R.M. Shah Ltd owner Nilesh Shah reflects on six decades in the trade; a deep knowledge of coloured gemstones that started with a love for emeralds
By David Brough
In the heart of Hatton Garden, London’s historic jewellery quarter, R.M. Shah Ltd has built a reputation as one of the UK’s foremost authorities on coloured gemstones. Family-run and founded on honesty, integrity and a genuine passion for the industry, R.M. Shah Ltd supplies an extraordinary variety of gemstones to jewellers, designers and collectors.
What sets the company apart is Nilesh himself. Few can match his blend of deep gemmological knowledge, keen eye and direct sourcing relationships built over a lifetime. He knows the story behind every coloured gemstone he supplies.
As he photographs inventory with his son, Nilesh reflects on the raw beauty of each piece. He remembers his first mine trip at just 23 years old: Minas Gerais in Brazil, in search of that clear, sea-blue aquamarine. The following year, a visit to Zambia’s renowned Kamakanga emerald mine sealed his resolve: to carry forward his father’s vision of a true ‘mine-to-market’ company.
This hands-on approach and commitment to personally verified quality is relied upon by jewellers and designers alike, who return time and again to a partner they trust.
R.M.Shah Ltd is a founding member of the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) and a member of the UK’s National Association of Jewellers (NAJ). Nilesh also served as the ICA’s UK ambassador, speaking at trade show panels.
A pioneering heritage
The story began with founder Ramanlal Shah, who arrived in London from Mumbai in 1956 as a young man. At a time when few Indian professionals had established themselves in Hatton Garden, Ramanlal was a pioneer.
By the early 1960s, mining companies across South America and Africa were approaching him directly to take their gems to Jaipur, the world’s leading cutting centre for emeralds. His first sourcing trip, to the Sakota mine in Bahia, Brazil, was followed by many more around the world, dealing in rough from Brazil, Colombia, Zambia and Kenya, among others. Each forged the trusted, long-standing partnerships with mines and cutters that R.M. Shah partners with to this day.
His work ethic as a reliable broker and supplier became well known and well loved. “His peers joked that Hatton Garden opened and closed with Ramanlal Shah, as he was often the first to arrive and the last to leave,” recalls Nilesh.
Nilesh joined in the 1980s: father and son building on these foundations together, buying rough and cutting a growing range of stones. Their gems supplied Jaipur and other leading cutting centres, and reached beyond the Hatton Garden and UK trade to the fine-jewellery houses of Paris, Geneva and New York.
5ct cushion Zambian emerald
1.86ct emerald
Leading the business forward
As the supply of rough shifted to an auction model, Nilesh adapted the business and began consulting clients on the best gemstones to source, helping them navigate the ever changing market.
He deepened core partnerships, expanding the offering well beyond the staples of emeralds, rubies and sapphires to include diamonds, aquamarines, tourmalines and more.
Aquamarine on green beryl
Today, R.M. Shah serves the full breadth of the trade, from fashion houses to fellow dealers. Its stones have been set into bespoke and Art Deco commissions, and into the faces and casings of one-of-a-kind timepieces, featuring in work for some of the most celebrated names in fine jewellery. Rarer still, it is one of only a handful of houses in London to stock exquisitely carved gemstones, a true specialty.
Since 2001, R.M.Shah Ltd has exhibited its beautiful gems at trade shows around the world; IJL, Birmingham Spring Fair, Inhorgenta, AWE Hong Kong and most recently the 2026 Tucson Gem Show.
Nilesh continues to source each piece responsibly and with diligence, whether commercial or fine-grade, from the traditional gemstone to rose-cut, briolette and previously owned old-cut diamonds.
With its mine-to-market ethos, deep knowledge and prompt, honest and reliable service, R.M. Shah stands out in the trade for its exceptional ability to source remarkable gemstones from around the world.
R.M.Shah Ltd remains a byword for expertise, integrity and leadership in coloured gemstones.
“Few things are as rewarding as watching the journey from a rough stone we’ve sourced, to a polished gem, to a work of art in a master jeweller’s hands. We’re fortunate to work with such natural beauty, every day.”
(Sponsored content.)
