Meet Raju Mehta: Palm Desertās Diamond and Fine Jewelry Expert
From witnessing the ring and earrings his mother wore to working in the diamond factory in his hometown of Navsari, India, Raju Mehta recognized the importance and sentimental power of jewelryāparticularly diamondsāat an early age. His passion for these precious stones has helped him embark on a brilliant career as the owner of Palm Desertās premier jewelry store, El Paseo Jewelers, the valleyās largest collection of diamonds and jewelry. Today, Mehta is just as enthusiastic about jewelry and diamonds, an enthusiasm rivaled only by his drive to serve his customers and community. As a diamond expert in Palm Desert, Mehta possesses extensive knowledge and experience in evaluating, grading, and selecting high-quality diamonds to help clients make informed purchasing decisions. Diamond Expert Palm Desert
For Mehta, a career in diamonds was a crystal-clear choice to make. āDiamonds are in my DNA. I have been in the diamond business since I was 15 years old,ā Mehta explains.
āMy brothers were in the diamond business, and I started when I was in high school. During summer vacation, we had no summer schools, so my brother told me, āDon’t keep running around town; go to the factory and start learning diamonds.ā So I started learning about diamonds and how to cut them.āĀ
This experience and hard work not only fueled his interest in the jewels but also provided him with a knowledge and craftsmanship that is incredibly hard to come by nowadays. āIn those days, we decided how to cut the diamond. Now, it’s all automatic; the machine cuts the diamond. Today, India is cutting and polishing 90% of diamonds,ā Mehta shares.
āThe craft is taken out of that, but to me, doing the cutting time and learning to cut the rough diamond was very important.ā Diamond Expert Palm Desert
In December 1982, Mehta moved to the United States and landed a job at a retail jewelry store, where he worked a variety of different positions, each better preparing him for his future as a shop owner. Then 10 years later, Mehta opened the doors to El Paseo Jewelers, where he was able to showcase his expertise and designs to the public.Ā
With his deep knowledge of diamond sourcing and stone-cutting, it’s no wonder El Paseo Jewelers made such an impact. Add in his understanding of the jewelry business, and the success story writes itselfāone sparkling gem at a time. āYou are not going to find my experience in too many people in retail stores. You’ll still find it in the wholesale business, but in retail stores, you wonāt,ā Mehta says. āI know how to do retail. I understand advertising. And I understand how to work with the community.ā
Mehtaās impact on his community extends further than beautifully designed jewelry.
āThis community has done a lot for me. Without this communityās support, I could not do what I’m doing today,ā he shares. āYou can’t just keep taking; youāve got to give back.ā
This mentality has led to supporting a multitude of desert-based organizations and initiatives. Mehta supports the Desert Symphony, McCallum Theater, Desert AIDS Project, Desert Cancer Foundation, The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Springs Air Museum, St. Jude Research Hospital, the new CV Firebirds AHL team and more.
The spirit of giving is a theme that runs strong in Mehtaās life, from his philanthropy to his jewelry. āA diamond is the best way to express your love,” says Mehta. āWhen you give a diamond to anybody, you’re not just giving to giveāmost of the time, emotions are involved.ā
This is one of many reasons why Mehta is so dedicated to helping customers find the perfect piece. Regardless if itās a custom design or something sparkly from the shopās catalog. āOur ultimate goal is to make a customer happy. We are not happy if they are not happy,ā Mehta explains.
āI have a simple policyāeven if it’s a special order. If you don’t like it, weāll redo it, or we’ll give you your money back.
El Paseo Jewelers celebrated its 25th anniversary in November 2022, and 2023ās award season will mark the first time that jewelry from this shop will be featured on the red carpet. To learn more about El Paseo Jewelers or to work with Mehta, visit elpaseojewelers.com.Ā
El Paseo Jewelers
73520 El Paseo, Ste EĀ
Palm Desert, CA
760.773.8752
Born and raised near the Pacific Coast, Jordan Nishkian is a California girl through and through. She graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a BA in Creative Writing and a BA in Anthropology, and her favorite place to be is curled up in a comfy chair with a book in her hand and a pen in her hair.
