Designer Focus
My philosophy revolves around creating pieces that blend timeless elegance with modern flair.I believe in craftsmanship that reflects meticulous attention to detail, ensuring each piece not only enhances beauty, but also tells a unique story: Varda Goenka
Varda Goenka is a distinguished entrepreneur and jewellery designer, leading her brand, VARDA GOENKA—Fine Jewels by DIAGOLD, with creativity and leadership. Varda has become a leading name in the jewellery industry, known for her exquisite designs and entrepreneurial excellence. She founded DIAGOLD to bring her artistic vision to life, offering unique and luxurious jewellery. Varda Goenka believes in creating designs that have a timeless elegance with a modern flair; each telling a unique story. She spoke to JEWELBUZZ on her design philosophy, balancing creativity and commerce, the Indian jewellery design scenario … and more.


Take us through your journey into jewellery designing: your inspiration, your beginnings, and your evolution into a renowned designer.
I began my career as a small-scale, self-taught designer, mainly catering to friends and family. As I ventured further into the field, I pursued credentials and enrolled in courses in Mumbai, followed by completing my GIA certification in New York. This marked the beginning of my journey.
Subsequently, I opened a modest store at Metro Plaza, Kolkata, which gained rapid popularity due to its distinctive designs. Encouraged by this success, I expanded by opening the Lee Road corporate store and another outlet at City Centre, Kolkata, and later ventured into Mumbai as well.


What is your design philosophy?
As a jewellery designer, my philosophy revolves around creating pieces that blend timeless elegance with modern flair. I believe in craftsmanship that reflects meticulous attention to detail, ensuring each piece not only enhances beauty but also tells a unique story. Sustainability and ethical sourcing are integral to my practice, ensuring that every creation resonates with both aesthetic appeal and responsible practices. Innovation plays a crucial role, allowing me to push boundaries while respecting the rich traditions of jewellery craftsmanship. Ultimately, my goal is to craft pieces that inspire and delight, becoming cherished symbols of personal style and expression for the wearer.
What are your favourite metals, stones and other materials? Take us through your unique, Out of the box jewellery pieces/ collections.
I favour white and rose gold for their elegance and versatility. Diamonds and coloured gemstones like sapphires, emeralds, and rubies are my go-to for their brilliance and vibrant hues. I also incorporate pearls and unconventional materials such as enamel and sustainable alternatives.
One of my standout collections blends traditional jewellery techniques with contemporary architecture, featuring bold geometric shapes and unexpected material combinations. Another focuses on wearable art, with each piece crafted as a miniature sculpture that blurs the line between jewellery and art, inviting personal expression through unique designs.


As an entrepreneur, what are the lessons you have learnt in establishing a business, strategy for growth, brand positioning etc. How does one balance creativity with commercial viability and changing consumer preferences?
As a jeweller and entrepreneur, I’ve learned that quality craftsmanship and unique designs are essential for standing out in the competitive market. Balancing creativity with commercial viability involves staying attuned to trends while maintaining a timeless appeal in my creations. Exceptional customer experience and effective branding are crucial for building trust and loyalty. Financial prudence, strong relationships with stakeholders, and a robust digital presence have been key to scaling my business. Continuous learning and a passion for innovation drive me to adapt to changing consumer preferences and industry dynamics, ensuring sustained growth and success in the jewellery industry.
Your comments on the current jewellery designing segment in India? What is the standing and brand positioning of India’s jewellery designers on the global stage? After Make in India, are we ready for Design in India?
The jewellery designing segment in India is flourishing with a blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern aesthetics, gaining global recognition. Indian designers are celebrated for their intricate designs and cultural richness, making significant strides on the international stage. With the Make in India initiative promoting local manufacturing, there’s now a growing focus on Design in India, signalling a shift towards creative innovation and design leadership. As India invests more in design education and infrastructure, its jewellery designers are poised to strengthen their global presence through creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural authenticity.


What is the potential for Indian designers to collaborate with global brands and top international designers?
Indian jewellery designers have immense potential to collaborate with global brands and top international designers. They bring a unique blend of traditional craftsmanship, innovative designs, and a rich cultural heritage that appeals to global audiences. Collaborations offer opportunities to fuse Indian aesthetic sensibilities with international trends, creating distinctive and marketable collections. Moreover, such partnerships can leverage India’s skilled artisans and diverse gemstone resources, enhancing the appeal of luxury and high-end jewellery worldwide. As Indian designers continue to gain recognition for their creativity and craftsmanship, collaborations serve as platforms to showcase their talent on a global scale, enriching the global jewellery landscape with their unique perspectives.
What’s your message for aspiring, as well as practicing, jewellery designers?
My message to aspiring and practicing jewellery designers is to stay passionate, curious, and committed to honing your craft. Continuously seek inspiration from diverse sources – whether cultural heritage, nature, or contemporary trends – and infuse your designs with creativity and innovation. Embrace learning opportunities, from technical skills to business acumen, to navigate the competitive industry landscape effectively. Build a strong brand identity that reflects your unique style and values, and prioritize quality and craftsmanship in every piece you create. Stay connected with the industry, collaborate with peers, and embrace feedback to continually refine your skills and evolve as a designer. Above all, believe in your vision and persevere through challenges, knowing that dedication and authenticity will ultimately define your success in the dynamic world of jewellery design.
Designer Focus
DAIMANTE: Symbolic Modernism – Both Timeless and Modern
In an exclusive conversation with JewelBuzz, the Founder & CEO of DAIMANTE – Sunny Kumar Singh shares the vision behind building a design-led jewellery house that blends storytelling, symbolism, and innovation. From reimagining everyday luxury to exploring the possibilities of Laboratory-Grown Diamonds, the brand reflects a new generation’s approach to jewellery—one that values personal expression, mindful craftsmanship, and contemporary design. Through its debut Talisman collection and future-forward philosophy, DAIMANTÉ seeks to create pieces that feel intimate, meaningful, and timeless.

1. What inspired you to start your jewellery brand DAIMANTE, and how would you describe its core design style?
Traditionally, jewellery has been associated with inheritance or special occasions, but I believe it can also be an expression of identity or something deeply personal that people choose to wear every day.
I told my team, let’s rethink what modern luxury jewellery could look like for a new generation. With DAIMANTÉ, we are creating a brand where technology and storytelling can exist alongside beauty and craftsmanship. It’s essentially a design-led jewellery house that embraces innovation while still respecting the poetry of traditional jewellery making.
2. How would you describe DAIMANTE’s core design philosophy and what makes it unique in the market?
Our philosophy is something I like to call symbolic modernism. Many of our pieces draw inspiration from archetypes in nature like animals, talismans, folklore, and symbols that represent protection, luck, or transformation.
At the same time, we reinterpret these ideas through clean, contemporary forms. The intention is to create jewellery that feels both timeless and modern. I’ve always believed jewellery should feel personal, almost like a small secret the wearer carries with them.

3. What does luxury mean to you, and how do you express that through your creations?
To me, luxury today is not about abundance; it’s about intent. I personally believe that the most luxurious objects are those that have been designed thoughtfully and mindfully.
At DAIMANTÉ, we are expressing this through restraint and purity of form. Our diamonds are meant to feel luminous rather than ostentatious. In the end, the look is elegant, of course, but I want the wearer to feel a natural power inspired by, say, the pendants from TALISMAN, our launch collection.
4. What are your favorite metals, stones, and materials to work with?
Gold will always remain one of the most beautiful materials to work with. It has warmth, memory, and a sense of permanence that very few materials can match.
I particularly enjoy working with 18K gold because it allows a certain sculptural freedom while still retaining that richness of color. Indian skin tones are beautifully diverse, so our pendants are offered in yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold, so that our customers can choose what resonates with their personal taste or best complements their skin tones.
And of course, we work with laboratory-grown diamonds. They give us the freedom to explore more adventurous design ideas while being mindful. We chose lab-grown brilliance because we genuinely believe that luxury shouldn’t cost the earth.

5. How do you balance traditional craftsmanship with modern trends and innovation?
India has an extraordinary legacy of craftsmanship. There are generations of artisans whose skill and understanding of jewellery simply cannot be replicated by machines.
We are using technology to expand the design playground because tools like AI and digital modelling allow us to explore forms and structures that might once have taken months to prototype. But ultimately, the soul of jewellery will always lie in the hands of the craftsmen who bring those designs to life.
6. What is your take on AI in jewellery design? How will it impact the designing ecosystem?
I see AI as a remarkable creative collaborator rather than a replacement for human imagination. It allows designers to explore hundreds of possibilities before arriving at a final design.
DAIMANTÉ is future-facing luxury, and AI is simply another tool in the design studio. It opens up new ways of thinking about form while still relying on human intuition to decide what ultimately feels beautiful. That is a crucial nuance most people miss in conversations about AI-led designs.

7. How do you balance creativity and craftsmanship with commercial viability and market realities?
Jewellery design always sits between imagination and practicality. A piece may begin as a creative idea, but it ultimately has to be wearable, well-crafted, and realistically priced for the customer.
At DAIMANTE, we start with a strong design concept, and then refine it through questions of scale, comfort, production, and cost. Working with lab-grown diamonds also gives us more flexibility to explore expressive designs without making the final piece prohibitively expensive.
For me, the real success lies in creating jewellery that feels distinctive and artistic, but is still something people genuinely want to wear and live with.

8. What is your view on the current scenario in Indian jewellery design? Are we ready to compete with global design powerhouses?
India has always been one of the great jewellery capitals of the world, both historically and culturally. What’s particularly exciting today is the emergence of strong contemporary Indian design voices.
I believe the coming decade will see Indian jewellery brands not only producing for global houses, but also standing beside them as design leaders in their own right.
9. As a brand entering the Indian market, what are your expectations?
India is a very exciting market for us because jewellery is deeply embedded in the culture, yet the consumer is also evolving quickly. There’s a growing audience that appreciates design-led jewellery and is open to new ideas such as lab-grown diamonds.
Our expectation is to build DAIMANTE as a distinctive design voice within that space, offering pieces that feel contemporary, symbolic, and environmentally conscious. Over time, we hope to connect with a younger generation of buyers who want jewellery that reflects their personal style rather than just tradition.

10. What is your vision for your brand in the next few years?
Over the next few years, I’d really like to see DAIMANTÉ grow into a design house that people associate with a very distinct point of view on modern jewellery. The opportunity with lab-grown diamonds is still quite new, and most brands are approaching it primarily from a price or category perspective. For us, the ambition is slightly different. We want to show that lab-grown diamonds can also sit comfortably within the world of thoughtful design and contemporary luxury.
So the focus will be on building collections that feel symbolic, personal, and recognizably part of the DAIMANTÉ aesthetic. If we do that well, my hope is that the brand eventually develops a reputation not just as a jewellery label, but as a creative house that brings a fresh design voice to diamond jewellery.

As the Indian jewellery landscape evolves, DAIMANTE positions itself at the intersection of design, technology, and conscious luxury. With its focus on symbolic storytelling, modern forms, and responsibly crafted diamonds, the brand aims to resonate with a younger generation seeking jewellery that reflects individuality rather than convention. If its vision unfolds as planned, DAIMANTE may well emerge not just as a jewellery label, but as a distinctive creative voice shaping the future narrative of modern diamond design.
-
New Premises1 day agoVBJ Opens All-New Flagship Showroom At Anna Salai, Chennai
-
BrandBuzz7 hours agoMavitrra Introduces ‘Axis’- A Bold New Chapter in Men’s Diamond Jewellery
-
DiamondBuzz1 day agoDholakia Lab Grown Diamond Secures Over Rs 800 Crore Funding
-
International News1 day agoCaratLane Celebrates Gifting With A Thoughtful Twist, With Mother’s Day Campaign Featuring Yami Gautam Dhar


