U K Gems

Our shop is at 167-168, over on 3rd Cross in Mohan Nagar. It’s a small place, but it has to be for the kind of work we do. Dealing with gems means we spend a lot of time sitting still and looking through magnifying loupes. The lighting has to be just right, so we have these very bright lamps positioned over the benches. It’s quiet in here, almost like a library or a study. We sit for hours working on stones, sorting them by size or checking for tiny flaws that you can't see with the naked eye. There are tiny scales on the counter and little paper packets scattered everywhere. We don't have a big flashy sign outside to attract tourists. Most people who come here already know the address or were told about us by a friend. It’s a bit of a hobby that turned into a full-time job for us over the years. We see a lot of different stones come through, some rough from the earth and some already cut and polished. We have to be very careful not to drop anything because those small pieces are almost impossible to find on the floor. The street outside can get quite noisy with the bikes and the vendors, but inside we just focus on the task at hand. Sometimes the work moves slowly because you simply cannot rush these things. We have a heavy safe in the back where everything goes at night. It’s a decent living for us.