A jeweler's journey
Our Philosophy
Chulani was built on three convictions that have never changed across three generations: that a piece of fine jewelry is a memory made permanent, that the person selling it should know as much as the person buying it, and that trust, once given, is the only currency that compounds.
One man. Seven decades.
Six continents.
1918 HYDERABAD, INDIA
Born to a jeweler's world
Tikamdas Sobraj Chulani was born on November 18, 1918 in Hyderabad. His father Sobraj had already traveled to Cairo to work for Pohoomull Brothers, a company exporting textiles, handcrafted goods, and jewelry to the West. From childhood, Tikamdas knew two things: he had a gift for mathematics, and a hunger to leave India and become a businessman.
"My childhood dream was to leave India and become a businessman."
1936 CAIRO, EGYPT
Aboard a ship to Egypt
At eighteen, his mother bought him a deck-class seat on a ship bound for Cairo. He joined his father at Pohoomull Brothers, learning the craft of fine jewelry and the discipline of trade in one of the world's great ancient cities. It was here that the Chulani story truly began.
1939SAIGON, INDO-CHINA
Forced east by war
When Egypt changed its immigration laws in 1939, Tikamdas was forced to leave. Pohoomull Brothers sent him to Saigon, today known as Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He spent fourteen months there before the threat of Japanese invasion drove him back to India in 1940, navigating one of history's most turbulent moments with precision and calm.
1940's ROYAL PALACE, CAIRO
Royal Court Jeweler to King Farouk
His father Sobraj had become the personal jeweler to His Majesty King Farouk of Egypt. When Sobraj needed help, the King himself arranged Tikamdas's return, with full royal permission. Tikamdas joined Dialdas, the most prestigious jewelry house in Egypt, and was soon appointed Royal Court Jeweler himself. King Farouk would only shop with Tikamdas, sometimes summoning him directly to the palace for pieces from Boucheron, Cartier, and Vacheron Constantin.
"I particularly remember a ruby and diamond necklace I sold. It is the most beautiful piece of jewelry I have ever seen."
1952 BEIRUT, LEBANON
A new chapter in Beirut
In 1952, King Farouk was overthrown during the Egyptian Revolution. The Chulani family, including Tikamdas, his wife Nirmala, and their daughters, moved to Beirut. There, Tikamdas opened Galleria Fakhreidine with two Lebanese partners, selling paintings, furniture, antiques, and jewelry. He finally realized his dream of trading loose gemstones.
1959 MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA
Jamaica: the final port
War broke out in Lebanon in 1959, forcing the family to leave once more. Tikamdas looked west and saw a remarkable opportunity: Cuba had become communist, and Americans who had vacationed there for generations now needed somewhere new to go. The Caribbean was about to become the world's playground. Tikamdas moved his family to Jamaica and opened Chulani Jewelers.
"Americans were no longer able to spend their vacations in Cuba. I saw what was coming."
"Trust in cash, rest in God."