A bejewelled legacy

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Precious moments. That’s what keeps Chaitanya V. Cotha exuberant and raring to go. As the sixth generation descendant of the jewellers of royalty through the ages, C. Krishniah Chetty & Sons, the boy who grew up with the glitter of diamonds and gold as his constant companions, is all set to take on challenges and cross boundaries.

“Every day instills new hopes,” he says adding, “Once a customer of mine from Germany wanted to propose to his fiancee and make it memorable. He was lost, so I stepped in and gave him some ideas. Being a part of the whole proposal was wonderful. Planning such an intimate event of their lives made me realise the legacy that our business holds,” he explains.
The man whose forte is sales loves brainstorming with his design team, “The CKC family has always dealt in traditional jewellery. We were the jewellers of the Mysore royal family and Salvadore. Today, the young are moving towards trendier jewellery. I work with the design team, give inputs, ideas and concepts,” says Chaitanya who takes his executive director role very seriously. A degree holder in international business, marketing from the US and diamond, colour stone graduate along with a certification from GIA, Carlsbad has given him an edge.
All set to take the family’s tradition, he says what eggs him on is looking for opportunities, says the man who is inspired by two special designs. “One was a contemporary diamond necklace that went all the way around the neck to the back, like a shrug. And the other merged technology with jewellery with LED lights in the piece that added to the sparkle. It was a resplendent sight,” he explains.
A foodie at heart who dabbled in pots and pans as a student in Colorado, he loves cooking Chinese, Italian and Indian but admits that his wife Yagnika is by far the best chef. “My dream has always been to open a boutique restaurant that serves diverse cuisines. I used to cook when I was studying and love experimenting with food. Hopefully I will have time in a few years to do that.” That apart, he also loves sports. “I was in the school basketball team and I am also an avid golfer,” he says.
For now Chaitanya is busy trying to perfect the much-coveted “2 carat look” that’s easy on the pocket. Who wouldn’t want that?