Interview: Cherry Sahni, Creative Director and Founder of Diamondtree

Interview with Cherry Sahni, Creative Director and Founder of Diamondtree

Cherry Sahni is the Creative Director and Founder of Diamondtree, India’s premier jewellery brand specialised in providing natural diamond and polki diamond jewellery, as well as solitaire studded jewellery, gemstone jewellery, and wedding jewellery across all product categories.

She founded Diamondtree with her husband, Raghav Sahni, Managing Director and Founder, as a self-made entrepreneur with zeal and interest in the jewellery industry.

Under her astute leadership, the brand was launched in 2006 with the goal of mitigating the challenges that global Indian buyers face when purchasing diamond jewellery, such as trust, loyalty, and the quality of the adornment.

In her current role, Ms. Sahni spearheads all creative operations at Diamondtree and collaborates closely with the Marketing and Sales teams in designing, executing, and developing aspects of marketing initiatives

Under her creative guidance, the team works diligently to ensure that the entire product line is thoughtfully crafted with contemporary and classic essence by keeping every design distinctive, pushing creativity to its limit, and constructing some gorgeous ornaments that people can cherish forever.

Right from carefully selecting the shape, size, and color of the diamonds to creating exquisite jewellery for the clients, Cherry supervises the team by ensuring originality, technology-oriented craftsmanship, and magnificent finish, thus upholding the firm’s high standard.

Cherry’s work experience is complemented by her impressive educational credentials, which range from a Bachelor’s degree from Delhi University to a summer course in diamond grading during her summer vacation.

That was when her interest in gems and jewellery took off, motivating her to change her major to explore the world of diamonds and jewellery.

This is where she enrolled in the Jewellery Designer and Manufacturer course at the Indian Institute of Gem & Jewellery, which was sponsored by the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). 

Cherry began her professional career to gain more exposure after completing her educational hustle. Furthermore, she has worked in a jewellery manufacturing unit (owned by a relative) in Karol Bagh, Delhi’s jewellery district. And later, she continued to freelance for friends and family.

As Diamondtree continues to take positive strides towards growth, including long-term vision, she sees her company expanding its e-commerce presence and footprint across and outside Delhi-NCR while staying in sync with international trends and using technology-oriented craftsmanship on par with world manufacturing in the coming five years.

Can you tell us about your background and how you got started in the luxury jewelry industry?

Cherry Sahni: I was always inclined towards Diamonds and jewelry. Raghav Sahni (my husband) and I first stepped into the world of Diamonds in the summer of 1994, when we joined a Diamond grading course during our college summer break owing to our interest in the field and to get bonus time together.

We knew that it was start of something big. The experience of the summer course, learning more about Diamonds and other natural gemstones inspired both of us so much that after completing our graduation from Delhi University, I switched my field of study to explore the world of Diamonds & jewelry, and Raghav continued learning more about Diamonds and Gemstones as an enthusiast.

I pursued a course as a Jewelry Designer and Manufacturer from the Indian Institute of Gem & Jewelry sponsored by the Gems & Jewelry export promotion council (GJEPC) in collaboration with Germany – the only institute offering this course back then.

While Raghav joined his family business for a while later he also pursued Applied Jewelry Professional Program from GIA and also completed Diamond Grading and Pearl Grading courses.

What inspired you to start Diamondtree?

Cherry Sahni: We had always thought of us as a couple leading a Diamond jewelry brand owing to our interest in the luxurious world of Diamonds.

We would often plan the launch of our brand, the product range, clientele and so much more. So somewhere we already knew what we wanted to do – the only question was when?

After completing my education in this field, to gain more exposure, I joined a relative’s jewelry manufacturing unit in Karol Bagh – a jewelry hub in Delhi, and Raghav joined his family business. After getting married in 1998, I continued to freelance for family & friends.

Our calling to launch Diamondtree was in the year 2006, after birth of our daughter Elika, when one day we were out shopping for her and we saw an outlet available for lease.

The store was exactly like we had always imagined – as though picked right out from our manifestation.

That’s when Raghav and I knew that it was time to move from freelancing to being a full-time jewelry retailer. We often refer to Diamondtree as our second child.

Kindly brief us about Diamondtree, its specialization, and the products that it offers.

Cherry Sahni: Diamondtree can be defined as a luxury Diamond jewelry brand that promises to be customer’s prized possession with its vogue jewelry. At Diamondtree, we leverage our knowledge

of latest international jewelry trends, knack of merging design and technology to create captivating designs for varied customers.

Diamondtree specializes in natural Diamond and Polki Diamond jewelry; and is an authorized retail partner with De Beers Forevermark.

We offer all products under the umbrella of Diamond & Polki Jewelry across categories viz Bridal Jewelry, Wedding Jewelry, Occasional Jewelry, Minimalist Jewelry and Workwear Jewelry to suit requirement of all.

How many varieties and ranges of products do you have till now?

Cherry Sahni: This one is interesting! It may be difficult to put number to variety and range of products but since inception in 2006, we have proudly made over 31k+ jewelry designs and graded 1500k+ stones. We have catered over 100k+ customers across 15+ countries through our 3 retail outlets across Delhi-NCR.

1. Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi
2. DLF Mall of India, Noida
3. Gold Souk Mall, Gurugram

What sets Diamondtree apart from other luxury jewelry brands in the market?

Cherry Sahni: Jewelry is a unique form of self-expression; one can represent their individuality by the jewelry they wear.

Our expertise is creating diverse range of unique designs which resonate well with customer’s personality by customizing jewelry as per their desire.

In India, customers rarely exchange their jewelry, they like to often repurpose their jewelry and that’s when we come into the picture with the help of our creative and proficient design team.

We are experts for reconceptualizing Diamond and Polki jewelry which is concurrent with the ongoing trend.

With a commitment towards Quality, Creativity, and Innovation – Diamondtree has become one of the India’s premium diamond jewelry brand.

Over the years, the brand has showcased its intricate craftsmanship and incomparable design sensibilities by creating some extraordinary pieces with De Beers Forevermark Diamonds, for the renowned Red Carpet for Oscars Academy Awards from 2016 through 2020.

Are you planning to launch any new products?

Cherry Sahni: Black Diamonds with their mysterious beauty have created buzz in the jewelry trends in 2023. It’s the nucleus of our latest collection ‘Midnight Star’.

Inspired by unique and unconventional black Diamonds our collection comprises of class apart Diamond Rings, Earrings and Pendants specially manufactured in Hong-Kong with exceptional craftsmanship. 

Can you walk us through the design and production process of your jewelry?

Cherry Sahni: Diamondtree is known for its innovative designs and superior craftsmanship which is the key to customer’s trust and satisfaction.

The product design could be designing a new product, or a customized product using customer’s Diamonds and gemstones, or reconceptualized jewelry.

Our design team prepares a sketch of the product based on customer’s requirement amalgamated with our ideas, followed by a 3D sketch in CAD based on manual sketch and Diamond/gemstone shape & size.

Once the 3D sketch is approved by the client, a wax model is produced followed by casting of real jewelry.

Product 1 – The image below consists of the product sketch along with final product. This Polki Diamond Necklace Set is studded with Rubies, Emeralds, Pearls and enhanced with white enameling.

Product 2 – The image below consists of the product sketches and final products. These elegant single line Polki strings are studded with Polki Diamond in the center, and surrounded by diamonds in one and baguette shaped rubies in another.

Product 3 – The following images take us through the design and sketch stages of the Diamond Earrings reconceptualized for a client till the final product was ready.

The Diamond Earrings (second image from left) were the original earrings which the client wanted to get enhanced without losing the original design.

We enhanced the look of the earrings by adding a jacket to them so that customer could either carry her new pair of earrings with the jacket or without (image on right).

Product 4 – Following is the lifecycle of reconceptualizing a 10-carat solitaire ring for a customer. The image on the left shows the solitaire set in the original yellow gold band along with the mount created for the reconceptualized ring.

The next image shows the sketch designed for the customer approval. The last two images show the reconceptualized rings – Perspective View and Top View.

How do you stay up-to-date with current fashion trends while still maintaining the brand’s unique style and aesthetic?

Cherry Sahni:The brand’s core values when it comes to jewelry are a) Superior Craftsmanship b) Unique and Fresh Designs and c) Transparency.

We are frontrunners when it comes to staying in sync with international jewelry trends. We know how to amalgamate international trends with the taste of Indian customers and offer them the best package.

For each piece designed at Diamondtree, we swear by our core values with rigorous quality check post manufacturing and complete knowledge to customer regarding what they are about to possess.

What has been your biggest challenge in growing Diamondtree and how did you overcome it?

Cherry Sahni: Jewelry plays a critical role in the mindset of an Indian Customer, something that is bought for special occasions like engagement, wedding, birthday, anniversary etc.

Unlike other fashion products, customers prefer going to a known jeweler whom they trust and seldom experiment with new jewelers.

With these prevalent barriers, we the first generation yet qualified jewelers had a major challenge ahead of us.

With immense focus on Quality, Creativity, Innovation and Customer Experience, we tackled these challenges, and since launch of our first retail store we have been able to build a huge base of loyal customers.

What exciting new projects or collections can we expect to see from Diamondtree in the near future?

Cherry Sahni: There is a lot in pipeline when it comes to upcoming projects and collections. We are in process of launching an e-commerce website.

We are aggressively working towards increasing our digital footprint. We are working on new collections for the working women. Stay Tuned!

What are your success tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs?

Cherry Sahni: Raghav and I love what we do, and that’s why work doesn’t feel like work to us. We have three tips for young and aspiring entrepreneurs:

1. People with strong work ethics are seldom unsuccessful or unhappy in their career. Remember that you are personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society you grew up in.
2. We all know that change is the only constant, hence it is imperative to upskill yourself, often step out of your comfort zone. Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!
3. It’s often said that “Life is a marathon not a sprint”; while you must be passionate about your career, living life is equally important. Focus on well-being of yourself and your team, and it will take you a long way.

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