India’s Diamond Growth to Slow Due to Lack of Rough

Photo credit: De Beers Group

Exports of gems and jewelry from India are expected to rise 5 to 7 percent in 2012/13, a slower pace than the prior year than the estimated 9 percent growth in 2011/12 that ends in March, as sourcing of rough diamonds and color stones is the "biggest constraint," Rajiv Jain, chairman of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, reportedly said.

Jain expects

India Luxury Market Shows Double-Digit Growth in 2010

It’s not just the new wealthy in China that is enjoying a life of luxury. Its neighbor India is also showing that it has a taste for the good life as well.

The luxury market in India is grew 20 percent to 5.8 billion in 2010 and this growth is expected to continue into the near future, according to a survey by the Confederation of India Industry and A.T. Kearney Ltd. Luxury products grew by 29

Gitanjali Buys 90% Stake in Italian Firm

Gitanjali Gems Ltd., an Indian diamond and jewelry manufacturer, retailer and distributor, said it now owns a majority stake of Italian firm Giantti Italia S.R.L., according to media reports.

The company acquired 90 percent stake in Milan-based company from its Dubai-located wholly owned subsidiary, Gitanjali Ventures DMCC, the company reportedly said in a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange

Mumbai is Beautiful

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Mumbai, India as they deal with this tragic attack on their city and country. The Indian people are known for their peaceful nature and overall welcoming culture. I traveled there in January 2008 as an invited lecturer and visiting surgeon for the Third International Tutorials in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. At the hospital where I operated and at the symposium found the Indian medical staff to be very generous and kind; I learned from them as much as they learned from their visitors from around the world.

These acts of terrorism waged against India and the Westerners visiting there underscore a complicated global problem that does not differentiate between race, creed, religion, or peacefulness of culture, and strives to destroy the things we value most: democracy, peace, freedom of speech, thought and capitalism. The attackers have no respect for human life. Everyone in the world needs to stand up against this form of evil, including we New Yorkers who experienced it firsthand with 9/11 and did not take it sitting down.

Pictured above is the sign on the entry into the Bombay Hospital in Mumbai (with a quote by spiritual leader of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi ) where I had the privilege of performing surgery, and myself in the operating room with one of the Sisters (the Indian term for nurse). Please go to the website Mumbai Help for more information on how to help these wonderful people.

Plastic Surgery: An International Sensation

Cosmetic surgery practices have reached every corner of the earth, including but not limited to the U.S., Brazil, Asia, Europe, and now-- India. Bollywood sensation Koena Mitra, though it cannot be confirmed, may have had a little work. Her first big break was during a Gladrgs Modeling Contest in 2002, and when she became a semi-finalist in the Miss Intercontinental competition. Since then Koena has starred in movies, commercials, and advertisements and has become an iconic celebrity in India. (Read her bio at chakpak.com).

What some may (or may not) have noticed is Koena's altered appearance since she first hit the Bollywood scene. Looking at the second picture listed below, it is clear Koena is wearing colored contact lenses, and may have undergone a rhinoplasty to reduce the size of her nose and refine the tip (she has a bit of alar collapse if you look closely). She also looks like she has permanent make-up tattooed on her face, including her eyebrows. She may have also had a filler like Juvederm or Restylane injected into her lips to make them appear fuller, and possibly even breast augmentation. She looked gorgeous in the first picture and probably didn't need a thing, but no matter what she's done, she remains an exotic beauty.