Amritsar, the Andamans, and 1919

A family trade that began in Amritsar, grew through the Andaman gold trade, survived wartime displacement, was rebuilt in Guru Bazaar, expanded to Bombay, Delhi and Kanpur, and now finds its home in Raman Durga Das Seth.

1. c. 1900s

   Amritsar

   The family's roots are in Amritsar. The jewellery lineage begins here, generations before there was a shop with our name on it.

2. 1915

   The Andaman Islands

   Part of the family moves to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and becomes arthiyas — commission agents. The trade is small, relationship-based, and built entirely on trust. Sh. Dhani Ram Ji and Sh. Daulat Ram Ji are at the helm.

3. 1919

   Into gold

   The family enters the gold trade — trading and manufacturing jewellery in the Andamans, alongside a general store that sells everything from needles to bicycles. This is the year we count from.

4. 1940s

   The flight

   The Japanese invasion of the Andamans during the Second World War forces the family to flee, leaving the business behind. Dhani Ram Ji is shot during the journey home. The family arrives in Amritsar with almost nothing.

5. c. 1945–50

   Guru Bazaar

   Durga Das Seth Ji, eldest of the brothers, establishes Durga Das Seth Saraf in Guru Bazaar — among the first firms in that market. Four brothers run it together: Durga Das Seth Ji, Dwarka Das Seth Ji, Jugal Kishore Seth Ji and Jeet Kishore Seth Ji. They begin again from the beginning.

6. 1960

   Zaveri Bazaar

   The firm establishes a presence in Zaveri Bazaar, Bombay — the move into the wider diamond and jewellery trade. Through the sixties, seventies and eighties the reputation is built quietly, across Amritsar and Bombay, by Raman Kishore Seth Ji and Naval Kishore Seth Ji.

7. 2001 · 2018

   Amritsar, modernised

   A showroom at Nehru Shopping Complex in 2001, then Mall Road in 2018. Pankaj Seth and Neeraj Seth, sons of Raman Kishore Seth Ji, carry the house through the shift to modern retail.

8. 2026

   Raman Durga Das Seth

   Ramit Seth joins as the fifth generation, and the house opens at Amstel Mall on Mall Road under the name Raman Durga Das Seth — honouring Raman Kishore Seth Ji and Durga Das Seth Ji together. This is a continuing legacy, not a new business.

Why we sell the way we sell

A family that lost everything once, and buried a father on the road home, learns something about what wealth is and what it costs to lose it. That is not a sales line. It is the reason we will tell you when a piece is beautiful but is not a good buy, and the reason we would rather sell you something smaller and better than something larger and worse.

Every gold piece we sell is BIS hallmarked. Every diamond piece is IGI certified. We are glad for you to have anything checked independently before you buy it.

Five generations

Lala Kodu Mal Ji → Lala Bhagat Ram Ji → Dhani Ram Ji → Jugal Kishore Seth Ji → Raman Kishore Seth Ji → Pankaj Seth & Neeraj Seth → Ramit Seth.

Why we are called Raman Durga Das Seth →

Come and see the history wall

The whole of this story is on the wall of our showroom. We would be glad to walk you through it.