Hyderabad-Based Chandubhai basks in glory of record-beating ring

By Suneeta Kaul

It is not often that retail jewellers find themselves in the limelight because of a Guinness World Record, but that does not mean it cannot happen. Ask Kotti Srikanth, Owner, The Diamond Store by Chandubhai (A unit of Hallmark Jewellers), located at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad.

It so happens that in September this year, Srikanth emerged as the Guinness World Record holder for Most Diamonds Set in One Ring. The spectacular ring, appropriately named The Divine — 7801 Brahma Vajra Kamalam, has a total of 7801 diamonds, with each stone being a certified conflict-free natural diamond. The name of the ring is inspired from Brahma Kamalam, a rare flower found in the Himalayas.

Life after The Ring

For Srikanth, and the company, life has not been the same since the record became official. “It has been quite a ride. We have received so much attention, our customers are calling us non-stop, and suddenly, everyone knows us and knows about the ring,” says Srikanth.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the company has yet to catch its breath, as the fame has spread not just within the country, but also abroad. “This achievement has given us recognition globally. But it is not just about fame. This is a recognition of our workmanship and design skills. A lot of effort has gone into the creation of this marvel, but it has been worth it, and it gives me immense satisfaction to be recognized for my creation,” Srikanth declares.

The record has had more tangible benefits as well, with the store seeing an appreciable increase in the number of footfalls in the past couple of months. According to Srikanth, “With fame have come new business possibilities. New customers are reaching out to us for exclusive concepts and designs, and we are happy to showcase our creativity to a wider audience. Moreover, our existing customers are also waking up to the possibility of more creative products. It is a happy state of affairs, where we see a rise in our brand recall, and repeat customers. Moreover, we have received orders from the American market, and we hope to kickstart our exports soon, not just to the US, but other countries as well.”

Interestingly, the company is into both manufacturing and retailing. “The products we sell are designed and created in-house. This enables us to offer the customers exclusive designs, custom diamond selection and quality craftmanship,” he says.

Dealing with the pandemic

As of now, The Diamond Store by Chandubhai is a single-store company. “For all other geographies we have our website, www.thediamondkart.com, for online purchases. In these COVID-stricken times, shopping through video calls has gone up quite a bit. Our customers select the jewellery on video call, pay the amount online, and the product is shipped to them,” Srikanth adds.

He insists that the company follows strict COVID-prevention protocols. “We re-opened our store on May 20, 2020, and since then, we have been following social distancing protocols and preventive measures strictly. The entire store is sanitised daily before opening for customers. All employees have to pass through temperature checks and the sanitisation process. Masks are compulsory for all. We screen all the customers for temperature and they also have to sanitise their hands before entering the store. Masks are given to customers, in case they don’t have them, or if they are not wearing a proper type of a mask. The seats and area used by customers are sanitised before the next customer enters,” he informs.

Talking about the aftermath of the pandemic, Srikanth feels that it has changed the buying pattern of customers. According to him, post the lockdown, there has been a shift to value buying. “Customers have become more discerning in their purchases,” he says, adding that they prefer to double-check the quality and uniqueness of a product before shelling out big bucks.

And if that, indeed, is so, customers will not regret going to The Diamond Store by Chandubhai. After all, its owner is a Guinness World Record holder for something as unique as a ring with 7801 diamonds!

Courtesy: Retail Jeweller India News Service