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| Mehul Choksi |
Mehul Choksi, chairman and managing director of Mumbai-India based company, said Friday that the company has placed bids for DIT Group and a company identified as “Valente.”
DIT Group, based in Valenza, operates four Italian brands that focus on contemporary luxury and Italian design. They are Stefan Hafner, Io Sì, Porrati and Nouvelle Bague.
Valente may be the former Valente Milano jewelry brand, known for high-design luxury jewelry. The company reportedly went out of business in April. However, its exclusive distributor in the U.S., Opera Jewels LLC, launched a line that debuted in Las Vegas in June, called “Opera Omnia,” with the Valente staff that is designed to stay true to the Valente style. I will try to verify if this is the brand that Gitanjali is bidding for.
At the end of August, JNN noted that Choksi told an Indian television network that he is finalizing a deal for an Italian brand, but refused to reveal the name of the company. It turns out now that it he was interested in two companies. He said at the time the idea is to market this brand’s products throughout the company’s growing international network, which includes the Samuels and Rogers jewelry chain in the U.S., more than 20 retail brands in India and retail outlets in the Middle East, China and Japan.
Gitanjali Group, which trades in India under the name Gitanjali Gems Ltd., is India’s largest diamond jewelry manufacturer and retailer. Its business portfolio includes rough diamond sourcing, cutting, polishing, jewelry manufacture and distribution to its jewelry branding and retail operations. Its brands include Gili, Nakshatra, Asmi, Sangini, D’damas, Vivaaha and Giantti.