The story of a pearl expert whose knowledge and values became part of a family legacy
Before the name Modi Pearls became associated with Hyderabad’s pearl trade, there was Manoharlalji Modi, also known as Jaggimalji Manoharlalji. His journey began in Narnaul, in present-day Haryana, before bringing him south to Hyderabad during the era of the Nizams. He settled near Gulzar Houz, close to Charminar, and began building his life and livelihood in the historic commercial heart of the city.For the family, however, Manoharlalji is remembered for much more than the business he built. He is remembered for the way he conducted his business and the person he was.
Pearls for the Nizam’s court
The seventh Nizam, His Exalted Highness Mir Osman Ali Khan, was renowned for his appreciation of precious stones and jewellery.
Pearls held a particularly important place in Hyderabad’s jewellery culture, and elaborate pearl ornaments formed part of the aesthetic associated with the royal court. Within this environment, Manoharlalji’s expertise in pearls brought him into the circle of jewellers associated with the Nizam.
A historical group photograph from around the 1940s identifies Manoharlalji Modi, popularly known as Jaggimalji Manoharlalji, among the royal panel of jewellers associated with the court of Mir Osman Ali Khan.
For the Modi family, the photograph provides a remarkable visual record of an ancestor standing among the jewellers of Nizam-era Hyderabad. It is more than a photograph of individuals. It captures a moment in the history of a city whose jewellery trade was closely connected with its royal court.
A jeweller known for his integrity
Manoharlalji lived simply. Despite working with some of the most valuable materials of his time, family recollections describe him as a humble businessman who maintained a modest and disciplined way of life.
He believed that reputation was worth more than a single transaction. Honesty, fair dealing and keeping one’s word were principles that shaped the way he conducted business. In a trade where the difference between an ordinary gemstone and an exceptional one could represent considerable value, trust was fundamental.
For Manoharlalji, that trust was something to be earned over years rather than purchased through status. His reputation grew through the relationships he built—with customers, fellow merchants and the royal establishment. The jewellery business may have dealt in precious objects, but his most valuable asset was his name.
A remarkable understanding of pearls
Manoharlalji’s particular expertise lay in pearls.
At a time when there were no modern grading laboratories, digital instruments or sophisticated imaging systems available to the traditional pearl merchant, much of the assessment of a pearl depended upon the trained eye and experience of the jeweller.
Manoharlalji developed an unusually refined understanding of pearls. He could distinguish differences in lustre, colour, shape, surface quality, size and character, and could recognise qualities that were not immediately apparent to an inexperienced eye.
For him, pearls were not simply commodities to be bought and sold. Each pearl had its own character. The ability to identify exceptional pearls was built through years of handling and comparing specimens, understanding their origins and learning how they behaved under light. This knowledge became one of the defining characteristics of his work.
The Jeweller’s Eye
What distinguished a traditional pearl expert was not merely the ability to recognise an expensive pearl. It was the ability to understand which pearls belonged together. A necklace could contain dozens or even hundreds of individual pearls. Their value as a finished piece depended not only upon the quality of each pearl but upon the harmony between them.
The finest pearl jewellery required patience. A jeweller might reject many pearls before finding the small number that worked together perfectly. This was a craft built through experience rather than a formula. Manoharlalji’s understanding of this process became part of the knowledge that he passed to the next generation.
The search for exceptional pearls
Among the pearls that attracted particular attention in the royal jewellery world were rare Basra pearls.
Historically associated with the Persian Gulf region, Basra pearls acquired an extraordinary reputation among collectors and connoisseurs because of their natural origin, rarity and distinctive lustre.
Manoharlalji was known within the family for his ability to recognise and hand-select exceptional pearls, including rare collectible specimens such as Basra pearls.
For a jeweller serving a clientele as discerning as the Nizam’s court, this ability was invaluable. The finest jewellery could not begin with ordinary material. It began with finding the right pearl.
More than a businessman
The family remembers Manoharlalji as a man who remained grounded despite his position. His business dealt with precious materials, but his personal life was simple. He valued honour, discipline and relationships.
The principles he followed in business were also principles he expected within the family: earn trust, deal fairly, preserve one’s reputation and never compromise on quality.
This philosophy became as important a legacy as the jewellery knowledge itself. A jewellery business can be inherited. A reputation cannot. Each generation has to earn it again.
Passing the knowledge forward
Manoharlalji had three sons:
Mahavir Modi, Poonamchand Modi and Bajrang Modi.
The knowledge he had accumulated through his years in Hyderabad’s jewellery and pearl trade did not disappear with him. It continued through the family. His son Poonamchandji Modi carried forward the family’s association with pearls and jewellery and was referred widely as M. Poonamchand Dealer. (Manoharalji Poonamchand Dealer of Pearls)
The transition marked another stage in the family’s history. The knowledge that had developed within the world of Nizam-era jewellery was now being applied to a changing commercial market. The royal court would not remain the centre of Hyderabad’s jewellery economy forever. The market was expanding. Pearls were beginning to reach a much wider public.
From Poonamchandji Modi to Sunilji Modi
Poonamchandji had five sons:
Prahlad Rai Modi
Deena Nath Modi
Rajender Kumar Modi
Bankat Chand Modi
Sunil Modi
Poonamchandji Modi’s legacy continued through his sons. His eldest son, Prahlad Rai Modi, carried forward the established trading tradition of M. Poonamchand Dealer, preserving the family’s conventional approach to the pearl and jewellery trade. His youngest son, Sunil Modi, however, envisioned something different. He saw an opportunity to take the family’s deep-rooted knowledge of pearls and transform it for a new generation—modernising pearl jewellery, introducing contemporary designs and evolving the way pearls were presented and retailed. This vision would eventually lead to the establishment of Modi Pearls.
The name itself was significant. Rather than choosing a name disconnected from the family’s past, Sunilji placed the ancestral “Modi” name at the heart of his new enterprise. It became a way of carrying the family’s identity into a new era while remaining rooted in the generations who had come before him. The business was new. The knowledge behind it was not.
From Narnaul to Hyderabad, and from one generation to the next
The journey of the family can be understood through the people who carried the tradition forward.
Manoharlalji Modi
Jaggimalji Manoharlalji
Nizam-era jeweller and Pearl Expert
↓
Mahavir Modi · Poonamchand Modi · Bajrang Modi
↓
Poonamchand Modi
Founder of M. Poonamchand Pearls
↓
Prahlad Modi · Deena Nath Modi · Rajender Kumar Modi · Bankat Chand Modi · Sunil Modi
↓
Sunil Modi
Founder of Modi Pearls
↓
Yogesh Modi · Priyanka Modi
The current generation leading Modi Pearls
It is a lineage of people, rather than simply a succession of businesses. The businesses changed. The city changed. The customers changed. But the family’s relationship with pearls continued.
The beginning of a pearl legacy
Manoharlalji could never have known what his descendants would eventually build. He lived in a Hyderabad that belonged to another era, when the Nizam’s court was still an important part of the city’s life and the streets around Charminar formed one of its great commercial centres. His world was one of handwritten accounts, personal relationships and the trained eye of the jeweller.
There were no modern grading laboratories. No digital photography. No online marketplaces. No global retail networks.
There was simply knowledge accumulated through experience. A pearl held in the hand. A careful examination under light. A decision to accept or reject it. And a reputation built one transaction at a time. That is the legacy Manoharlalji passed forward.
Poonamchandji Modi
Poonamchandji Modi was a legend of his time — a hardworking Baniya, known for his unwavering principles, righteousness, discipline, and dedication to his craft. He carried forward the knowledge and values he had inherited from his father and, through his own hard work and wisdom, built a respected legacy in Hyderabad’s pearl trade. More importantly, he passed these values on to his five sons, each of whom went on to establish a successful business of his own, carrying a distinct expression of the foundation laid by their father. Prahalad Rai Modi continued the family’s traditional pearl-dealing legacy through M. Poonamchand Pearl Dealer; Deena Nath Modi established the retail concept Shiv Shakti Pearls; Bankat Chand Modi created the high-end pearl jewellery boutique Sri Krishna Pearls; and the youngest, Sunil Modi, went on to establish Modi Pearls. Thus, Poonamchandji’s greatest legacy was not only the business he built, but the values, knowledge, and entrepreneurial spirit he instilled in the next generation, allowing each of his sons to build his own successful path while remaining rooted in the principles of their father.
Sunil Modi
Sunil Modi, born on 24 November 1966, began his journey in the pearl business at the remarkably young age of 13. From those early years, he devoted himself completely to the trade and, by his own account, has never taken a day off from the business. Today, at 59, he carries with him 46 years of hardwork i.e., over four decades of hands on experience in the pearl industry, an extraordinary depth of knowledge acquired through a lifetime of learning, observation and dedication.
Known for his exceptional humility, impeccable manners and soft spoken nature, Sunil Modi is a businessman who has earned the respect of those around him not through stature or words, but through character and conduct. Beneath his gentle and unassuming personality lies an exceptionally sharp understanding of pearls and pearl jewellery, a depth of expertise that is rare to find in the industry and particularly uncommon in India.
He is not only loved by the countless customers who have had the opportunity to interact with him over the decades, but is equally respected by fellow pearl traders and dealers across India. His reputation among both customers and peers stands as a testament to a lifetime devoted to the pearl trade, built on knowledge, integrity, humility and an unwavering commitment to the craft.
Priyanka Modi
Priyanka Modi, much like her father, developed an early fascination with the world of pearls and pearl jewellery. Her curiosity was so strong that she voluntarily joined the family business as early as the 9th standard, beginning her journey into the trade at a remarkably young age. While pursuing her education and personal passions, she continued to nurture her interest in the pearl business, gradually developing a deep understanding of the craft and the industry.
She went on to complete a Diploma in Fashion and Jewellery Designing and became a certified gemologist, combining formal education in design and gemology with more than a decade of hands on experience in the family business. This unique combination of design expertise, gemological knowledge and practical experience in the pearl trade has shaped her into a highly accomplished pearl jewellery professional and, today, one of the finest pearl jewellery businesswomen in India.
Yogesh Modi
Yogesh Modi, the youngest son of the Modi family, developed a fascination with Information Technology and cybersecurity from a remarkably young age. His interests spanned web and mobile application security, network engineering, reverse engineering and programming. He pursued this passion academically, earning a Master’s degree in Computer Applications (MCA), while simultaneously developing extensive hands-on expertise in information security.
As an independent web-application security researcher and engineer, Yogesh worked extensively in identifying and responsibly disclosing potentially harmful security vulnerabilities to some of the world’s leading internet and technology companies. His research earned him recognition and rewards from numerous international technology organizations. His experience extended beyond research, with opportunities to work with international clients and conduct seminars, campaigns and workshops focused on Information Security.
After years immersed in the world of computers and cybersecurity, Yogesh eventually made a significant career transition—returning to his family’s centuries-old connection with gems and jewellery. Bringing together his technological background and the family’s deep-rooted expertise in pearls, he saw an opportunity to redefine how a traditional pearl business could operate in the digital era. This vision led to the creation of ModiPearls.com, through which he began transforming Modi Pearls into a modern, digitally driven pearl jewellery retailer, taking the family’s heritage and craftsmanship to customers far beyond the traditional showroom.
His journey is, in many ways, a bridge between two worlds—technology and tradition, cybersecurity and craftsmanship, and the digital age and a family legacy built around pearls.
Remembering Manoharlalji
Today, an old photograph preserves one moment of his life. Among the jewellers associated with the court of the last Nizam stands Manoharlalji Modi — Jaggimalji Manoharlalji. For the Modi family, he represents the generation that established its roots in Hyderabad’s jewellery world. But perhaps his greatest legacy was not a particular jewel or a particular business. It was a way of understanding the trade.
Know your pearls. Choose carefully. Deal honestly. Keep your word. And never allow the value of the material to become greater than the value of your name.
Those principles travelled with the family from one generation to the next. And generations later, they remain at the heart of the story of Modi Pearls.
Part of the Modi Pearls Heritage Series — documenting the people, places and traditions behind generations of Hyderabad’s jewellery and pearl trade.
