JB Insights
IIG partners with Shringar – House of Mangalsutra Ltd. to launch Designer of the Month Competition for jewellery students
The International Institute of Gemology (IIG) has partnered with Shringar House of Mangalsutra Ltd. to introduce a new PAN-India initiative – the IIG Designer of the Month competition.Aimed at IIG students across India, this competition provides an exceptional platform for aspiring jewellery designers to conceptualize, create, and showcase their designs. Winning designs will be produced in 22K and 18K gold at Shringar’s advanced manufacturing facility, offering real-world exposure for students.
The competition will be judged by an expert panel, including Chetan Thadeshwar, Chairman & MD of Shringar House of Mangalsutra, Rahul Desai, CEO & MD of IIG, and two leading jewellery retailers. The top finalists will gain invaluable opportunities, including paid internships and potential employment with Shringar, along with sponsorships for their designs. The competition marks a significant step for IIG in its commitment to providing hands-on industry experience alongside academic learning.
This collaboration reflects IIG’s dedication to shaping the future of jewellery design education by offering practical exposure and industry connections. Rahul Desai, CEO of IIG, emphasized that the MoU represents a dynamic approach to cultivating talent, blending tradition with innovation. Meanwhile, Chetan Thadeshwar highlighted Shringar’s commitment to mentoring young talent, fostering creativity, and providing them with the resources to succeed in the jewellery industry.
By Invitation
The Rise Of Everyday Milestone Gifting:Why Natural Diamond Solitaires Are No Longer Reserved For Weddings
For decades, natural diamond solitaires have been associated with engagements, weddings and landmark anniversaries. They represented life’s biggest celebrations and were often viewed as aspirational purchases reserved for a select few occasions. Today, however, consumer behaviour is evolving. More people are choosing to celebrate personal milestones, professional achievements and meaningful life moments with jewellery that carries lasting emotional value.
Across urban India, consumers are increasingly purchasing natural diamond solitaires for occasions such as promotions, first salaries, business launches, milestone birthdays, graduations, parenthood and personal accomplishments. The decision is no longer driven solely by tradition, it is driven by emotion. This shift is redefining the role of solitaires from occasion-led purchases to symbols of self-celebration and personal growth.
For the jewellery industry, this evolution presents a significant opportunity. Instead of engaging consumers only during wedding seasons, brands can now connect with them across multiple life stages. Every achievement, whether personal or professional, has the potential to become a meaningful jewellery purchase. This broadens the consumer journey and creates new avenues for growth beyond the traditional bridal category.



At Divine Solitaires, this changing mindset is seen as a reflection of how modern luxury is becoming more personal and intentional. While the brand is synonymous with the world’s finest natural solitaire diamonds, it also recognises that today’s consumers want jewellery that becomes part of their everyday story, not just their wedding album. A solitaire is increasingly being viewed as a timeless piece that can be worn regularly while continuing to represent a deeply meaningful memory.
The growing preference for everyday milestone gifting is also changing what consumers expect from jewellery brands. Buyers today are researching more, asking more questions and seeking greater transparency before making a purchase. They want assurance about certification, quality, craftsmanship and long-term value. These expectations are redefining trust in the natural diamond category.
This philosophy has always been central to Divine Solitaires. The brand has consistently focused on bringing greater transparency to the natural diamond category through stringent quality benchmarks, transparent pricing and industry-leading consumer assurance programmes. Every Divine Solitaire undergoes multiple quality parameters that far exceed conventional diamond grading standards, ensuring consumers receive only the world’s finest natural solitaire diamonds. Along with lifetime upgrade, exchange and buyback programmes, supported through its digital verification ecosystem, the brand continues to reinforce confidence long after the purchase is made.
As India’s jewellery market matures, consumers are no longer making decisions based solely on design or price. They are increasingly evaluating emotional significance, authenticity, long-term value and future flexibility. The ability to invest in a certified natural solitaire diamond that celebrates a personal milestone represents a meaningful and enduring choice, particularly among younger buyers who seek purchases that combine aspiration with substance. This evolution is helping redefine luxury as something that is not only beautiful, but also deeply personal.
The broader industry stands to benefit as well. The rise of self-gifting and milestone-led purchases is expanding the natural diamond category beyond traditional wedding occasions and encouraging stronger consumer engagement throughout the year. It is also creating greater demand for certified natural diamonds and driving higher standards of transparency, education and trust across India’s jewellery retail ecosystem.
As the industry prepares for this next phase of growth, there is also increasing momentum around celebrating and strengthening consumer confidence in natural diamond solitaires. This vision is reflected in the upcoming Solitaire Festival of India (TSFI), an industry-first initiative by Divine Solitaires that aims to bring together consumers, retailers and the larger jewellery fraternity in a nationwide celebration of natural diamond solitaires. By creating new conversations around aspiration, achievement and everyday milestones, TSFI seeks to further expand the relevance of solitaires beyond weddings and into every meaningful stage of modern life.
Speaking on this evolving consumer behaviour, Jignesh Mehta, Founder and Managing Director, Divine Solitaires, said:

“The definition of luxury is becoming deeply personal. Consumers today are no longer buying natural diamond solitaires only because tradition tells them to, they are buying them because a moment in their life feels worthy of being remembered forever. We are witnessing a significant shift from occasion-led purchases to emotion-led purchases, where promotions, entrepreneurial successes, personal achievements and everyday milestones are becoming solitaire moments.
At Divine Solitaires, we believe this evolution reflects a more confident and intentional consumer mindset, one that values transparency, quality and long-term meaning. Through initiatives like the Solitaire Festival of India, our endeavour is to celebrate these changing consumer journeys while strengthening trust and appreciation for natural diamond solitaires across the country.”
The future of India’s natural diamond market will not be shaped solely by weddings, but by the many milestones that define modern life. As everyday milestone gifting continues to rise, brands that combine emotional relevance with transparency and enduring value will lead the next phase of growth. For Divine Solitaires, this represents not just a consumer trend, but a meaningful shift towards a more personal, consumer-centric and future-ready jewellery ecosystem.
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