Shree Ji Gems & Silvers

Our shop, Shree Ji Gems & Silvers, is right across from the Hawa Mahal, near the Raghunath Temple. Being in such a famous part of town means it’s always busy outside. We see a lot of people walking by every day. The shop itself is small and packed with silver pieces and various stones. We’ve been here for years, and the walls show it. It’s a family-run place. My uncle usually sits at the back doing the delicate work while the rest of us help people who come in. We don’t have fancy display cases with bright lights. Most of our stuff is in old glass cabinets that we’ve had forever. We spend a lot of time cleaning the silver so it doesn't tarnish in the heat. Jaipur can get very hot, so we keep the doors open for a breeze. People come to us because they know we’ve been here a long time. We aren't trying to sell anyone anything they don't want. We just show them what we have on the shelves. Sometimes we sit on the stools outside and talk to the neighbors. It’s a tight-knit community here. We know the other shopkeepers well. Dealing with gems is slow work. You have to look at everything closely. We don't rush. If someone wants to look at twenty different rings, that’s fine with us. It’s just how we do things in this part of the city. We take our time with everything.