Fine Silver Jewels built its bridal business by delivering customised silver polki jewellery—addressing strong demand in a segment underserved, even in organised retail.
Launched in 2016 in Jaipur, Neha Chelani’s brand adapted to the rising demand for silver bridal polki in the last four years. By using synthetic polki set in 925 sterling silver, the brand’s product matched the visual impact of traditional bridal jewellery at a significantly lower price and logistical risk.
What led to the creation of Fine Silver Jewels, and what market gap were you addressing?
We launched in 2016 with the belief that silver jewellery deserved an aspirational positioning— beyond being perceived as merely functional or secondary. We saw an opportunity to treat silver with the same design intensity and quality benchmarks as fine jewellery. With in-house manufacturing, we were able to uphold those standards. Our aim wasn’t just affordability—we wanted to create a product that customers would actively choose for its intrinsic value, not simply as a fallback to gold.
You started with minimal jewellery. How did bridal become the core of your business?
We began with smaller-ticket pieces to introduce the category and establish credibility. As customer confidence grew, so did demand for elaborate, personalised jewellery—especially in polki styling. Within a year, bridal requests became increasingly frequent, prompting us to develop a deeper inventory. Our bridal and festive jewellery grew from about 30% to nearly 80% within a span of 4 years.
Silver polki now defines your brand. Was that part of the initial strategy?
Initially, we focused on diamond look-alike jewellery. The shift to synthetic polki evolved organically, driven by clear customer preference. Once we introduced polki, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. With rising demand for customised bridal orders, we scaled our offerings accordingly. It wasn’t a pre-planned move, but a natural evolution that allowed us to lead in a high-demand segment.
What is the average ticket size for your bridal jewellery?
Our bridal sets start around Rs 1 lakh for minimal designs and can go upwards of Rs 6 lakh. While we maintain a ready inventory, a large portion of our bridal business is made-to-order. We cater not just to the bride, but also to the groom and their families—with even groom’s jewellery designed to be repurposed post-wedding.
Which markets are showing the strongest demand for bridal silver?
We operate through our flagship store in Jaipur and have a strong digital presence. Metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, and Hyderabad contribute nearly 40% of our demand. Overall, more than 85% of our business comes from bridal and festive clients. We’re also seeing growing interest from international markets, particularly the US and, more recently, the UAE. While Tier II and III cities in India aren’t our core focus, the level of online engagement from these regions is small but noticeable.
How have macro trends like rising gold prices and destination weddings influenced your growth?
These shifts have provided strong tailwinds. As gold prices increased, customers began actively exploring alternatives that offered the same aesthetic appeal with more practicality in terms of wear and travel. The destination wedding trend further accelerated this shift—clients wanted standout pieces without the security concerns of transporting high-value gold jewellery.
How have you built credibility in a high-ticket silver category?
We currently do not offer return or exchange on our jewellery. To build trust, we often advise first-time buyers to start with a lightweight piece. Once they gain confidence in our product, we see strong conversion into larger bridal purchases. Today, our repeat customer rate—both online and offline—is close to 95%.
What’s your retail and distribution roadmap? Are you looking at multi-brand or standalone formats?
Going forward, we’re planning to expand through standalone retail stores in select markets. International expansion, particularly in the UAE, is also underway and will remain a strategic focus.
By Aparna Bhowmick
