Lab-grown diamond jewellery startup So/Facet has raised Rs 10 crore in a seed funding round led by consumer-focused investment firm Sauce. The round is Sauce’s first investment in the lab-grown diamond category.
The round also saw participation from Mokobara co-founders Sangeet Agrawal and Navin Parwal, the Chona family office behind HOCCO Ice Creams, Haleon South Asia president Kedar Lele, and Moonshot co-founder Devaiah Bopanna.
Founded in 2026 by former Unilever executives Aarushi Agrawal Naulakha and Abhishek Naulakha, So/Facet will use the capital for brand building, product design, technology, hiring, and an omnichannel rollout. The brand launches online in November 2026 and plans to open more than 30 premium retail stores over the next three years, starting in India before expanding into markets including the Middle East.
Design first, not discount first
So/Facet is positioning diamond jewellery as everyday personal expression rather than something reserved for weddings and engagements. It will launch with six collections built on in-house designs and IGI-certified lab-grown diamonds.
The So/Me collection uses shapes such as stars and butterflies. So/Pop pairs diamonds with colourful, stackable enamel charms, and So/Icon focuses on sculptural designs. Entry-level pieces are priced around Rs 15,000 to 30,000, with custom-cut designs at a premium. More than 200 customers have joined the pre-launch waitlist.
“We don’t believe India’s next great diamond brand will be built by selling the same jewellery for less. It will be built on distinctive design, uncompromising quality and craftsmanship, and an experience that feels effortless.”
Abhishek Naulakha, Co-founder, So/Facet
“Lab-grown diamonds have transformed the category’s economics, but few brands have reimagined what diamonds can mean.”
Manu Chandra, Managing Partner, Sauce
A crowded, fast-falling market
The timing is not simple. Lab-grown diamond prices have kept falling this year on oversupply, widening the gap with natural diamonds. The founders believe prices have bottomed out and point to a shift in where the money now goes.
“We have realised that the raw material is no longer the bulk of the price. It is actually the craftsmanship and the labour that now comprise the majority of the cost.”
Abhishek Naulakha, Co-founder, So/Facet
Competition is already well funded. Aukera has raised a $15 million equity round led by Peak XV Partners and Rs 90 crore in debt from Alteria Capital. Limelight raised Rs 275 crore this year, and GIVA raised Rs 530 crore in 2025 with lab-grown diamonds central to its expansion.
Sauce knows this consumer playbook well, with Mokobara, Epigamia, Innovist, and The Whole Truth in its portfolio. So/Facet’s bet is that when the stone itself gets cheap, brand and design become the only durable margins. The November launch will show whether younger buyers agree.
