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Celebrating Love and Legacy on St.Thomas House of Rajah still shining as 50th anniversary approaches
Celebrating almost 50 years in business, Gobind “George” Chugani and his wife KC are continuing the House of Rajah legacy .
Some know him as Gobind. Others know him as “George.” It’s easy to assume Facebook and Instagram, I find that we definitely have to evolve as a jeweler each that nickname is because the popular local jeweler bears a resemblance to Ayear to keep up with styles and trends, which sets us apart from other jewelers.” list actor George Clooney. But that is not the genesis of his secondary moniker. As they are for many Caribbean jewelers, repeat customer are the Its roots lie in his parents’ migration to the United States from India. “An setting upon which his business is mounted. “We make sure we give evAmerican friend of my father’s offered to sponsor my parents to the U.S. in ery client that comes through our door the personal attention they 1965. They had just gotten married. He advised them to open a business and need. Most of our clients become friends and family when they leave. join volunteer clubs to build up a reputable customer base in America. My parAnd we pride ourselves as ‘The Best After Sales Customer Service.’ ents eventually moved to Louisville, KY, where I was born. My father’s friend became my godparent and hence gave me the name George.” For Chugani, the shining gem in his life is his lovely wife of 28 years, KC. “We Chugani is the proprietor of a popular downmet each other as she was passing through St. Thomas on a family vacation town jewelry boutique. House of Rajah can be found steps off of Main Street on Raadet’s Gade. for a long weekend. Our paths crossed by chance, and we instantly connect“House of Rajah was established in 1973 by my ed. We continued our long-distance relationship till I grew the nerve to ask parents. We have one store and we have been in her to be my wife. We planned a beautiful Caribbean wedding in St. Thomas.” that same location for over 49 years,”says Chugani. His parents came to St. Thomas in 1973 from Hong Kong and India. “My father, Victor, was very familiar with the duty-free business as it was a very similar system “We immediately worked together to start designing pieces together in Hong Kong. He decided to take advantage of his knowledge and estaband with her vision and artistic talents, we developed a collection of long and lish House of Rajah Jewelers in downtown Charlotte Amalie. Back in the ‘70s, short necklaces and bracelets with and without gems that women can stack cruise ships used to carry 200-400 guests. I also remember there were miniand be creative with their pieces. We are blessed with two beautiful children.” mal street lights back then. It was a very simple and different world back then.” Chugani’s appeal goes beyond the pieces in his jewelNow House of Rajah is a destination for both cruise passengers and overry cases. He also loves to sell the USVI and often dons a connight visitors alike. “We take pride that we will be celebrating 50 years next year. cierge persona to tell customers about the best island experiences. That says a lot about House of Rajah Jewelers and our team. I really have to say “I love St. Thomas, and this is my home. I’ve been living here for 49 years we have built up a network of resources with jewelers around the world who and it has made me embrace all the aspects of the island. From the beautihave worked with us throughout the years with the best quality and prices. We ful tropical beaches to the specialty restaurants and wine bars, St. Thomas then pass those savings to our customers so we can give them the best price and St. John have something to offer for everyone. There are many boat expossible. We listen to our clients’ needs and wants so we can make that perfect cursions to choose from -- snorkeling, parasailing, scuba diving and jet skiing. piece of jewelry they have always envisioned and dreamed of. We also sell highThe pristine blue ocean is our backyard and I love it. The beauty of this island end designer pieces at a much more reasonable price. That’s become our niche.” is that you get to know everyone personally and that’s what I love about it.” Chugani’s curiosity and interest in jewelry started early. “As a child I always As the business approaches its 50th anniversary, the Chuganis continue had an interest in watches and jewelry. Over the years, my interest grew more and to be part of the rich legacy that makes St. Thomas a jewelry destination set more as I began to travel the world and see and learn about different gemstones in the midst of tropical splendor. “We just want to thank all our House of Raand time pieces,” he said. “As a jeweler, I keep up with the current trends and conjah family and friends for supporting our business throughout the 50 years tinue to bring in the finest pieces of jewelry from different parts of the world, we’ve been opened. This is a wonderful milestone to reach and we are very especially what’s new In the market. With the evergrowing social media such as proud of it and we thank each and every one of you who have been a part of it.”
