Our History and Team
Our Founder: An Extraordinary Tale
Established in 2000 in the heart of New York City’s Diamond District Star Rays NY Inc. has risen to be one of the top diamond wholesalers and jewelry manufacturers. Star Rays NY (SRNY) was founded by Kiran Vaghashiya who grew the company from the ground up to where it is today. Before Kiran Vaghashiya founded SRNY in 2000 and became a well-known figure in the diamond trade, he was just another man looking to make a name from himself. Kiran was born in a rural village in Gujarat in 1971. From an early age, he spent most of his time helping his parents tend the farmland while attending school until the 7th grade. When he was just a mere teenager, he moved away from home towards the urban city of Gujarat known as Surat also nicknamed as “The Diamond City.” With little schooling, Kiran only had a few options and thus turned to the diamond trade. In the industry from a very young age, Kiran was able to learn every aspect of the diamond trade from the ground up. From working as a diamond cutter to later as a sales and buying manager, Kiran experienced almost every detail in the trade while climbing the ladder. After traveling to Hong Kong and experiencing the trade there for a few years, Kiran moved to the United States in 1995 with a humble beginning. Within a few years after getting permanently settled, did Kiran create SRNY in 2000. Kiran’s untimely and unexpected passing in 2017 brought his wife Pallavi and oldest son Manav to the forefront of the company to continue to build and grow upon what Kiran had already started. Today the company stands strong carrying on Kiran’s legacy in the diamond and jewelry industry.
Pallavi: CEO/President
Pallavi became head of SRNY after her husband’s untimely passing in 2017. Since then she has trailblazed a path for other women in the industry and continues to lead the team towards the top and beyond.
Manav: COO/Buying Manager
After graduating with a degree in Aero/Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 2018, Manav joined SRNY. As Kiran’s oldest son he was born with the craft in his genes. Manav is our liaison between our New York office and our overseas buying offices. He sources all of our goods and fights for the best pricing so that we can pass those savings onto our clients.