Customize your own piece: Kirtilals’ initiative yields fruit online too

In this era of spontaneity, customers have become creative because they do their research on design elements before they walk into a store. Often, jewellers find customers looking at the set inventory and suggesting a little tweak. When the trend is such, Kirtilals has brilliantly risen to the occasion with a new initiative called ‘Your design our craftmanship’.

Under this plan, customers can interact with the designer and customize their designs. Previously, the facility was only available in the physical showroom, but now the jeweller has extended the facility on the virtual platform too. Customers can virtually meet the designer through video calls.

Suraj Shantakumar, Director, Business Strategy, Kirtilals, said, “Design has always been our strength, so we are essentially communicating the strength of the brand through the concept. The customer now has the option to create their own unique design. Since we have the vertical integration with manufacturing, it’s easy for us to customize any design in a short time.”

According to Shantakumar, around 30% to 70% of the jewellery is customized and mostly focus on diamonds.

How does the process go?

Customers can walk into the store and have a one-on-one sitting with the designer. Kirtilals has deputed its senior designers across their showrooms. The designer tries to understand what the customer is looking for, their design concept and the budget. Based on the customer’s feedback, the team customizesa design in front of the customer. After the rough design is made and approved by the customer, a virtual try-on is carried out before the final order is placed. For the virtual platforms, Kirtilals has designed a tool kit with different design components, as well as a library to aid the design creation. Customers can mix and match the components to give shape to a design. The designer will then customize it on the customer’s screen on a video call.  

The finale

Kirtilas has an iPad application, where the handmade design is uploaded as a rendered image for the customer to look as a finished product. The jeweler shares an instance, when the parents of a bride came to buy her entire trousseau. After discussion with the designer, they finalized a design, which was uploaded on the application. The girl, who was in the US, could easily see the final jewellery. After her approval, it was sent for production.

Kirtilals follows a standard policy for its customized orders, wherein the customer will have to pay a standard amount in advance, and the final amount is paid after the piece is manufactured.

Written by Manoj Chakraborty

RJ Exclusive