Exceptional Splendour: Jaipur Gems Celebrates 50 Years with Abu Dhabi Opening and New High Jewels 

It seems like only yesterday that I visited Jaipur Gems in Dubai to celebrate the opening of its first international store outside of India. Of course, when I consult my diary, this actually took place in 2023, and a lot has happened since then! In May, I journeyed to Abu Dhabi to discover the latest jewel in the Jaipur Gems portfolio, which has serendipitously opened its doors during the brand’s 50th anniversary year. Creative Director and CEO Siddhartha Sacheti is celebrating this incredible milestone with a plethora of new high jewels that draw inspiration from the Jaipur Gems archive. Let me take you on a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Abu Dhabi boutique and share some of my sparkling highlights.

I have said it before, but since celebrating the 10th anniversary of KaterinaPerez.com in 2023, I have a newfound admiration for any business that achieves such a feat… especially five times over! Jaipur Gems has been on my radar for many years and has always been such a gracious host when welcoming me to its boutiques in India and, more recently, the United Arab Emirates. Siddhartha Sacheti is the sixth generation of his family to specialise in fine and high jewellery, offering pieces that reflect Indian traditions and contemporary, cross-cultural tastes. In the 27 years since Siddhartha joined Jaipur Gems, he has witnessed tastes evolve from bold and loud pieces to more modern and minimalistic forms. “That was a time when people really wanted to show that they had arrived,” he tells me. “Gen-Z don’t want to say the same thing with jewellery; they are focusing on self-expression.”

An incredible spectrum of jewels can be found in the new Jaipur Gems boutique in Abu Dhabi, which opened earlier this year. This marks the second time that Jaipur Gems has opened a store outside of its native India, with Siddhartha choosing not to simply replicate the look and feel of the Dubai boutique.

Whereas the Dubai store is enveloped in gold and curving surfaces, the Abu Dhabi boutique is sleek, sophisticated and more streamlined, with a ‘quiet luxury’ air that Siddhartha believes is more fitting for the capital. I know that Jaipur Gems has bold ambitions for the Gulf region and has really set its sights on becoming a go-to for local customers. It feels like this store is just another beautiful stepping stone on that journey, which is really only just beginning. 

During my visit, we spoke at length about the past, inspiring the present. As this is the 50th anniversary of Jaipur Gems, Siddhartha has gone back into the business’s archives, as well as his personal ones, to pull out some key techniques and styles that can be reinvented and revitalised for today’s clients. There was one necklace I instantly fell in love with – The Azure Bloom - with scalloped diamond loops interspersed with tanzanites that holds special meaning for Siddhartha. He originally created this piece 27 years ago, although it looked a little different with baguette-cut diamonds, aquamarines and tourmalines. Today, the piece has been updated with asymmetric arrangements of pavé diamonds surrounding 13 tanzanites, totalling approximately 60 carats. To complete the suite, Jaipur Gems has launched the Aurora ring with a 33-carat sugarloaf tanzanite and rose-cut diamonds and the Celestial Echo earrings with a pair of 8-carat tanzanites encased in diamonds. 

As I browsed these new creations, it was interesting to speak to Siddhartha about his current inspirations, such as the revival of plique-à-jour (like miniature stained glass windows of enamel) and sculpted, textured and braided gold designs. We also spoke about Art Deco, not just because 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of this design movement, but because of the proliferation of Art Deco-inspired motifs I have seen among Indian jewellers in recent years. He tells me: “The generation that is currently designing, my generation, people who are in their forties and fifties, were exposed to Art Deco because of the buildings all around us. I don’t know if you are aware, but the Marine Drive in Mumbai is the largest stretch of Art Deco buildings in the world. Also, if you consider the British Raj with the princes and royal families, this was the peak of Art Deco, so they are also a strong inspiration for a lot of Indian designers.”

Colour is also a strong driving force for Jaipur Gems. Its latest high jewellery selection is absolutely oozing with gorgeous red gemstones, especially large rubellites and red tourmalines. Siddhartha is expecting an explosion of demand for these gemstones, especially in large sizes, even more so than what we are currently witnessing in the world of high jewellery. We mused together on the reasons behind this and came to the conclusion that rubellites are a less intimidating and more accessible iteration of the Burmese ruby. They still have that same intensity of colour (dare I say a warmer and more wearable tone) but without the phenomenal price tag that can make owners afraid to take their pieces out of the safe. 

Whatever the reason may be, there are some significant rubellites in Jaipur Gems’ latest offering, including the Scarlet Bloom necklace with a 68-carat rubellite pendant surrounded by diamonds and pearls; the Rubellite Rhapsody necklace with a 45-carat fuchsia rose rubellite from Afghanistan, and the Phoenix Heart necklace with a 37-carat rubellite from Madagascar, accented with emeralds and diamonds. And let’s not forget the red tourmalines I mentioned earlier, including the Twilight Tourmaline earrings with 11 carats of gems and the Sunset Serenade necklace with a 26-carat Afghan tourmaline.

Among these pieces are a trio of rings, each one boldly proportioned and full of personality: the Scarlet Bloom ring with an 8.06-carat rubellite, 3.32 carats of diamonds and 32 briolette-cut diamonds; the Majestic Blush ring with a 10.42-carat pink tourmaline and 3.55 carats of diamonds, and the Twilight Embrace ring with a 15.90-carat rubellite with deep pink hues, surrounded by a ribbon of 306 brilliant-cut diamonds, set in 18k and 22k gold. If these pieces don’t make you fall in love with tourmalines, I don’t know what will!

This is only a small portion of ‘what’s new’ for Jaipur Gems in its 50th anniversary year, so there’s even more reason to visit one of its stores and see more creations for yourself. I think what makes this business special is its desire to be part of an evolving jewellery narrative that respects the past and is open-minded to the future. Siddhartha can tap into new trends, such as an obsession with rubellite, without losing focus on the Burmese red rubies that have historically put red minerals on the map. Plus, he’s not slowing down on store openings, with another premises preparing to open its doors in Mumbai this September. Here’s to the next 50 years, perhaps under the leadership of Siddhartha’s son Shrey, who is a similarly talented creative and CAD technician. Let’s see what happens!