Manohar Lal Jewellers spots opportunity in naturally coloured diamond jewellery 

The jeweller has diversified the scope of natural diamonds into a dearer, rarer and more exclusive category of pink, green, yellow and orange diamonds. These jewellery pieces serve the needs of globally aspirational luxury curated for a price-sensitive domestic market 

New Delhi: There are interesting times ahead for jewellery patrons in India. While the jewellery industry has accepted lab-grown diamonds, with many brands keeping LGD stocks to please the youth harbouring ethical notions about diamonds, Delhi-based Manohar Lal Jewellers spotted a brilliant opportunity, and introduced a select range of natural-coloured diamonds for its discerning clientele. 

For the learned fashionista, that’s taking a leaf out of the books of the Graffs, Chopards and Harry Winstons of the world, and the motivation for Surbhi Shekhar, Head of Marketing, Manohar Lal Jewellers, who wants to diversify the scope of natural diamonds into a dearer, rarer and more exclusive category. The idea struck Shekhar during last Diwali when the industry faced a surge of lab-grown diamonds and brands backing them. “I decided to add another point of conversation by introducing this category of natural diamonds through our brand for the vast North Indian market we cater to. These are pink, yellow, orange and green diamonds certified by GIA and IGI,” Shekhar said. 

Naturally coloured diamonds are well-received abroad, and awareness about them is increasing as people travel overseas or pick up information from social media. Chopard and Harry Winston regularly use naturally coloured diamonds, but the trend is still to pick up in India, particularly in the Northern States, where buyers still settle for lower colour and clarity, but bigger carat sizes, believes the retailer. At the same time, there is high competition in the precious coloured gemstone space, where rubies, sapphires and emeralds are the go-to products. In a first for the brand, Manohar Lal Jewellers is making naturally coloured diamonds affordable and profitable in the long run. Catering to the price-sensitive Indian market, the price point for the category starts at Rs 75,000. “We want naturally coloured diamonds to be seen as an asset,” Shekhar maintained. 

Manohar Lal Jewellers is treating the category just as it treats its high-value diamond jewellery of above one carat. To promote the category, the brand is working on outdoor campaigns with hoardings, and kiosks in big malls thronged by high net-worth individuals (HNIs). It is also into radio and print media promotions. In-store, the brand is organizing high-tea with influencers and the crème-de-la-crème crowd who can experience natural-coloured diamonds for the first time in North India, according to Shekhar. The brand has also collaborated with select Delhi-based HNI influencers to promote the category. 

When asked about the scope for online sale of natural-coloured diamond jewellery, Shekhar said that such aspirational jewellery deserves to be explored in-store, and at best, people might discover them online and walk in to appreciate the colour, clarity and designs. “We have an exclusive counter and packaging for it. We are striving to reach a stage of branding where people should think of MLJ whenever they think of naturally coloured diamond jewellery,” Shekhar concluded. 

Retail Jeweller India Exclusive