When Julia Castelli thinks about her childhood she remembers empty super market shelves. Growing up in Bulgaria, when under communist rule, she never experienced life's luxuries, only the many hardships. These days her world could not be more different. Julia is now a diamond hunter, sourcing gems for the super-wealthy, the British newspaper The Express writes.

46-year old Julia Castelli grew up in Radomir, a town near Sofia. Julia, whose mother was Russian and her father Bulgarian, got started in the jewellery business by chance. Now based in London, Julia is a citizen of the world and travels far and wide to hunt down each piece for clients from the Far East, North America, Europe, Asia and Middle East.

Her biggest deal was for a £20 million diamond. In an interview with the Bulgarian newspaper 24 Chasa, Julia says the deal took place in 2008 for a private customer, but that she cannot disclose the details as confidentiality is key to the work of a diamond hunter.

Julia began studying the intricacies of jewellery entrepreneurship in New York where she first worked at a jewellery store. She was 25 when she left Bulgaria, having just graduated from the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. “After the fall of communism, my parents tried their hand at different things, with my brother and myself helping them. We ran a coffee shop and a lighting and lamp store. At one point we were importing cars from Western Europe and I had to bring them into Bulgaria, alongside my father and my brother,” Julia remembers. As diamonds are not a commodity that is sold every day, Julia turned to organizing exotic travels for her wealthy customers. Travelling is another one of her passions, and is an endeavour she has amassed a lot of experience in through the years.