Nirav Modi, master jeweller
Nirav Modi, is the first Indian jeweller to have been featured in the cover of Christie’s and Sotheby’s catalogues. He is the creator and designer of the Golconda Lotus necklace featuring a 12.29-carat Golconda diamond, Pink diamonds and exclusive Ainra cut diamonds sold at Christie’s Hong Kong auction in November 2010. In 2012, the Riviere of Perfection featuring 36 fawless white diamonds weighing 88.88 carats was sold by Sotheby’s Hong Kong. In 2013, he was feature on the Forbes list of billionaires and has been on the list ever since.
Nirav Modi’s jewels have been worn by style icons like Kate Winslet, Naomi Watts, Coco Rocha, Aishwariya Rai, Lisa Haydon and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
He opened his flagship store at Defence colony in New Delhi, followed by a store in Kala Ghoda in Mumbai in 2015. Thereafter, he launched global boutiques in New York City and Hong Kong in 2015 followed by two other boutique launches in Hong Kong in 2016 and his latest in Bond Street, London and at MGM at Macau.
In 2008, a close friend asked Nirav Modi to make a pair of earrings which eventually led to make of the brand. Mughal cut which is unique diamond flower petals inspired by the Mughal miniature paintings.
Modi (45), is one of the first Indian third generation jewellers to move away from traditional evocative designs of Mughal Empire from the 16th and 17th centuries, stripping back the usual yellow gold metal and coloured stones to leave diamonds cut and set in unbelievable designs, to stand out in their own refined elegance. Modi in 1990, at the age of 19 moved to Mumbai and continued his wholesale diamond business, and amassed his billion-pound fortune. He lives in central Mumbai with his wife and three children. He became famous by accident when a close friend, begged him to create a pair of earrings for her, that Modi did discover his inbuilt passion for jewellery design. The earrings he created was a master piece, made of large white solitaires, encircled by a ring of diamonds. In the same year the diamond market crashed and suddenly rare pink, white and blue dimaonds above 10 carats were readily available at knock down prices. Modi took advantage of this opportunity and began collection rare diamonds and instead of selling them loose he decided to design new jewellery. His biggest break came when his Lotus 12 ct Golconda diamond necklace garnered international interest boosting Nirav modi on the international map.
Nirav Modi is the founder and chairman of Firestar Diamonds and now owns a 1200-person strong global enterprise. A diamond necklace designed by Modi fetched $3.56 million at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong. Modi’s grandfather traded in the brilliant stone in the 1930s and 1940s before he shifted to Singapore. His father Deepak Modi moved the business to the diamond capital of the world in Antwerp, Belgium.
Modi says “ Being naïve was my greatest strength, Ultimately everyday is a challenge because price, people dn lawa are all continuously changing. My biggest success has yet to come” whose sibiings joined forces and followed his business mantra – find the largest opportunity with a big moat around it. Modi began buying finest and rarest diamonds from Sierra Leone, white stones from Russia and Armenia and Pink diamonds from Argyle.