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The National Association of Goldsmiths recently announced the inauguration of their new Chairman, Pravin Pattni.

Pravin sporting the Vice-Chairman’s medal.

Pattni, owner of Minar Jewellers, will take the position after two years shadowing Nicholas Major as Vice-Chairman. As Major steps down from the role, Pattni will take the reins in moving the association forward over the next two years. The move to appoint Pattni was made as part of the N.A.G’s annual general meeting that took place at Lord’s earlier this week.

Born in Kenya, Pattni described how he never really had aspirations to be a jeweller. ‘I always wanted to be a scientist or a doctor, but after the sudden death of my father there was no-one to take care of his jewellery business in Kenya.’ Pattni came to England in 1974 and started his business from scratch.  The first shop was converted from a Gregg’s bakery to a jewellers using most of the bakery’s fixtures – a carpenter converted them into ‘jewellery counters’.

After passing his FGA and DGA in 1982/3 Pattni expanded into the diamond business. He joined the N.A.G. in 1998, first becoming a Council member and then joining the Board. He served on the Valuations Committee and then became the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors. Today Pattni describes how ‘in hindsight taking over my late father’s shop was a blessing in disguise – I have loved every minute of working within this fabulous industry.’

Pattni is also the Deputy Chair of the Tooting Business Network and has two shops in Tooting which he runs with his brother Mukesh Pattni.

On Pattni’s appointment, CEO Michael Hoare commented; ‘I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Pravin over the last few years. A man as good at business as he is kind and modest. Everyone at the N.A.G. is really pleased that Pravin is taking the role of Chairman, and I thoroughly look forward to working with him over the coming years.’