Mantri Gems

You can find us at 346 Akaron Ka Rasta, right in the middle of Kishanpole Bazar. It’s a crowded area, but that’s the way we like it. The shop isn’t huge, but we have enough room for the stones and a few chairs for visitors. Most days are spent looking at rough stones and finished gems under the light. It's funny how a small rock can take up so much of your time. My family has been doing this for years, and I just sort of fell into it after school. All sorts of people come through, from local jewelers to folks just passing through the bazar. Sometimes the power goes out and we have to use the natural light from the doorway to see the colors clearly. It’s a bit old-fashioned, maybe, but it works for us. Kishanpole Bazar has its own rhythm, and we’re just a small part of it. Keeping things simple is our way of doing business. There are no fancy displays or bright lights, just the stones and the work. Some days are slow and we just sit and talk, while other days we barely have time to drink our tea because so many people are stopping by. We handle the cutting and the sorting ourselves mostly. It’s dusty work sometimes, and our hands are usually a bit dirty from the stones, but that’s fine. Being tucked away in this little lane means people have to actually look for us. It feels more personal when someone finally walks in.