KIRTILAL M. MEHTA, 86; BUILT A GEM COMPANY

KIRTILAL M. MEHTA, WHO WORKED IN THE GEM

INDUSTRY FOR NEARLY 75 YEARS

INDIA'S LARGEST DIAMOND COMPANYMR. MEHTA RANKED AS INDIA'S

LARGEST DIAMOND DEALER, HIS

COMPANY SAID. HIS BUSINESS WAS

THE CUTTING, POLISHING AND

TRADING OF DIAMONDS. HE

EXPANDED HIS OPERATIONS INTO

FOREIGN DIAMOND CENTERS AND

ALSO DEALT IN COLORED GEMS.

HIS CAREER BEGAN AT AGE 12, WHEN HE DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL UPON HIS

FATHER'S DEATH TO BEGIN WORKING IN THE

BRANCH OF THE FAMILY'S GEM BUSINESS THAT WAS IN BURMA (NOW

MYANMAR). SEVEN YEARS LATER HE BECAME THE HEAD OF ITS BOMBAY,

INDIA, BRANCH.

IN 1944 HE FOUNDED HIS OWN COMPANY, NOW KNOWN AS BEAUTIFUL DIAMONDS, IN BOMBAY. IN 1953 HE OPENED HIS

GEMBEL COMPANY IN ANTWERP, FOLLOWED IN

1956 BY A GEMBEL BRANCH IN HONG KONG,

IN 1968 BY A GEMBEL CENTER IN TEL AVIV AND IN 1973 BY OCCIDENTAL GEMS IN MANHATTAN.

His first wife, Lilavati, is deceased. He is survived by his wife, Esther; four sons, Kishore of Bombay and Vijay, Prabodh and Rashmi, all of Antwerp; three daughters, Anila Kothariof Hong Kong, Rekha of India and Lisa Mehta of Antwerp and Manhattan; and many grandchildren and great grandchildren.

For More Visit: http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/23/obituaries/kirtilal-m-mehta-86-built-a-gem-company.html

Thank You