With its debut studio on Camac Street, Rihaan Jewels steps into Kolkata’s contemporary fine jewellery market as a design-led extension of the JIJ legacy, offering limited-edition pieces and a gallery-style retail experience.
Rihaan Jewels arrives as a contemporary extension of Jewel India Jewellers, one of Kolkata’s longstanding legacy houses. Built to serve a growing audience seeking modern, design-forward fine jewellery, the sub-brand gives the family a fresh creative platform. With its first studio-style boutique, Rihaan sets out to offer a distinctly new experience while staying true to JIJ’s craftsmanship ethos.
A brand created to address a clear market gap
The decision to introduce a separate brand, rather than extend the existing JIJ product range, came from a simple observation: Kolkata lacked a dedicated space for contemporary fine jewellery with minimal yet meaningful design. Rihaan Jewels was built to serve that rising demand, especially among younger buyers who want high craftsmanship without the conventional bridal scale.
The target audience overlaps with the loyal JIJ base but extends further, attracting new customers who prefer modern silhouettes, gemstone-led pieces and design-driven occasion wear.
As Piyush Baid, Founder and Head Designer of Rihaan explains, “We saw a clear need for contemporary fine jewellery that introduces a newer aesthetic while retaining the rigor of classic craft. Rihaan allows us to speak to this audience in a focused, design-led way without diluting our parent brand.”
Choosing Camac Street for strategic expansion
Rihaan’s first studio sits on Camac Street—one of Kolkata’s most competitive luxury retail zones, with leading jewellers and fashion maisons concentrated along a single stretch. For a new brand, visibility and adjacency mattered. Being located in the same building as the JIJ flagship ensures a built-in customer flow, but situating the studio on a separate floor signals a distinct identity.
The neighbourhood also offers complementary synergy, with designer stores like Tarun Tahiliani and the Sabyasachi atelier nearby. For buyers who approach jewellery as part of a complete lifestyle purchase, this positioning helps place Rihaan in the right orbit.
A studio-led format that reimagines jewellery retail
Rihaan does not follow the traditional counter-and-display model. The entire space is designed as an intimate gallery where clients can walk through curated showcases, pick up pieces and study the craftsmanship at close quarters. Custom prints appear across packaging and interior panels, adding visual coherence. Soft lighting and classical Indian instrumental music contribute to a warm, quiet atmosphere meant to slow down the buying journey.
The studio borrows colonial architectural cues from the recently redesigned JIJ store but carries a more youthful, artisanal energy. It has been consciously designed for appointments, immersive conversations and customisation-led shopping sessions rather than transactional buying.
Baid notes, “We built a space where clients can move freely, explore at their pace and experience jewellery the way they would in a designer’s atelier. The studio format shifts the focus entirely to the craft.”
Limited-edition craftsmanship at the core of the collection
Rihaan’s debut capsule draws inspiration from India’s flora and natural landscapes. Each design is produced in extremely limited numbers, often dictated by gemstone availability, and discontinued once sold. All pieces are handmade in 18K gold and feature emeralds, tanzanites, rubellites, blue and pink sapphires, uncut diamonds, rose-cuts and brilliant-cuts.
Price points begin around Rs. 3–3.5 lakh and extend up to Rs. 80–85 lakh for standalone statement pieces. The collection positions Rihaan as a premium, design-focused label that offers modern heirlooms rather than mass-produced fine jewellery.
Customisation is central to the brand’s philosophy, with Baid himself leading design consultations for clients who want personalisation without compromising the integrity of the original design language.
A growth path rooted in design exposure, not store count
Although the brand launched officially on Dhanteras, early interest has been strong, driven heavily by Instagram-led discovery and appointment-based visits. The studio is open to walk-ins, but appointments remain the preferred format to maintain consistent service and showcase the collection in detail.
Rather than expand through multiple stores at this stage, Rihaan’s strategy focuses on national visibility through curated exhibitions and events. The brand also integrates digital consultations via video calls to serve customers outside Kolkata. Over the long term, Rihaan aims to establish itself as a modern-heritage label that blends contemporary design with Indian craftsmanship for the bridal and occasion-wear segments. Summing up the vision, Baid says, “Our long-term goal is to build Rihaan as a modern heritage brand defined by meaningful luxury, refined craftsmanship and thoughtful storytelling. We want to become the preferred choice for design-led jewellery buyers.”
By Maithili Patange
Retail Jeweller India Magazine
