Raniwala added, “This festival season, we are not just focusing on the heavier wear, which is actually more on the wedding side. But yes, we also try and cater to every person who loves art and should be wearing jewellery or not doesn’t matter, but yes, it should be associated with their personality, and that is what we are trying to target.”
Raniwala 1881 is best known for heavy wedding jewellery. But Raniwala said the company is now making more festival, Diwali and gifting pieces as well.
The October to December quarter is usually the busiest of the year. Diwali falls in it, and the wedding season starts in November. Raniwala said he still expects a lot of activity, because Indians love to celebrate, and jewellery is a big part of that.
The change he sees is in timing. Families used to buy six months or a year before a wedding. Now many are leaving it late.
“Waiting until the last moment to see what happens with the gold prices,” is how Raniwala described the mood. He said the wider global uncertainty is adding to the swings in gold and changing how people shop.
Beyond bridal wear
Younger buyers are a big reason. He said Gen Z customers do not want jewellery that sits in a locker. They want pieces they can wear often, with some craftsmanship in the design, and they care less about a large diamond for its own sake.
He said he does not want people to visit a jewellery store only when there is a wedding. The company is designing for birthdays, anniversaries, graduation gifts and friends’ weddings, with smaller, simpler and more flexible designs alongside the bigger pieces.
Colour stones on the rise
Raniwala said colour stones have gained ground over the past two years. Plain white diamonds and polki (uncut diamonds) are no longer the only choice. Buyers are asking for emeralds, rubies and other precious and semi-precious stones.
“Every colour stone has a story behind it,” he said, adding that Indian buyers love colour and that the stones let wearers show their own personality.
Competition from other luxuries
Raniwala agreed that jewellery competes with phones, property and holidays for the same money. He still believes it keeps a permanent place in people’s wardrobes.
He also addressed lab-grown diamonds, which are made in a factory rather than mined. He does not think they will push natural diamonds out of the market, and said the two can grow side by side.
The next few weeks will show whether last-minute buying turns into strong sales. Gold prices are the main thing to track, since shoppers appear to be timing their purchases around them.
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