Modern Marvels is a fully modular bridal set that can be worn in more than five ways: Shehzad Zaveri

Minawala, the luxury precious jewellery sovereign presents ‘Modern Marvels’- a fully modular set that can be worn in more than five ways. An excellent option for modern brides, this detachable set can be worn even on other occasions after the wedding. Shehzad Zaveri, Creative Director, Minawala talks about the  innovations in jewel collections, the challenges and expectations from it and catering to the omni-channel customers.

What is the current demand in the market?
The Gems and Jewellery sector is witnessing changes in consumer preferences as they are demanding new designs and varieties in jewellery due to exposure which has made the customer more astute and aware about trends and quality. Customers are also now gathering quite a lot of education on jewellery and thus, they are spending wisely and looking for the value of money. Going ahead, buying would continue to be cautious as jewellery transactions involve a large sum of money.

What innovations have you witnessed in the jewellery business since you started?
Innovations in jewellery have been many.  They are mostly technology based.  The significant one is fabricating jewels by lost wax casting method, the wax setting of diamonds and other stones that can withstand heat. There are machines being used for various aspects of crafting a jewel. Innovation is also in using computer aided design and 3D printing of jewellery.

Tell us in brief about Minawala’s ‘Modern Marvels’.
‘Modern Marvels’ is a fully modular bridal set that can be worn in more than five ways. An excellent option for modern brides, this detachable set can be worn even on other occasions after the wedding. Just simply detach each piece of this set and wear it as minimal everyday jewellery or occasional wear and get value for your money. It includes necklace, earrings and bangles crafted in 18K yellow & white gold, diamonds and rubies.

With the freedom to detach and wear the jewellery separately, suiting the occasion, you surely have expanded the number of your target customers. How was this product incepted?
I heard from lot of my customers that how their wedding jewellery was worn by them only once and how it has been kept aside from ages. This compelled me to create a special bridal collection which could be detached and worn separately even after the wedding is over.

Given its meticulous craftsmanship, what challenges did you face?
Jewellery making is mini engineering. We have to come up with constant solutions to them. They come along with challenges of design, aesthetics, market acceptance and cost control, especially in this category of versatile jewels. 

What are your expectations from ‘Modern Marvels’?
Since wedding season is around the corner, we are expecting a good response for this collection. Modern brides love modular jewellery as it not only looks beautiful, but is also high on functionality.

What are your expansion strategies for the future of Minawala?
New retail stores in prime wealth centres are next in our list. We are also planning to strengthen our online presence.

Minawala is known for its gemstone and diamond jewellery but soon we will offer more styles in platinum which will, of course remain true to our signature style and feature the finest quality of diamonds and coloured stones. We are also planning to actively pursue various international clients.

With growth in cashless transactions, how equipped are you to meet the demands of the Omni channel consumers?
There seems to be a decent growth in the online sector but brick-and-mortar retail still accounts for a substantial percent of sales. There is large percentage of consumers who like to personally experience jewellery before purchasing it. Hence, in-store experiences will remain an integral part of our omni-channel strategy. At Minawala, we try to connect with our customers through various touch points, so that they can research and acquire our jewellery through multiple channels.