We want to provide affordable education at International Institute of Gemology: Rahul Desai

Shri Rajendra Diamond Classes (SRDC), one of India’s premier gemological institutes officially announced its renaming as International Institute of Gemology (IIG) at a ceremony on July 19. Venus Jewel founder Mr. Ramnikbhai Shah and Crystal Diamonds founding partner, Mr.Arvindbhai Parikh inaugurated the new IIG institute in Panchratna Building, Opera House. The organisation’s new logo also was unveiled by Mr. Ghanshyambhai Dholakia, Founder, and MD, Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd.

Headed by Managing Director, Rahul Desai, IIG traces its roots to a cutting and polishing factory established by Mr Kantilal Desai in 1965. The factory imparted valuable training to its 500-strong workforce and eventually transformed into a full-fledged gems and jewellery institute called Shri Rajendra Diamond Classes (SRDC) in the early 1980s.

It is with great pride that I carry forth the legacy started by my father about five decades ago. The new avatar of our prestigious institute, IIG, represents our efforts to provide each student with the latest in international training and technology so that the gems and jewellery industry, a heritage sector of India, may be on par with global standards,” Rahul Desai, Managing Director IIG, at the event.

The institute is affiliated to Mumbai University and has trained more than 1,00,000 students from across the world. However, the new institute under the identity of IIG too will continue to offer an extensive selection of courses on gems, diamonds, jewellery designing and merchandising along with a range of newer contemporary courses and programs. 

Talking more about the mission and the vision, Rahul said, "IIG will focus on providing quality education related the subject at an affordable cost to the students who wish to pursue a course at the institute. Further, the institute also has a collaboration with well-known gem traders and jewellery experts across the country which can help shape their career."

IIG is also the only facility to train students in the Venus Grading System, a highly precise system of diamond grading devised by leading diamond manufacturers Venus Jewel. There will also be technologically savvy kiosks installed to efficiently address student queries.

IIG also plans an expansion across the country where students from different parts of India can choose the and learn the art of jewellery and other aspects.