Through Rare Diamondss, Hunnar Bhaggwani is attempting to remove layers of traditional retail markup and connect international buyers directly with India’s diamond-manufacturing ecosystem.
The diamond industry has long operated through a complex global supply chain.
A stone may pass through manufacturers, brokers, wholesalers, importers and retailers before reaching the person who ultimately wears it. At every stage, costs can rise through margins, logistics, branding, showroom overhead and distribution expenses.
For Hunnar Bhaggwani, this traditional structure presented both a problem and a business opportunity.
Raised in India around his family’s diamond and jewellery business, Bhaggwani observed how stones were sourced, manufactured and supplied to jewellers across the United States and other international markets. That early exposure gave him an understanding of the industry from the manufacturing side—before the products entered heavily branded retail environments.
The contrast became clearer during a visit to the United States. According to Bhaggwani, seeing diamonds and jewellery sold at prices significantly higher than their manufacturing costs convinced him that customers needed a more direct route to the source.
That insight became the foundation of Rare Diamondss.
From India’s Manufacturing Ecosystem to the Global Consumer
India occupies a central position within the global diamond industry, and Surat is widely known as one of its most important cutting and polishing centres.
Bhaggwani grew up within this manufacturing environment. Rather than seeing diamonds only as luxury objects, he understood them as products shaped through technical precision, skilled craftsmanship, grading, quality control and international trade.
This perspective later influenced the Rare Diamondss model.
The company positions itself not as a conventional jewellery retailer, but as a manufacturer-direct business serving customers in markets including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Its proposition is relatively straightforward: reduce the number of intermediaries between the source and the buyer, provide independently certified stones, and create a transparent digital consultation process.
The Retail Markup Problem
Traditional jewellery retail involves costs that extend beyond the diamond itself.
Retailers may invest in premium locations, staff, visual merchandising, advertising, inventory holding and brand positioning. These costs become part of the final price paid by the consumer.
Bhaggwani does not argue that retail has no value. His concern is that many buyers do not understand how much of the final price relates to the product and how much relates to the structure around it.
Rare Diamondss is built around narrowing that information gap.
By operating closer to the manufacturing source, the company aims to offer pricing based more directly on the stone, setting, certification and craftsmanship.
This makes transparency central to the brand’s commercial strategy.
Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds
Rare Diamondss works across both natural and lab-grown diamonds, according to the material supplied for this feature.
The company serves customers seeking loose stones, custom jewellery and milestone purchases such as engagement rings. Its model emphasises internationally recognised grading reports, including GIA or IGI certification where applicable.
Offering both categories reflects the changing expectations of modern diamond buyers.
Some customers continue to value natural diamonds for their rarity, history and traditional significance. Others are attracted to lab-grown diamonds because they can offer different size and price possibilities while retaining similar visual and chemical characteristics.
The emerging opportunity lies not in forcing one choice, but in giving buyers clearer information.
For Bhaggwani, the future of the industry will increasingly be defined by informed choice, certification and price transparency.
Trust as the Main Barrier
Selling high-value jewellery internationally through digital channels creates an immediate challenge: trust.
A customer may be sending money to a company located thousands of kilometres away for a product they have not physically examined. In such a transaction, attractive pricing is not enough.
Bhaggwani’s response has been to design transparency into the production journey.
The company says it provides customers with product specifications, certification information, CAD designs, production updates and videos before dispatch. Its process reportedly gives buyers opportunities to review and approve the piece as it moves through production.
This approach attempts to replace blind trust with visible evidence.
Instead of asking customers to believe that the jewellery is being created correctly, the company seeks to show them how it is progressing.
WhatsApp and Instagram as Global Sales Channels
One of the most interesting aspects of the Rare Diamondss model is its use of direct digital communication.
WhatsApp is positioned not simply as a messaging tool, but as a consultation, relationship-management and conversion channel.
For international customers, this can create a more personal buying experience than a conventional e-commerce checkout. Buyers can discuss diamond shapes, settings, metals, budgets and custom requirements with a real person.
The company also uses its official Rare Diamondss Instagram profile to showcase designs, explain pricing, present behind-the-scenes manufacturing and communicate directly with international buyers.
This reflects a broader shift in digital commerce.
Customers are increasingly willing to make important purchases from businesses they discover online, provided the company can demonstrate credibility, responsiveness and dependable service.
“Go Rare and Go Direct”
The brand’s central philosophy can be summarised through its message: “Go Rare and Go Direct.”
This positioning frames the business as an alternative to multi-layered retail distribution.
However, manufacturer-direct pricing alone is not a sustainable competitive advantage. Other businesses can also reduce margins or sell online.
The more defensible advantage may be the combination of sourcing access, manufacturing knowledge, fast communication, certification and a visible custom-production process.
For Rare Diamondss, the challenge will be to maintain these qualities as order volumes increase.
Humanising Digital Luxury
Luxury businesses have traditionally relied on physical environments.
Showrooms allow customers to see products, experience service and gain reassurance through personal interaction. A digital-first jewellery brand must recreate these functions differently.
Rare Diamondss attempts to do this through video consultations, personalised communication, product education and factory-level updates.
Bhaggwani believes that direct access should not make the experience feel less premium.
Instead, the absence of a conventional showroom should be compensated for through responsiveness, clarity and personal attention.
This creates an important distinction between low-cost selling and efficient luxury.
The company is not positioning diamonds as ordinary commodities. It is attempting to preserve the emotional significance of the purchase while reducing unnecessary layers in the transaction.
The Importance of Speed
Bhaggwani treats response time as a business principle.
A customer asking about a ring may be comparing several sellers at once. A delayed reply can reduce confidence and weaken the chance of conversion.
For that reason, the company’s operating model places importance on fast communication across time zones.
This is particularly relevant for a business serving North America, Europe and Australia from India. The company must coordinate manufacturing activity during Indian business hours while remaining available when overseas customers are active.
Scaling this service model will require systems, training and operational discipline.
The founder’s direct involvement may build early trust, but the company will eventually need to reproduce that experience across a larger team.
Educating the Consumer
Rare Diamondss is also developing content around diamond pricing and retail markups.
Its “Exposing Retail Prices” concept is intended to show consumers how traditional supply-chain costs affect the amount they pay.
Educational content can be powerful because diamonds are technically complex.
Buyers must consider cut, clarity, colour, carat, certification, setting and metal. This complexity can make customers dependent on sales representatives.
Bhaggwani’s approach is to simplify the information and give buyers more control over the decision.
However, education must remain balanced. Pricing comparisons should account for differences in service, warranties, taxes, quality, return policies and after-sales support.
Trust is strengthened when a brand explains both the savings and the trade-offs honestly.
Building a Custom Design Platform
The company is also working toward a more interactive digital jewellery-design experience through rarediamondss.com.
The proposed model would allow customers to choose the shape of the diamond, the metal, the setting and other specifications before receiving a digital render and quotation.
This would move the business beyond social-media consultation toward a more scalable digital platform.
A strong design interface could improve customer confidence and reduce friction. Yet high-value purchases may still require human guidance.
The most effective model may therefore combine technology with personal consultation rather than replacing one with the other.
A Direct-to-Consumer Opportunity
The direct-to-consumer model has transformed industries ranging from eyewear to mattresses, skincare and fashion.
Jewellery presents a more difficult challenge because products are expensive, emotional and technically specialised. Customers may also expect resizing, repairs, insurance guidance and long-term service.
Rare Diamondss is attempting to apply direct-commerce principles while preserving the reassurance required in luxury jewellery.
Its opportunity lies in serving customers who are comfortable buying digitally but unwilling to pay for retail structures they do not value.
Scaling Without Losing Trust
Bhaggwani’s five-year ambition is to build Rare Diamondss into a recognised manufacturer-direct jewellery name across major international markets.
The growth opportunity is significant, but so is the operational challenge.
As volumes increase, the company will need to protect quality control, delivery performance, communication standards and customer support. Cross-border tax, customs, insurance, returns and consumer-protection requirements will also become increasingly important.
A business built on trust is judged most intensely when something goes wrong.
The brand’s long-term reputation will therefore depend not only on successful deliveries, but on how it manages delays, disputes, resizing, after-sales service and customer expectations.
The Larger Story
Hunnar Bhaggwani’s journey reflects a wider transformation in Indian manufacturing.
For decades, Indian companies frequently operated behind international brands, producing goods that were marketed and sold by others. A new generation of founders is now attempting to move closer to the final consumer.
This shift allows manufacturers to capture more value, build intellectual property and establish direct relationships with global buyers.
Rare Diamondss represents that transition within the jewellery industry.
Bhaggwani is taking knowledge developed around the factory floor and converting it into a consumer-facing brand. His proposition is not that craftsmanship should become cheaper, but that customers should understand what they are paying for.
Through its official website and Instagram presence, Rare Diamondss is building a direct bridge between Surat’s manufacturing expertise and international consumers.
In an industry built on rarity, emotion and trust, transparency may become one of the most valuable forms of luxury.
