More than 36 years ago, my grandfather started our family’s gemstone business in Jaipur. My father learned the trade alongside him and went on to build more than 25 years of experience working with gemstones.

After my grandfather passed away, my father continued the business. Today, I work alongside him while building its next chapter through NAVNii.

The foundation of NAVNii comes from that practical family experience , years of working with gemstones, understanding the market and building relationships within the trade.

There is a principle I grew up hearing in my family:

“Before sitting on the owner’s chair, learn the worker’s work.”

That principle shaped the way I approach business. I believe that before asking someone else to do a job, I should understand the work myself.

Working from the ground level has taught me to recognize what is possible, where problems occur and where better decisions can be made.

It is a principle I want to carry forward as NAVNii grows:

"Learn the work first, then lead it well."

When I started working with my father, I spent my first three months learning the fundamentals of gemstones while we worked on organizing the business together.

My father taught me about different gemstone types, including precious, semi-precious, synthetic stones and zircons, along with the shapes and terminology used in the jewellery trade. He also taught me how to examine gemstones carefully and understand when further verification is needed.

One of the most valuable parts of my learning happened every day. My father would give me around 20 gemstones to identify, and at night we would sit together and discuss them, what I identified correctly, what I got wrong and what I needed to improve.

He also introduced me to people and relationships behind the trade. I visited different gemstone shops, met people in the market and was introduced to some of my grandfather’s old friends and their sons who continue to work in the gemstone business today.

I learned that careful observation and experience can help identify many stones, while stones requiring greater certainty can be supported by laboratory certification. My father also taught me that certification can play an important role in building trust between vendors, NAVNii and our customers.

Before NAVNii, I spent time working with a friend’s business on a commission basis. My family eventually asked me a simple question: if we already have a family business, why build someone else’s business instead of building our own?

That question changed my direction. I decided to leave and work alongside my father, while thinking about how our family’s gemstone business could have its own recognizable identity.

The traditional business had years of experience, knowledge and goodwill. I wanted to build a brand that could take that foundation beyond the four walls of a traditional shop and present it to customers in a modern way.

I searched through thousands of possible names for nearly a month, checking domain availability and narrowing the list to around 20 names.

The final name came from my family. During Navratri, while we were sitting together for Navmi Poojan, my mother suggested “Navmi” first, and then “NAVNii” came to mind. I checked the name online, found that the domain was available and researched its meaning before deciding to use it.

Once the name was chosen, I began building the foundation of the brand, securing the domain, completing the necessary registrations and documentation, arranging GST and banking requirements, handling required licensing and protecting the brand through trademark registration.

NAVNii was created to give our family’s gemstone business a recognizable identity while bringing its experience into the digital era.

I currently run NAVNii as a solopreneur. Although I handle much of the business myself, my father is always there to help when I need his experience or guidance in the gemstone trade.

From sourcing gemstones and managing inventory to photography, photo and video editing, product listings, SEO, website management, marketing and selling, I have learned and worked across the different parts of the business myself.

I believe understanding the work gives me a better understanding of the customers, the market and the people I work with.

I am also personally involved in checking each gemstone and preparing its final presentation before it reaches the customer.

At times, customers also want to meet with me online to see the person behind NAVNii and understand how the business works. I value those conversations because trust is built through real communication.

The hardest part of being a solopreneur is time. When you are doing almost everything yourself, the work can keep growing until there seems to be no end to it. I have experienced that pressure myself.

There was a point when I was building and building without focusing enough on sales, and I became overwhelmed enough to question whether I should continue. After speaking with experienced people, I learned an important lesson: nobody starts perfect. You start, learn and become better with time.

That changed how I work. I now believe in building NAVNii step by step, focusing on what matters, working within reasonable hours and doing extra when necessary, rather than trying to build everything at once.

I believe buying a gemstone should be about understanding what you are choosing, not simply being told what to buy.

Good business is built on trust, clear information and responsibility. I want NAVNii to present gemstones honestly, provide the information available to us and be clear when further verification or certification is needed.

I also believe trust has to work both ways, with our customers and with the people we work with.

For me, a strong brand is not built only by having more listings. It is built when customers understand what they are buying, feel comfortable communicating with the business and choose to come back again.

I maintain a daily diary where I record observations, experiences, mistakes, lessons, ideas and things I learn from people and everyday life.

Writing helps me understand what I am learning, recognize patterns and turn observations into practical ideas.

For me, learning does not stop when the working day ends. Many of the things I work on begin as simple thoughts written down on paper.

I want NAVNii to grow beyond being simply a place where people buy gemstones.

The long-term vision is to build a trusted gemstone ecosystem where people can discover gemstones, understand them better and make more informed choices.

As NAVNii grows, I want to create useful educational content about gemstones and jewellery, including detailed explanations and learning resources through formats such as courses and videos.

I also see NAVNii expanding its range and capabilities over time into areas connected with gemstones and jewellery.

One idea I am working toward is NAVNii AI, an intelligent guide that could eventually help people discover gemstones and jewellery based on their preferences, style, personality and interests.

The vision will continue to evolve, but the foundation will remain the same: family experience, careful work, clear information and trust.

I am still learning, still building and still improving every day.

NAVNii began with the foundation my family built over decades, but building the brand has taught me that experience alone is not enough. You have to keep learning, keep adapting and be willing to do the work yourself.

I believe in learning before leading, building step by step and being honest about what I know and what still needs to be verified.

Today, I am building NAVNii one part at a time. My hope is that as the brand grows, the same care, knowledge and trust that started the journey remain at its core.