Shining through

No plush office. No swanky outlet in an upmarket area. No 100-watt lights focussed on trays filled with the sparkling carbons. Yet, the b...

No plush office. No swanky outlet in an upmarket area. No 100-watt lights focussed on trays filled with the sparkling carbons. Yet, the business he does runs into several lakhs. As for the man, he sits in his white vaishti and a simple shirt behind a desk. He speaks softly, soothingly. No glib talk, no airs. Hard to believe he deals with diamonds. 8220;I am a simple man with simple needs,8221; says he. Meet vairam mama diamond uncle, R Soundararajan.

Wedding time and most South Indians land up at his home to buy the expensive jewellery. The typical diamond ear studs that a Madrasi bride wears were made-to-order right here, in Pune. Visitors flock his house at all hours. Some come to him for gems recommended by astrologers. Today, his clientele has stretched the length and breadth of the country. Talk to him about the early years and his boyhood memories are so sensate that they fill your ears. Remembrance weighs heavily on his mind. The one-room tenement, the ups and downs, the roller-coaster rides in life, the withering away of the booming diamond business, his father8217;s struggle to keep the family going, his own association with danseuse Rukminidevi Arundale who taught him dance and the Theosophical College, at Masampalle in Andhra Pradesh.

On how he struck a chord with the expensive carbons he says,8220;Though my father was a diamond merchant, I broke away from the tradition. I would help my father sort the diamonds. But that was it. I went on to take a diploma in electrical engineering and then worked for several companies. I quit to join the Defence Accounts and worked with luminaries like C Subramanium. In 1962, I was transferred to Pune from Wellingdon. But the urge to start off on my own made me explore business possibilities. I went into consultancy but success did not stare me in the face. One day, in 1970, I consulted an astrologer. He took one look at my hand and told me to take up my father8217;s trade. That was the turning point in my life.8221;

The skills he had learnt at an early age from his father came immensely handy. Experience gave him the opportunity. He went into the business with partners. 8220;The early years were the gestation period and the stakes were very high. It was a hard life with little money. My children were in school. But my better half supported me to the hilt,8221; says Soundararajan with quiet pride shining in his eyes.

Slowly, over the next few years, assets built up, contacts grew and the business flourished. At first, he concentrated only on the diamonds. The other gems came in much later. Interestingly, his clients were not locals. 8220;Majority of my customers were Tamilians from Mumbai,8221;he reveals. 8220;Only in 1980 did my Pune base build up. That8217;s also when I earned my soubriquet.8221; With a wealth of experience in sorting diamonds, he decided to diversify into other gems. That keen mind made him forage for books and visit his daughters in the US to bring back testing equipment. In his words,8220;At this stage, I was standing good credit in the market. I was able to do good business.8221;

But the venture is fraught with risks. Says he,8220;Most of the time, people who take away the jewellery from me are honest.8221; 8220;But sometimes, parents are unable to make a cash-down payment. I8217;ve had instances when they gave me a pension of Rs 300 to clear off the payment,8221; he adds in a lighter vein.

On a more serious note, he says,8220;I have been cheated on a couple of occasions. A local took away an expensive diamond and emerald ring set. His cheque bounced and I am unable to trace the individual. If I were to calculate what that man owes me, it would run into several lakhs. But I don8217;t want to make the rounds of the police station. Yet, money is dear.8221;

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8220;Another close acquaintance from Chennai took jewellery worth a few lakhs for his daughter8217;s wedding and is yet to pay,8221; he adds.

Some customers come back with complaints that the diamonds or the gems have not suited8217; them. Soundararajan takes them back without qualms if they are not damaged, for, he says, 8220;I cannot force anyone to keep them. After all, wearing the gems is personal and a matter of faith.8221;

Surprisingly, none of his three children have followed his footsteps. Each of them has a successful career of their own making unrelated to their father8217;s business.

But the skills are being passed on. With the thought of passing on the experience, he hopes to start gemmology classes.

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As Soundararajan puts it,8220;I struck out on my own and luckily for me it clicked. But I don8217;t want to keep the skills to myself. Knowledge is universal. I am willing to teach anyone who is willing to learn. But I must find the person trustworthy for the material that they will handle is very expensive.8221;

Just selling gems is not the end of the road for him. Vigourous even at 71, Soundararajan has set out on a passionate crusade. For three years now, he has been devoting hours each day to a mission 8212; to make the common man more knowledgeable about gems and their unusual power.

He has expansive plans connected to his passion. In the very near future, he plans to put his close association with the gems on the Net. A website is being designed. A video film is already ready. The CD Roms are nearly through. Everything on the gems will soon be an open secret, he says. Gem lovers would wait and watch- with bated breath, for sure.