National News
US slaps 50% tariff on Indian exports; spells doomsday for GJ industry
Trump Slaps 25% Additional Tariff on India, Doubling Duty to 50%; Major Blow to Gems, Jewellery, Textiles & Leather Exports
US President Donald Trump announced a 25% additional tariff on India, effectively taking the total tariff to 50%. The move is likely to severely impact domestic export sectors such as gems and jewellery, textiles, leather amongst others.
Think tank GTRI says the new tariffs are expected to make Indian goods incredibly expensive in the US, with potential to cut US-bound exports by 40–50 %. This 50% tariff has prompted the Indian GJ industry to explore setting up manufacturing units in low tariff nations like Dubai and Mexico from where they can directly export to the US.
The US is the largest market for Indian exporters of diamonds and studded jewellery worth $10-billion as of 2024-25. The United Arab Emirates faces a 10% tariff while Mexico 25%.

GJEPC Chairman Kirit Bhansali said the 50% tariff is a doomsday for the Indian gem and jewellery sector. We have to find alternate ways to do business with the US, he said. “We will reroute our products through other countries after studying the tariff structure of that country with the US. We will set up manufacturing units there quickly. Dubai is the nearest destination for us. We will also look into rerouting studded jewellery through Mexico, if required. However, we will do everything legally,” Bhansali said.
The imposition of a 25% tariff on Indian gold jewellery exports-already in effect-and the additional 25% set to be enforced from 27th August represent a compounded blow to the sector. This steep escalation not only renders our products significantly less competitive in the U.S. market, but more critically, it jeopardizes the livelihoods of thousands of skilled artisans who depend on export demand for their survival.

These craftsmen-many from marginalized communities are the backbone of India’s jewellery ecosystem, preserving centuries-old techniques through small workshops and family-run enterprises.
A cumulative 50% tariff threatens widespread job losses, destabilizes local economies, and risks eroding a rich cultural heritage. We urge the government to act swiftly and engage in trade negotiations that protect these livelihoods and uphold India’s global leadership in handcrafted jewellery” said – Rajesh Rokde – Chairman – GJC.
The 25% tariff on Indian gold jewellery exports-already in effect-with an additional 25% set to begin on 27th August, delivers a compounded blow to the sector. It makes our products less competitive in the U.S. market and jeopardizes the livelihoods of thousands of skilled artisans, many from marginalized communities, who sustain India’s centuries-old jewellery craftsmanship through small workshops and family enterprises.
This tariff shock is also pressuring the Indian Rupee, likely making gold costlier for domestic consumers and dampening demand within India-further straining the industry. We urge the government to act swiftly and engage in trade negotiations to protect jobs, stabilize currency impact, and preserve India’s global leadership in handcrafted jewellery” said, Avinash Gupta – Vice Chairman – GJC

A team from the US gem and jewellery industry is visiting India on August 19 to hold talks with the industry body and union commerce ministry on the tariff issue. There are 70,000 small and medium jewellery retail outlets in the US who largely source jewellery from India.
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.
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