How a fourth-generation diamantaire from Mumbai is making waves on foreign shores

You may not have heard of Harakh Mehta yet but here’s why the jeweller needs to be on your radar

Harakh Mehta is soft-spoken, humble and unassuming. One  can tell he’s passionate about his work and is armed with crystal clear vision, though rarely does he flaunt the achievements of his five-year-old eponymous brand—some of which include a special commission by Bloomingdale’s for their 150th anniversary; New York’s Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in 2020; and the official jeweller for Le Bal de Debutantes in 2019—without being prompted. 

“I’d rather let my jewels speak for themselves,” says Mehta. His office in Mumbai is housed in a building that was one of the first jewellery manufacturing units, started by his parents Nayna and Samir Mehta in the early 1990s, and is located inside SEEPZ, the city’s Special Economic Zone. The Mumbai-based fourth-generation jeweller may have launched his brand, Harakh, headquartered in New York City, only in 2017 but has been privy to the jewellery industry all his life. His parents—who run Bombay Jewellery Manufacturer (the first Indian company to be certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council in New York and London)—have been in the trade for decades.

Branching out early

Mehta reveals it was his mother who insisted on adding a jewellery manufacturing wing to the company in addition to their diamond export business, which now works with leading fine jewellery brands across the world. Mehta studied business and psychology at the University of Rochester, followed by diamond grading at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. He joined the company in the early 2000s, spending time in every department to learn the ropes.

While the parent company was focused largely on exporting to markets in the United States at the time, it was Mehta’s decision to explore satellite markets that proved to be a tipping point for the business. “I started working with retailers across South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Europe. What we learnt about jewellery consumers in different markets globally remains invaluable even today. It eventually set up the journey towards establishing our own brand,” he says.

Building a brand

Enter Harakh in 2017, which the diamantaire set up using knowledge amassed over 15 years—and four generations. “My name translates to ‘joy’ in Gujarati, and the brand epitomises moments of joy inspired by India and my life,” he explains.  For instance, the ‘Raindrop’ collection is an ode to Mumbai’s infamous monsoons, the ‘Peacock’ collection is fashioned after India’s national bird, the ‘Haveli’ collection takes after royal architecture, and the ‘Cascades’ collection seeks inspiration from the waterfalls Mehta visited during childhood trips to their weekend home in Lonavala.

The brand entered the scene with a soft launch at London’s iconic department store Fortnum & Mason in 2017, with a limited line of about 6-7 pieces. This was also the time they were manufacturing their designs in New York City, London and Milan to resonate with their international clientele. “We took a step back and spent a year moving all our manufacturing to India. After working with high jewellery workshops on Bond Street and Madison Avenue, I realised we could do this in India, and could do it better.” Today, the brand focuses heavily on rose-cuts and proprietary diamond cuts that are difficult to replicate. “For our ‘Frangipani’ collection, we customised a cut of its own, a crossover between pear and marquise. I’ve had people come and tell me that they tried very hard to replicate it but couldn’t!”

For Harakh, 2019 was a big year—the brand launched in the United States at the prestigious Couture Show in Las Vegas, which got them the right eyeballs, and eventually the role of the official jeweller of Le Bal Paris. “We worked with the 20 debutantes [at Le Bal] and their mothers to create pieces that highlighted their personalities while staying true to our brand DNA. These are women exposed to the best of everything in the world. They loved that our pieces were made in India, and were haute couture in the form of high jewellery,” reminisces Mehta. Some of them who turned into patrons returned with requests for more wearable jewellery from him. This led Mehta to come up with the concept of easy-to-wear, affordable “high-fine jewellery,” much before more jewellers started creating everyday pieces as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A global presence

Le Bal also contributed to Mehta winning the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in New York City in 2020, which made Bloomingdale’s sit up and take notice of this “new kid on the block,” as he calls himself. For the department store’s 150th anniversary celebrations, Mehta created a 150-carat suite using natural colourless diamonds ranging from D to F colour and IF to VS2 clarity; a mix of  brilliant diamonds interspersed with signature Harakh rose-cuts. Made over 10,000 hours, it uses Canadian diamonds, rough diamonds sourced from Brazil, Africa and Australia, and re-cut diamonds from Antwerp, Mumbai and New York City. “Collectors,” he says, can “acquire” the one-of-its-kind piece, never using terms ‘clients’ or ‘purchase’ during the course of our conversation.  

Today, Harakh is available across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Saudi Arabia. But for a brand that is so proudly Indian in its craftsmanship and inspirations, why not cater to the audience at home?  “It can be complicated, as India is a crowded market. We don’t want to be perceived as your new neighbourhood jeweller,” Mehta says candidly. “But we are working on the right positioning to launch here. The potential does exist.”

Ultimately, whether for the heiress in Malabar Hill or Mayfair, Harakh speaks to a connoisseur with the same set of values—one who is appreciative of artistry, is well-exposed to jewellery, and is cognizant of where and how their pieces are made. “These are the kind of patrons we will always cater to. It’s about quality, passion and superior techniques coming together to bring joy to the collector’s life,” Mehta signs off. 

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