About Us
Kohinoor Minerals & Gems is our family business which was created by my Father in the 1960s. He was in Afghanistan with my grandfather to help him where my father met a Jewish man which introduced him to the stone Lapis. So my father started to bring Lapis from Afghanistan to Pakistan to sell. However at this time this was not legal in Pakistan. My father went to court and with the help of his solicitor, had this gem stone business legalised in Pakistan.
My father then expanded his business worldwide. First to Germany, Idar Oberstien for four years and then moved to Hong Kong. He then carried out the business in Hong Kong for 17 years. Lastly he travelled to Japan, Kofu city in Yamanashi-ken which was known as the city of Jewellery in Japan. He lived and did business there for 40 years and sold items such as Lapis, Himalayan Quartz, Aquamarine, Tourmaline, Garnet and many other stones.
When I was a child my father would bring Lapis and similar stones and would ask me to help him clean them. This allowed me to build an interest and passion for this business. After I finished studying I moved to Japan for 4 years where I helped my father in the business. Then in 2001 I moved to England, London and I have now decided to carry on the business here, online.
In Japan I currently attend 5 shows yearly. Three in Tokyo, one in Osaka and the other in Kyoto. I have also participated in a show in Tucson Texas. In Germany, Munich I attend the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines. In the UK I attend rock and mineral shows some examples being the The Oxford Show and Rock and Gems shows.
For us it is not only about selling these stones however showing our customers exactly where they come from and how they have been sourced.
We ensure to not compromise on our quality whilst creating the best possible deals.