National News
Candere Founder Rupesh Jain Launches Lab-Grown Diamond jewelry Brand Lucira; Taps into Booming Industry Potential
The company plans aggressive two-year roadmap for phased omnichannel expansion
Rupesh Jain, the digital jewelry pioneer who built Candere into one of India’s most successful online fine jewelry platforms before its acquisition by Kalyan Jewellers, is returning to the spotlight with a bold new venture, Lucira. A modern lab-grown diamond jewelry brand, Lucira is built for today’s conscious, design-forward consumer and aims to transform the way people engage with fine jewelry.
Positioning itself as the unrivalled “Rings King,” Lucira focuses exclusively on celebrating proposals, weddings, anniversaries, and personal achievements with intentional design and ethical brilliance. Lucira is born out of a simple but powerful idea: that luxury can be meaningful, personal, and responsible. Inspired by the Latin word Lucent, meaning “to shine,” the brand represents purity, brilliance, and a commitment to illuminating life’s most cherished moments with jewelry that reflects values as much as beauty. Merging heritage craftsmanship with cutting-edge innovation, Lucira combines AI-led personalization, certified lab-grown diamonds, and a seamless digital-first experience to build trust and intimacy in an industry that has traditionally relied on opaqueness and excess.
The launch of Lucira comes at a time when lab-grown diamonds are reshaping the fine jewelry landscape, both in India and globally. These diamonds are physically, visually, and chemically identical to mined diamonds, offering the same brilliance and longevity—but at a significantly lower financial cost. Certified by IGI, GIA, SGL, and Hallmark, Lucira diamonds offer complete transparency and assurance of quality. Each piece is handcrafted by artisans who blend traditional techniques with contemporary elegance, creating jewelry that celebrates individuality and connection.
Currently available online with nationwide delivery, Lucira will soon debut its flagship experience stores in key metros, followed by an ambitious retail expansion across India and global markets. With a phased omnichannel growth strategy, the brand is poised to become India’s first global lab-grown diamond luxury house.

Rupesh Jain, Founder of Lucira said, “Our vision is to create a premium, design-led fine jewelry destination that begins online and extends into beautifully curated physical spaces. With AI-powered customization, virtual try-ons, and seamless e-commerce, we’re meeting customers where they are digitally native, value-conscious, and experience-driven. Our upcoming flagship stores will bring this vision to life, blending the ease of technology with the emotion of touch. As we expand across India and into global markets, our goal is simple: to make Lucira synonymous with modern luxury that’s personal, purposeful, and proudly Indian.”
Lucira is carving a niche in the fast-evolving bridal jewelry space, with a sharp focus on solitaires, bespoke engagement rings, eternity bands, and convertible pieces for everyday wear. The brand has introduced five exclusive signature cuts, each designed to maximize light, emotion, and brilliance. These aren’t just rings, they’re declarations of love, symbols of milestones, and heirlooms reimagined for a new generation.
Jain added, “Lucira is about elevating meaningful moments with timeless design and ethical brilliance. We’re not just shaping rings, we’re shaping what they represent in today’s world.
For Rupesh Jain, Lucira is more than a comeback, it’s a vision for the future of fine jewelry. One where innovation, ethics, and emotional resonance converge. India’s robust diamond manufacturing ecosystem and supportive government policies provide an ideal backdrop for Lucira’s ambitions. Jain believes India is uniquely positioned to become a major supplier and brand builder in the global LGD market, which has already seen strong demand in international markets as well.
National News
P N Gadgil Jewellers Delivers Record Q1 FY27 Revenue Of 24,130 Mn; With 41% Revenue Growth, 57% EBITDA Growth & 52% PAT Growth; YoY
P N Gadgil Jewellers Limited, one of the most reputed jewellers in the country, boasting 194 years of excellence in craftsmanship and trusted service in the retail business of gold, silver, and diamond jewellery, announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended 30th June 2026.
Key Financial & Operational Highlights:
- Retail Contribution: Retail sales continued to strengthen, with the retail share of total revenue increasing to 78% in Q1 FY27 from 70% in Q1 FY26, reflecting the Company’s continued focus on expanding its high-margin retail business.
- Strong Same-Store Performance: The Company delivered a robust Same-Store Sales Growth (SSSG) of 46.1% YoY, driven by healthy customer footfalls and higher transaction volumes.
- Improving Product Mix: The retail stud ratio improved to 10.9% from 9.9% in the previous quarter. Notably, the recently launched stores across Northern and Central India are delivering a significantly higher stud ratio in the range of 15% to 18%, validating the Company’s expansion strategy into markets with structurally higher demand for studded jewellery. Additionally, LiteStyle by PNG recorded an impressive stud ratio of 32.9%, highlighting strong customer acceptance of the newly launched lightweight jewellery brand.
- Healthy Gold Retail Mix: Retail sales of Gold vedhani, bars and coins (GBC) accounted for 21.7% of total retail revenue during the quarter, while the average gold purchase per invoice is 4.84 grams. The Company’s (GBC) strategy continues to strengthen customer acquisition and retention, with the conversion to jewellery ratio improving to 53% in Q1 FY27 from 46% in FY26, and reinforcing the long-term value of this customer lifecycle strategy.
- Retail Product-wise Performance: During the quarter, the diamond category continued to witness exceptional momentum, delivering 29% growth in value and 26% growth in volume, underscoring increasing customer preference for studded jewellery and supporting the Company’s premiumization strategy. The gold category recorded a robust 54% growth in value, while volumes remained broadly stable with only a 1% YoY moderation, reflecting healthy demand despite elevated gold prices. The silver category registered 131% growth in value, even as volumes softened slightly by 7% YoY.
- Outstanding Festive Performance: The Company delivered a strong Akshay Tritiya performance, with festive sales increasing 80.3% YoY to Rs 2,514.1 Mn, driven by robust consumer demand, effective festive campaigns and continued market share gains during the festive season.
- Higher Customer Engagement: Healthy customer acquisition continued across markets, with footfalls increasing 25.9% YoY to 214,587, while maintaining a robust conversion rate of 91.8%, reflecting strong brand recall, healthy demand and the Company’s ability to consistently convert store visits into purchases.
- Growth in Transactions & Spending: Transaction volumes increased 26.3% YoY, while the Average Transaction Value (ATV) is Rs 92,264, indicating healthy customer engagement and higher spending per visit.

- Strengthened Hedging Framework: The Company further enhanced its risk management practices by increasing its overall hedge coverage to approximately 70%, significantly reducing exposure to gold price volatility. The Company intends to increase hedge coverage to 80%+ in the near term, with a long-term objective of achieving near-full inventory hedge coverage (~100%), thereby enhancing earnings stability and reducing commodity price risk.
- Underlying Operating Performance: The remaining unhedged inventory resulted in a unhedged gain of Rs 97 Mn during Q1 FY27, compared to Rs 101 Mn in Q1 FY26. Excluding this unhedged gain, Adjusted EBITDA increased to Rs 1,827 Mn from Rs 1,128 Mn, with the Adjusted EBITDA Margin improving to 7.6% from 6.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.
- Adjusted Profitability: Excluding the net impact of the unhedged gain, Adjusted PAT stood at Rs 981 Mn in Q1 FY27, compared to Rs 618 Mn in Q1 FY26, translating into an Adjusted PAT Margin of 4.1%, as against 3.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.
- Expansion Pipeline on Track: During the quarter, the Company remained focused on enhancing the productivity of its existing network while progressing site identification, franchise partner onboarding and operational readiness for its upcoming expansion, with a significant focus on Northern and Central region, in line with its growth strategy.

As of 30th June 2026, the Company operated 78 stores (77 in India and 1 in the U.S.A.). A few store launches are planned during Q2 FY27, with the majority of the year’s expansion scheduled across Q3 and Q4 FY27, in line with the Company’s phased rollout.
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