Creativity meets commerce

In the crowded world of silver jewellery retail, Moha by Geetanjali is set apart by its unique theme-based collections. The founder and designer, Geetanjali Gondhale, shares with The Retail Jeweller the journey of inspiration-based design ideation, how it earns the brand repeat customers and the challenges of being a first-generation jeweller

Moha by Geetanjali is a classic instance of the fusion of art and entrepreneurship. Gondhale talks about why she took the less-travelled road to create designs and why, after a decade of creating unique thematic designs, she still hasn’t run out of ideas for weaving stories of creativity and authenticity in her designs

Edited Excerpts:

Pratyasha Kumari (PK): Tell us what inspired you to venture into jewellery.

Geetanjali Gondhale (GG): I have always had a creative bent of mind. Once, I got an opportunity to stay 10-12 days in a tribal area in the Narmada basins, and their lifestyle and symbolism inspired me. So, this was my first call. Years later, I quit my job in advertising to follow my passion for design. Moha happened eventually.
Jewellery designing allows me to channel my talent more definitively, unlike others who chance upon jewellery as a lucrative business. That’s probably why, even after 10 years, I’m still not out of ideas for creating unique themes and designs.

PK: Theme-based collections are a rarity in the jewellery industry, involving a more intricate creative process. You have stayed on course in creating collections for over a decade. Tell us more about it.

GG: It is not a defined process, but I can take you through the journey of my curated themes. I visit historical places, read books, and go to museums in the places I travel, which helps me gain more perspectives and capture symbolic elements for my designs. I indulge in photographing and later select which elements will be added to the jewellery. I think of it from an ornamental perspective. My imagination and my drawing ability come together as I create the Moha themes.
For Sanchi, the lion was their symbol of sovereignty under the Ashoka Dynasty—a lake-inspired Kuruma Vihar ring with lotuses and particular creatures on one of the Sanchi pillars.
Maheshwar is a temple built in devotion to God. Therefore, many elements from the temple, such as Naag Trishul and The Shivlinga, have been considered for the theme.

PK: How many theme-based collections do you launch in a year? How long do the older themes remain in demand?

GG: Around 2-3 collections are launched every year. After 1-2 years, the collection’s popular and in-demand pieces are restocked, and we discontinue the rest. For example, Sanchi and Harappa have been with Moha for years and are always in fashion.

PK: What are the main challenges faced by MOHA, particularly given its focus on theme-based collections?

GG: If we didn’t have themed collections, we would develop visually appealing jewellery collections like many others. However, as theme-based collections, we must work extra hard to generate unique wearable art that reflects the inspiration in diverse ways. It’s a highly creative process that distinguishes our designs and delights our customers.

PK: Why did you decide to be an only e-commerce brand? How has the brand’s customer base grown over the years?

GG: Since our target market is dispersed and we have a particular niche, we are happy to have decided to be the only e-commerce jewellery brand.
We were established in 2014 and have processed almost 3 lakh orders to date. Over the years, we have served between 60,000 and 70,000 customers. We add 6000–7000 new customers annually and have approx—45% repeat customers.

PK: How does Moha leverage digital and social media platforms to amplify brand visibility?

GG: We have over a million followers on Facebook and Instagram. We have started creating more Instagram reels for higher reach, and we produce distinctive campaign shoots and videos while introducing new themes.

PK: What is the conversion rate of your inquiries to actual sales?

GG: 80% of enquiries made on WhatsApp lead to conversions. Only 8-10% of queries made via Instagram DM and comments lead to actual purchases.

PK: What are the future expansion plans?

GG: I haven’t thought about it yet. My plans are still centred on themes, collections, and what I’m creating.

By Pratyasha Kumari