With two ongoing exquisite exhibitions at Kirtilals and Malabar showrooms, the city goers are finding a great opportunity to forge a bond with diamonds
You cannot drive in the city without seeing and getting distracted by cine actors Kareena Kapoor and Tamannaah Bhatia smiling out of glossy posters and shining spectacularly in dazzling diamonds, precious stones and handcrafted jewellery. The high-profile jewellery pieces from the Malabar Gold & Diamonds adorned by the celebrities surely tug at the emotions of the people. But do they have real influence over what people buy?
Inside the Malabar showroom at Vishad de Mall the other day we saw how Kareena Kapoor taps into the aspirations of customers. A young couple from Sathur walked in and straight pointed at Kareena’s poster in which she wears a handcrafted chokker necklace. As part of the annual Artistry show, the single piece under the ‘Ethnix’ collection was available and the happy couple picked it up for Rs.800,000 and walked out smiling in no time. They also left behind a smiling staff.
Though celebrity endorsements many times help to establish it as a go-to destination for jewellery window-shopping if not necessarily a purchase, such an exotic buy based on advertisement rarely happens in a city like Madurai where the showroom is five years old now, points out branch manager Fazil Kadavan. To coincide with the fifth anniversary celebration, the Artistry show has been mounted for the fourth year in succession. And though GST is impacting sales, the walk-ins are high because people are curious to take a look at the eyebrow-raising collection of the reputed group.
“It is not just the extraordinary work of our designers or the authentic third party gemmology certification that we offer but each of our displays also bring much depth and concept to the pieces on show,” says Fazil, showing us around the branded jewellery show that promises to take the shopping experience to another level – provided you can afford.
From Solitaire and daily wear diamonds to precious gems, antique and kundan jewellery, Meenakari, uncut diamond and platinum collection, the Artistry showcases a range of products for every mood and occasion under Malabar’s various sub-brands. For instance, the range titled “Mine” boasts of the most expensive certified diamond jewellery for party or bridal wear and one complete set with ruby embedded in the choker, long necklace, bracelet and jhumkas exhibited securely in a glass case has a price tag of more than half a crore. “We are also selling daily wear diamonds in nose pins starting from Rs.3000,” chips in Fazil.
Artistry also highlights “Era”, the collection of grand designs in uncut diamonds, “Ethnix”which is handcrafted gold jewellery, “Precia” containingprecious gems, “Divine” the Indian heritage jewellery collection, “Allure” which is diamond set in rose gold and the ‘Starlet’ collection for kids. The Artistry show is on for another three days. If you wish to, then check out the rings and studs, bracelets and necklaces of your dreams. But Fasil asserts, “they are symbols of commitment and trust.”
Deep inside the cacophony of old town near the Temple, another diamond group with formidable reputation – the Kirtilals — is silently hosting an extensive show of diamond studs for the first time. The vaira thodugal thiruvizha lays bare 1,000 pairs of gorgeous high quality diamond earrings in exclusive designs and styles created by the group’s in-house award winning team of designers.
“We want every customer who walks in to have an exceptional experience,” says manager store operations V.Nagendran. From modern and fancy designs to traditional and contemporary, the team has put out new stock for the season and also tried to suit every budget. From tiny side ear studs for Rs.8000 to tiny stars for Rs.15,000 or a sparkling pair of danglers containing 500 pieces of small diamonds embedded with emerald and weighing 40 gms. “It took 20 days to handcraft this piece and costs Rs.3.80 lakhs,” points out Nagendran and underlines that such pieces hold credentials and symbolise love.
“We not only try to assist our customers in the purchase of such treasured jewellery but also ensure that the interaction does not stop with the purchase,” he says, adding, “We also get to know our customers better and each transaction builds a lasting relationship with them.”
Another piece to die for is a flower shaped stud with three broad petals and studded with pink sapphire and diamonds costing Rs.1,50,000. “Our name is the brand and people come to us for the strictest quality standards that we maintain in diamonds and designs and also lead with constant improvements and innovations,” says Nagendran, showing us boxes of tiniest glittering studs to the big-sized traditional kamals.
When it comes to diamonds that you will wear forever there is no room for guesswork. The purity matters the most and all that glitter and craftsmanship enhances aesthetics as every jewellery group sells each piece as an avant-garde creation handcrafted with care and finesse. The Kirtilals eclectic mix of diamond studs as part of the special festival is on till the month end.
[“Source-thehindu”]