Names Former Signet Exec CEO The new smart design software allows jewelers to configure, price, and confirm a custom engagement ring in real time for in-store customers.
Weekly QuizMar 12, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingMar 12, 2026
Grandview Klein Opens New Factory in South Africa The 10,000-square-foot diamond manufacturing facility officially opened in late February and employs 50 people.
Events & AwardsMar 12, 2026
MJSA ‘Future of Jewelry Making’ Scholarship Applications OpenThe MJSA Education Foundation’s scholarships support students pursuing jewelry careers.
Brought to you by
DCA Enters a New Chapter in Jewelry EducationWith refreshed branding, a new website, updated courses, and a pathway for growth, DCA is dedicated to supporting retail staff development.
AuctionsMar 11, 2026
‘Spectacular’ 26-Carat Diamond Going Up for Auction in London The largest white diamond to come to market in the U.K. in more than a decade, the VVS1, I-color stone is expected to top $1 million.
TechnologyMar 11, 2026
Cast Jewelry’s Rachel Skelly on Coming Back Online Only Skelly shares her plans for reimagining the fine jewelry retailer she re-acquired after it faltered last year.
CollectionsMar 11, 2026
Pyrrha Highlights ‘The Space Between’ In New CollectionThe collection takes inspiration from the emotional space between people, moments, and experiences.
IndependentsMar 11, 2026
From the Jazz Age to the Information Age: London Jewelers Turns 100In 2026, the jewelry retailer is celebrating a milestone only a small percentage of family-owned businesses survive to see.
IndependentsMar 11, 2026
Virginia Jewelers Raise Nearly $30K for Children’s HospitalThe group of jewelers held a jewelry raffle in support of the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU.
FinancialsMar 10, 2026
Signet Jewelers’ Q4 Sales Fall Flat The jewelry giant released preliminary results for the fourth quarter and full year on Monday, with final results slated to come next week.
MajorsMar 10, 2026
Saks Global to Close 15 More StoresThe retailer also gave an update on its vendor partnerships.
TrendsMar 10, 2026
Messika Names Julianne Moore as AmbassadorThe award-winning actress is the “epitome of modern allure,” the brand said.
CollectionsMar 10, 2026
Gemstones ‘Bloom’ in Sorellina’s New CollectionThe “Bloom” collection draws from the flower power movement of the 1960s and ‘70s with inlay pendants offered in eight colorways.
Events & AwardsMar 10, 2026
Diamond-Studded Painting Shines at RJO Foundation AuctionThe unique piece was one of the custom works offered at the foundation's recent silent art auction, which garnered nearly $15,000 in total.
TrendsMar 09, 2026
Jake Gyllenhaal Is Bulgari’s Latest AmbassadorBulgari named Gyllenhaal as its brand ambassador for his embodiment of artistic depth, intellectual curiosity, and warmth.
Events & AwardsMar 09, 2026
TJS Announces 2026 Scholarship WinnersAwards were given to four students, one apprentice, and an emerging jeweler.
AuctionsMar 09, 2026
Joanna Carson’s Jewels Lead White-Glove SaleThe top jewelry lot of the late model’s estate sale, hosted by John Moran Auctioneers, was an Oscar Heyman & Brothers for Cartier necklace.
GradingMar 06, 2026
Tom Moses Leaving GIA After Nearly 50 YearsMoses, who started at GIA’s Santa Monica lab in 1976, will leave the Gemological Institute of America in May.
Lab-GrownMar 06, 2026
Charles & Colvard Files for Bankruptcy, Citing Price PressuresIncreased competition, falling lab-grown diamond and moissanite prices, and the rising cost of gold took a toll on the moissanite maker.
CollectionsMar 06, 2026
Zome’s ‘Solara’ Earrings Embody Celestial BeautyThe earrings, our Piece of the Week, feature pink tourmalines as planets orbiting around an aquamarine center set in 18-karat rose gold.
MajorsMar 06, 2026
Pomellato’s 2026 IWD Campaign Spotlights Economic Abuse“The Price of Freedom” campaign video for International Women’s Day confronts the quiet violence of financial control.
Policies & IssuesMar 05, 2026
Tariffs to Increase to 15% This Week, Treasury Secretary Says Also, a federal judge has ordered that companies that paid tariffs implemented under the IEEPA are entitled to refunds.
CollectionsMar 05, 2026
Common Era Honors ‘Difficult Women’ in CollectionThe ever-growing collection, which just expanded with the addition of Olga of Kyiv, features cameos of 12 women from history.
