National News
Tariff hike to cut revenues of diamond polishers 28-30% this fiscal: CRISIL RATINGS
Reduction in debt to cushion profitability impact; credit profiles face challenges
India’s natural diamond polishing industry faces a steep 28-30% fall in revenues to ~$12.50 billion this fiscal, compared with $16 billion last fiscal, after the imposition of 50% tariffs (25% reciprocal plus 25% penalty) by the US. The blow will follow a ~40% degrowth over the past three fiscals because of a fall in both prices and sales volume of natural diamonds as demand in the US and China dropped, and competition from lab-grown diamonds rose.
The 50% tariffs, effective this week, makes exports to the US tough for two reasons: one, the industry’s low margins make absorption of the incremental levy very difficult and two, declining demand means passing on the incremental burden to consumers will not be easy. The consequent reduced operating leverage could erode the operating margin of diamond polishers by 50-100 basis points and pressurise their credit profiles.
Our analysis of 43 diamond polishers, accounting for nearly a fourth of the industry’s revenues, indicates as much.
The Indian polished diamond industry derives 80% of its revenues from exports while the US is a key market for India and accounted for as much as 35% of its exports. Sales had begun getting impacted after a 10% tariff was imposed in April 2025. Hence, the share of the US in India’s polished natural diamonds slid 1100 basis points in the first four months of this fiscal to 24%.
But in a proactive move, diamond polishers had cranked up production in July and August to meet the anticipated festival demand in the US. Not surprisingly, exports surged 18% in July on-year And competition from lab-grown diamonds in markets such as the US will continue to dent revenues, with the variety having already captured ~60% of the market share by volume. Subdued Chinese demand adds to these woes.

Says Rahul Guha, Senior Director, Crisil Ratings, “The upshot is that revenues for the domestic industry, which polishes ~95% of all diamonds produced in the world, is set to drop to its lowest since 2007. To be sure, consumption in India has been increasing sequentially over the years, but the incremental demand doesn’t have the heft to fully offset the losses in the US and China. Additionally, while the UAE has emerged as a dominant hub for India’s exports with its share doubling to ~20%, on year, the risks of a substantial downturn in revenues are high.”
The industry’s ability to navigate the market dynamics, including tariffs, is crucial to its future. Diamond polishers can take three steps: increase domestic sales; push sales in alternative geographies; and set up polishing facilities in trading hubs as rerouting via low-tariff nations is not an option. Even if retailers explore alternative sourcing options in lower-tariff countries such as the UAE or Belgium, a significant portion of the diamonds would still be polished in India and thus subject to higher tariff.
And given the falling demand, US retailers are unlikely to absorb the tariff cost. Hence, operating margins of diamond polishers would decline to 3.5-4.0% after dropping 100 bps in the past three fiscals from a peak of 5.5% in fiscal 2023.
Diamond polishers are expected to keep a lean inventory to control debt. Miners have cut production to limit the fall in prices, in line with subdued demand. Timely collection from customers abroad will be monitorable amid slowing demand. Debt levels of diamond polishers should reduce over the medium term. In the road ahead, demand for natural diamonds in key markets will need close monitoring, given the tariff landscape and geopolitical uncertainties.
National News
Antistatus and Vandals: Jewellery For The Rebellious and The Defiant
These Brands Are Chasing A Consumer Who Has Grown Allergic To Templates.They Do Not Want Jewellery Merely To Signal Wealth, Marital Status Or Social Approval; They Want It To Signal Taste, Nerve and A Point Of View.
Status? Overrated. Rebellion? Wearable

Antistatus and Vandals are turning jewellery from a badge of conformity into a weapon of self-definition. One is a newly launched statement-silver label with a “Defy the Norm” manifesto; the other is a Mumbai-based avant-garde brand that treats every piece like graffiti. Together, they signal a shift: rebellion is no longer just a mood board—it is the product.
Antistatus: Status, Rewritten
Launched by former VIDA executives Manav Sethi and Pallavi Singh, Antistatus is a statement silver jewellery and lifestyle brand built around a deceptively simple idea: status is not assigned by society; it is defined by you.
The collection leans into biker culture, gothic aesthetics, music and street culture—think handcrafted statement rings, pendants, necklaces, bracelets and belt buckles with enough edge to make a boardroom feel like a back alley. The brand begins with men’s-focused, gender-neutral jewellery, then plans to expand into eyewear, bags and accessories.
Its pitch is not “look expensive.” It is “look like yourself.” Antistatus wants to build a community of people whose identity is theirs to define, not something society hands them with a dress code attached.
Vandals: Luxury with Spray Paint on Its Fingers

Vandals, founded by Vandana M. Jagwani, has been operating from a similarly unruly corner of Indian jewellery. The Mumbai label draws from street art, using jewellery as a way to question the status quo and leave a personal mark.
Its manifesto is explicit: artistic rebellion meets craftsmanship, and luxury is reimagined for “daring souls who defy the norm.” The brand blurs art and jewellery, positioning its audacious designs and sustainable practices as an alternative to safe, predictable luxury.
Where conventional fine jewellery often whispers heritage, Vandals prefers to shout individuality. Every piece is framed as a personal story—less “heirloom in a velvet box,” more “artwork that refuses to behave.”
The New Consumer: Anti-Template, Pro-Story
These brands are chasing a consumer who has grown allergic to templates. They do not want jewellery merely to signal wealth, marital status or social approval; they want it to signal taste, nerve and a point of view.
| Brand | Core attitude | Design language | Consumer promise |
| Antistatus | Defy the norm | Biker, gothic, music and street-inspired handcrafted silver | Define your own status |
| Vandals | Rebellion against the ordinary | Street-art-inspired, avant-garde, sustainable luxury | Leave your own mark |
Both are selling permission. Permission to wear silver that looks dangerous. Permission to reject the idea that polish equals propriety. Permission to make luxury feel personal rather than prescribed.
Why This Matters for Indian Jewellery
India’s jewellery market has long been dominated by occasion-led buying—weddings, festivals, gifting and investment. Antistatus and Vandals are carving out a different lane: everyday identity jewellery, where the purchase is emotional, stylistic and cultural rather than ceremonial.
Antistatus’s ambition to become an India-origin premium lifestyle brand with global reach suggests that rebellion is being treated as an exportable design language, not a passing trend. Vandals already demonstrates that Indian consumers will respond when jewellery carries ideology as well as sparkle.
The Verdict
Antistatus and Vandals are proof that the most compelling jewellery today is not necessarily the quietest. It is the kind that starts a conversation, breaks a rule and makes conformity look like the boring option.
In their hands, a ring is not just an accessory. It is a small, shining refusal.From statement silver with a streetwise edge to avant-garde pieces with graffiti in their soul, this is jewellery for the beautifully defiant.
Antistatus and Vandals are proving that the boldest jewellery isn’t made to blend in—it’s made to break rules, start conversations and define you on your own terms.
-
JB Insights1 week agoDhanteras Shopping Guide 2026:Gold, Silver, Diamonds & Festive Jewellery Trends To Watch
-
BrandBuzz1 week agoThe Solenne Collection: A Celebration Of Diwali By Bharti Bangur Fine Jewels
-
BrandBuzz1 week agoFrom Diya Puja To Diwali Soirées: Jewellery Designed To Go Beyond The Festive Season
-
National News1 week agoIndriya, Aditya Birla Jewellery Unveiled India’s Largest Sustainable Jewellery Rangavalli

