Raj Gems

Raj Gems is situated on the 17th floor of Panchratna, which is a very well-known building in the Opera House area. Being at 1702 means we have a decent view of the surroundings, although we spend most of our time looking at small stones under the table lamps. The Opera House neighborhood is the heart of the trade here, so there is always a lot of movement in the elevators and hallways. Our office isn't very big, but it is packed with everything we need to sort and check gems. It gets quite busy in the afternoons when people are coming in and out of Panchratna for their own business. We keep things pretty low-key at 1702. There’s a specific kind of quiet that comes with working at Raj Gems, mostly because you need to focus when you are dealing with such small, detailed items. We’ve been in this building for quite some time now. The morning routine is always the same—checking the safes, setting up the scales, and making sure the lighting is just right. It’s a lot of sitting and looking, which can be tiring in its own way. We aren't trying to be the biggest name on the street, just a steady presence in a building that has seen the trade grow for decades. It feels like home after all these years. We usually keep some snacks in the drawer because once you start working, it is hard to leave the desk.