For decades, the Indian diamond industry has operated behind closed doors, confining technical knowledge to traders and manufacturers. While Gen X and Boomers focused largely on carats, costs, and dhoshams, Millennials and Gen Z are raising questions about sourcing, value, and ethics. Their curiosity is fed by the Internet. Despite this questioning, only a few sellers make an effort to explain to the customers what they are purchasing. Recognising this gap, a third-generation diamond manufacturer from Chennai decided to educate.
“Do diamonds turn black?” is a simple question answered on Instagram reels by Viikram Vijay Subbaiah. This reel has drawn over 94,000 views, revealing people’s interest in learning about the jewellery they wear.
At first glance, Viikram, the chief diamonds officer at Vee Star Diamonds, fits the bill of a generational entrepreneur. But one conversation with him makes it clear: he is in it to change people’s perception of how diamonds are worn.
Though his roots trace back to Karaikudi, a place that holds a long-standing reputation for quality and trust in the diamond trade, he grew up in Chennai and planned to complete an MBA and settle abroad. But his life took a wild turn when his short work trip to Surat — the diamond capital of India — turned into a year-long stay. “The kind of trust, how they work, and the people there inspired me to get into the business. I learnt the nuances from scratch, got my hands dirty in manufacturing, returned to Chennai, and told my father that we will try to make the business bigger,” he says.
Glitter talks
Today, he is consistently educating the public through social media. This journey began casually, thanks to a friend in digital marketing. “We hit 600-700k organically within a month. That’s when I understood that people were curious. They just needed the right information,” he says. His reels cover versatile topics: myths and mystique, open and closed settings in jewellery designs, diamond mines, diamond types, and certifications, among others.
Our clients bombard us with a lot of questions. So, that’s where I source my content from. Let’s say a client walks in today, and asks me ten questions, out of which two or three are new. I choose them and produce content about it.
Viikram Vijay Subbaiah
In one of his reels, Viikram explains the concept of blood diamonds. “Blood diamonds do not exist in the market anymore. It has been non-existent for the past 10 to 15 years, at least. All the governments across the world have collectively agreed upon a process called the ‘Kimberly Certification’ which is required for every single diamond that is exported,” he says. It certifies that the diamonds have been mined by the rightful process and no labour was exploited, he adds.
Blood diamonds have also been the reason for consumers to be more inclined towards lab-grown diamonds rather than natural diamonds. “Lab-grown diamonds are mass-manufactured, and it is mostly done by first-generation manufacturers. I accept that it is an amazing product, but I think natural diamonds always have a story to tell as they were formed at least a billion years ago, and it is a flex,” he says.
Everyone’s best friend
Viikram believes jewellery has become an everyday wear for youngsters with the spread of hip-hop culture in India, especially through popularisation by celebrities like Hardik Pandya. “Unlike the previous generation, Gen Z doesn’t want to keep their jewels in lockers. They want to wear it every day, hence, they prefer lightweight jewels, which are easily available in diamond. Wearing diamonds makes them feel confident. It acts as a conversation starter,” he says, adding jewellery is no longer gender-specific; to be precise, it is not even human-specific. He shares that some of his clients have approached him to make pendents for their pets. With the growing digital influence and changing consumer habits, diamonds are becoming less of a locked-away luxury and more of an everyday identity.
The educational content by Viikram is, however, not limited to his social media; it extends to their website. With a ‘Learn & Explore’ section, they break down jargon and explain the process in simple terms. This philosophy is straight out of his father’s experiences and legacy, he says, adding that his father used to urge him to explain the product to the consumer rather than trying to sell them the product.
Besides educating the consumers, Viikram works closely with his parents, the founders of the business. With a streamlined manufacturing process — importing roughs from Canada, cutting and polishing them in Surat, designing and setting jewellery in Chennai — the business fits the brief of both a wholesaler and a retailer, with three outlets across Tamil Nadu. They follow a ‘mine-to-market’ process as his entire family is involved in the manufacturing process. And what is Viikram’s role? Among the many things he does, he vows to see to it that the customers understand the final piece they purchase, through and through.
To know more about diamonds, follow his Instagram page: @diamondsbyVVS