Vendi, Salem-based AVR Swarna Mahal’s trendy silver jewellery brand

By Suneeta Kaul

If you are a millennial, chances are your shopping patterns will demonstrate a paradigm shift, when compared to those of your parents. And this applies to jewellery purchases as well. Young India is not buying like before; while gold still rules, there are clearly discernible changes that indicate the growing popularity of silver jewellery among youngsters.

It, thus, comes as no surprise that retail jewellers are not only giving more shelf space to silver jewellery, but some of them are also coming out with branded silver jewellery.

Vendi, the trendy brand

One such retailer is AVR Swarna Mahal Jewellers, which launched Vendi, an exclusive silver collection comprising products ranging from daily wear jewellery to bridal jewellery, at the beginning of this year.

Headquartered in Salem, Tamil Nadu, Swarna Mahal has a legacy of nearly 100 years, and is presently being run by the fifth generation of entrepreneurs. Says ABS Sanjjay, Managing Director, Swarna Mahal Jewellers, “We come from a well-established and very popular family of jewellers, having won more than 60 awards for our work in the jewellery business. These include national awards for creating the finest jewellery and persistently winning the hearts of millions of customers. Our offering includes gold, diamond, polki, kundan, gemstone, and silver jewellery. Besides, we have several segments of jewellery, such as couture jewellery and designer jewellery.”

Ask him why the company needed to come out with an exclusive silver jewellery brand, when it is already offering silver jewellery, he has interesting insights to share. “Yes, it is true that we are already retailing silver jewellery, along with all the other kinds of jewellery. But we wanted to project silver jewellery in a modern avatar. Consumer tastes are changing; the millennial generation has different preferences from the earlier generations. GenNext wants trendy daily-wear items. Urban youngsters particularly want jewellery that matches their outfits on an everyday basis. We observed a huge gap when it came to branded, trendy silver jewellery, and so we came out with Vendi.”

Making silver jewellery aspirational

Vendi has stylish, creatively-designed pieces that are likely to resonate with younger customers. The prices are very competitive, with the range starting at just Rs 300.  The brand comes with an interesting tag line, “Take Pride in Silver”. Explaining the rationale, Sanjjay says, “While it is true that India is a gold-obsessed country, but silver is really making a place for itself. Nowadays, customers do not view possessing only gold jewellery as a matter of pride, good quality silver jewellery is also seen as aspirational. We wanted to promote the idea that owning silver jewellery is something to be proud of, hence the tag line.”

Since the brand was launched just this month, as of now, it is available only in Swarna Mahal’s flagship store in Salem. “We have big plans for Vendi,” says Sanjjay, adding, “We will be launching it across South India as a separate entity as it is a lifestyle brand. Very soon, it will be available in all of our 16 stores. It is available online, and now that the government has simplified export of jewellery through courier companies, it will be easy for us to send it to any customer anywhere in the world.”

Commenting on the future of silver jewellery, Sanjjay says it is already popular in several customer segments. “Gone are the days when silver jewellery meant just anklets and toe rings, when it was manufactured mostly in the unorganized sector and there was no standardization and quality control. Nowadays, silver jewellery is made with the help of designers, who infuse creative elements into it. We are setting benchmarks in silver jewellery with our brand, Vendi, and we see a bright future for not just our brand, but for silver jewellery as a whole.”

From the look of it, it does seem that silver jewellery has a shiny future ahead of it.

Courtesy: Retail Jeweller India News Service