Neo Gems

If you know Jaipur, you probably know Johari Bazar. Neo Gems is tucked away at 1416, Pitliyon Ka Chowk. It’s right in the middle of all the chaos and the jewelry trade that goes on every single day. The chowk is always crowded with people and scooters, so getting here takes a bit of patience. Our space isn't very large, but we have enough room to sit and look at stones. We spend most of the daylight hours sorting through different gems under the desk lamps. It’s quiet work compared to the noise outside on the street. Usually, we are just checking for cracks or looking at the color of a new batch that came in. Sometimes we have tea brought in from the stall nearby while we talk about the market prices. There are stacks of small paper packets everywhere on the tables. It’s how things have been done here for a long time. People come in looking for specific things, and we just look through what we have in the drawers. It is a slow process, really. You can't rush looking at stones or you'll miss something. The light in the afternoon is usually the best for seeing the real color of the gems. We don't have any big signs or fancy lights, just the work we do every day. It’s a bit dusty and the chairs are old, but it works for us. We just take it one stone at a time.