Crafting exquisite creations

A small in-house set-up to a full scale retail outlet in one of Delhi’s premium retail space, Prerna Rajpal, owner AMARIS Jewellery, has built a coveted brand in less than a decade. She has successfully shaped up her brand purely by focusing on one-off statement designs.

—Manoj Chakraborty

The Retail Jeweller (TRJ): From chartered accountancy to foraying into jewellery designing at present, tell us more about your journey?

Prerna Rajpal (PR): A chance foray into designing jewellery for one of my mother-in-law’s client, way back in 2010, led me into the eternally exquisite and hallowed portals of fine designing, craftsmanship, from the financial world of the global consulting firms.

TRJ: What was your first tryst with design?

PR: It started with asking a family member to redesign one of her heirloom neck pieces. While I had no formal background in designing and did not know the intricacies of dealing with karigars, the final product was something that no one could have anticipated. They appreciated what I had given shape to and that’s when I knew that I’ve found my calling.

TRJ: What is your design language and brand philosophy?

PR: Our collection combines unique designs, a colourful palette, and modern styles, which we use to create looks that are contemporary and glamorous. Also, we believe in making it accessible to the consumers. The Gliterrati collection, for instance is priced at Rs.1 to 5 lakh and each piece in this collection is laced with precious stones, which makes the jewellery piece nothing short of a style statement.

TRJ: Why did you decide to position the store at a high-end mall instead of a jewellery high street?

PR: I started my brand in 2010, as a small in-house set-up, but as the brand started to flourish we decided to setup the store in late 2013.There were a few reasons to open up a store at a high-end mall. Firstly, we felt that it creates the right environment for the buyers to purchase fine jewellery. Also, another reason why we choose to set-up the store in a high-end mall was the security factor. This comes as an added perk for a store located in a high-end mall.

TRJ: How have you seen the consumers evolve ever since you started your venture in India?

PR: Definitely, the AMARIS client wants to be fully aware of the back story of the product they are buying. We have also observed a drastic change in design sensibilities, our clients today enjoy colourful jewellery and want to purchase statement pieces, which make them stand out among the crowd and the defines their personal style.

TRJ: What are your future plans?

PR: We would want to scale up AMARIS aggressively in the next few years with store-in-store collaborations, alliances with leading clothing designers, and also would want to expand our global footprint with international shows and tie-ups.