A Report On What Brides Want

“Weddings are not just about two people getting married; it is about two families uniting.” This adage is tailor made to fit the Indian weddings. Above everything else, it is an occasion for everyone to go shopping. And when we talk weddings, one of the first shopping destinations has to be a jewelry store.

Jewelry is one of the most important items on a bride’s shopping list. But the trends and the demands may differ from one year to the other. So what is the trend this year? “Traditional but with a twist,” answers Koshy Cherian, regional business executive of Tanishq. “The last few years saw an upsurge in the demand for contemporary designs. But people are now demanding a healthy mix of the contemporary and the traditional with a bend towards the latter.”

This is the reason that Tanishq is launching three new ranges for this bridal season based on the themes of the temple jewelry and the Rajputana style with a touch of kundan. Other jewelry designers and manufacturers are making similar attempts who believe that kundan can never go out of fashion, especially when talking of wedding jewelry.

People are supporting the fuller look. For the various wedding related ceremonies like the mehendi, sangeet or haldi, girls favor a minimalist look. Yet for the big day, they prefer an elegant set that gives a full look. The metal of the jewelry and the stones used to enhance the look play an important role here. Gold remains the ruler, whether yellow or white. “People usually go for yellow gold studded with diamonds.

But those who are ready to experiment prefer white gold. The white look is in this season,” claims jewelry designer, Roopa Vohra. Along with white gold, other preferred metals for this wedding season are silver, pewter (Malaysian silver) and matt gold for classic jewelry, informs fashion designer Lina Tipnis, who is witnessing many brides matching their wedding trousseaus with these metals.

Colors of Tradition

Diamonds can never go out of fashion as will be evident in this bridal season too. Alongside diamonds, a number of precious and semi-precious colored stones are ruling the market. “Emeralds and rubies are attracting a huge number of brides this season,” points out Shalin Vora, jewelry designer and proprietor of Dia Amour.

This view is supported by Vohra who explains that green is the color this season not only for India but also on the global scale, making emerald a major choice for people. This makes green and red the colors of this season, a view that is being endorsed by both jewelry designers and fashion designers. Blue, especially turquoise, comes in second after green and red. It is, however, being reserved for smaller sets that are worn on other marriage ceremonies.

Industry experts firmly believe that even if the metals and the stones are all put together at the right time as per the market demand, what sells are the designs. Whether modern or traditional jewelry, the floral pattern remains truly evergreen. But that too has evolved over the years. They are no longer complicated, intricate designs.More of geometric designs work for the modern consumers.

They are looking for a healthy mix between the modern and the traditional. For example, a ring or a necklace set in prong setting, with straight lines, studded with diamonds and rubies would attract more customers than a chunky round piece with an intricate design and that is heavy to carry. This proves that they want simple, straight, uncomplicated designs.

India Speaks

Industry insiders are quick to point out that choices differ according to the bride’s cultural background. A bride from North India will have a different taste from that of a South Indian bride. Similarly, East Indian girls would demand different jewelry from West Indian girls. This observation is true to some extent but the lines are blurring out with each passing generation.

North India proves to be the best place for experimentation. Delhi is fast becoming the fashion hub because of it being a major jewelry retail market. People in North India are very conscious about the look of the product, making craftsmanship of immense value to them. Simple, geometric designs grab the major market but with a touch of traditionalism. According to Vijay Khanna of Khanna Jewelers, “diamonds, especially uncut diamonds, provide huge business along with rhodium plating.”

The formula for North is exclusivity. They want to own designs that will not be worn by anyone else. Jewelers are ready with their stocks by the beginning of August. Eye catching designs teamed with precious and semi-precious stones like emeralds, rubies, onyxes and turquoise are hot sellers for this wedding season. This makes red and green the color for North India with a touch of blue to enhance the look of the jewelry pieces.

“In the South, bulky jewelry is totally out for this bridal season,” declares K. Srinavasan, managing director, Emerald Jewel (Coimbatore). Modern, light weight jewelry studded with diamonds is in demand. South India is moving towards the sleek and elegant look. “Earlier, the brides preferred jewelry of around 150-300 gm but now the weight has come down to just 50-60 gm,” says Srinivasan.

Modern-day brides prefer around two to three jewelry sets that would match their clothes and accessories. The demand for yellow gold exists but has considerably gone down. Diamonds studded jewelry provides maximum business. Floral continues to weave its magic supported by bird-inspired motifs like the peacock and geometric designs.

The popularity of enameled jewelry in green and red is proving that these two colors are going to rule this bridal season. A touch of purple is making South India stand out on the wedding circuit.

South India witnesses maximum movement in the bridal market during September to December and February to May in terms of stocking, manufacturing and selling bridal jewelry. August is considered an inauspicious month and January too provides little business.

Majority of heavy bridal jewelry comes to South India from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi and Rajkot. Coimbatore and Trichur form the hub for lightweight jewelry. Some of the major retailers for bridal jewelry in South India are GRT and Sarwanas Jewellers from Chennai, Thangamayal from Madurai, Allukas from Coimbatore and AVR and ANS Jewellers from Salem.

In East India, according to MP Jewellers (Kolkata), bridal jewelry sales mostly take place in the first and the last quarter of the year, making it a seasonal business. But contrary to popular belief, East Indian brides prefer wearable, affordable and light weight jewelry. They are looking out for ethno-contemporary jewelry with a lot of filigree and wirework.

The designs are mostly geometric patterns with a lot of hexagons, triangles, rounds and octagons. With the rise in the number of educated women, the tastes of East Indian women are changing faster than women in other metros. They are favoring big diamonds, both uncut and full cut, and platinum jewelry as opposed to the traditional yellow gold jewelry.

This trend is supported by a recent DTC survey that claimed a 19 percent increase in the diamond jewelry sector. Brides are moving towards modern trends keeping their traditions in place. This can be seen in jewelry shops where red, green and blue are the colors in vogue but ivory white and maroon are two colors that are witnessing an equivalent demand.

In the West, Mumbai is a trendsetter but not a hasty buyer, explains jewelry designer and proprietor of Dia Amour, Shalin Vora. Being the hub of glamour and fashion, it generally is ready for experimentation and adopting new ideas. But they want value for money. They do not purchase products simply because it suits their fancy, which is usually seen in Delhi and Kolkata.

“A ring that looks expensive and beautiful, irrespective of the stones and the metals, will immediately sell in Delhi. But Mumbai people will also ensure themselves regarding the quality of the stones and the metal used. They will make sure that they are paying exactly for what they are buying,” elucidates jewelry designer, Varuna D Jani.

This is because they want to be sure of both the quality and the look of the product. Pune comes second after Mumbai as the trends usually seep through to the city that is slowly becoming fashion conscious.

Except these two cities, others cities in Maharashtra and Gujarat prefer to stay with their traditional roots. Yellow gold with diamonds or an occasional colored stone forms an important part of their wedding trousseau. Yet over a period, a considerable amount of change has been noticed in the tastes of these cities. Although still traditionally inclined, the youth of these cities are fast adapting to the changing trends of fusion jewelry.

A comparison of the four corners of India proves that unity in diversity rules. Whether from North, South, East or West none of the brides wants to look like a decked up jewelry stores on their big day. This is the reason that they demand jewelry that would compliment their entire wedding trousseau and are ready to experiment for that purpose. Jewelry has to adorn the bride and not burden her.

This desire is giving way to the trend for detachable jewelry. “Brides today do not want jewelry that they can only wear on their wedding day and then never bring it out of their bank lockers till their children’s wedding day. They want pieces that can be worn on various occasions. That is why detachable jewelry is a good option. This gives them the alternative of wearing the various components of a particular jewelry as different jewelry pieces on diverse occasions,” says jewelry designer, Varuna D Jani.

The Big Bucks

Weddings form an important business opportunity for any jeweler. But how big is this market in India? “800 billion,” says Rohit Moona, business coordinator of the Celebrating Vivah Exposition, a wedding exhibition hosted by the Celebrated Vivah magazine. “And it is growing by at least 25 percent per annum,” he adds.

Supporting this view is Shehzad Jhaveri, managing director of Minawala Jewellers who believes that about 70 percent of the total jewelry market belongs to bridal jewelry. According to a recent World Gold Council report, jewelry demand saw a 89 percent rise in the second quarter of the year, largely due to the onset of the wedding season and a lot more muhurats (auspicious days for weddings) being declared this quarter than the previous quarter.

In India, the wedding cycle begins around the months of April and May. These are the months when production begins for the wedding season. By September, jewelers are ready with their products. The wedding season begins around October and continues up to February.

Considering the fact that, contrary to popular belief, wedding is a round the year process, why is it that the returns are not equivalent to the investment for jewelers? Claims jewelry designer Shalin Vora, “Our investment is around a crore for any particular bridal line but the returns are only 8 percent of the investment.” He explains the growing competitive market to be a reason behind this phenomenon.

“With the huge number of big and small players entering the market, the level of competition is going up everyday. This is making it difficult for one particular player to rule the market,” he exclaims. But this return on investment ratio is only limited to the stocked products. The profits made on customized products are much higher. He agrees that it is a positive trend because there is no monopoly but it reduces individual returns.

The future of the bridal jewelry market lies in fusion and colors. Choices are fast changing. This is being supported by factors like growing ways of income, the booming economy and the rising real estate prices, leading to the high purchasing power of the people.

This growth in money can be cashed in on by the jewelry industry, especially during the wedding season. People are no longer rigid about their preferences and are ready to pay for the best. The coming wedding season is expected to witness a positive growth in the bridal jewelry sector because this season all that glitters can be anything from gold to diamond to emeralds and rubies.


The Magic of Detachable Jewelry

India has been accustomed to jewelry since times immemorial. And when it comes to bridal jewelry, it has always been traditional to wear heavy sets that provide a full look. This ‘tradition’ led to a phase where wedding jewelry was only worn on the day of the marriage and then kept in lockers. They would only come out of the lockers when the next member of the family was ready for marriage. Till then it was simply a piece of investment.
But times are changing. Although bridal jewelry is still considered investment to some extent, women are demanding jewelry that will not end up in their bank lockers. This demand has given birth to detachable jewelry. By definition detachable jewelry is any piece whose components can be separated and worn as individual pieces of jewelry. The concept of detachable jewelry is fast gaining popularity as it gives women the option of buying jewelry once and teaming it up with different attires.

Special Page: NRI Love

When 25 year old, UK based, Sruti Khanna decided to marry her long time beau, Shayan Khatri, she chose India as her wedding shopping destination. “I wanted my wedding to be a family affair. So I decided to go back to my family in India for my wedding. Along side this gave me the opportunity to go shopping for authentic Indian jewelry,” reveals Sruti.

Sruti’s is not a one of case. According to the Hindu calendar, the Indian sub-continent has 12 seasons. But for Indians, whether in the sub-continent or abroad, there exists a thirteenth season—the wedding season. This season witnesses a lot of home coming of non-resident Indians (NRIs).

NRIs provide the majority of business to the bridal jewelry market. A huge amount of jewelry is exported to foreign lands but a higher amount is sold within the sub-continent. Majority of people come back during marriages and do all their shopping with their families.

Jewelers and jewelry designers give a similar reason as Sruti for this phenomenon. “It gives them a sense of home coming,” says Rohit Moona, the business coordinator of the Celebrating Vivaha exposition and jewelry designer, Shalin Vora. “It is also an opportunity to choose from a large variety of products at a lower cost,” adds Koshy Cherian, regional business executive of Tanishq.

But are their demands the same as those of the girls from the Indian sub-continent? “Yes,” says Vijay Khanna of Khanna Jewellers. “If they wanted products that are available in their respective countries they would never come to India. The very fact that they are coming to India proves that they want the products that are made in India,” he explains.

A similar trend is observed by other industry professionals too. There is not much difference in the products that an Indian bride and a NRI bride would purchase. A major reason for this is that marriages are family affairs. Even if a bride would like to go for a minimal look for her big day, she ends up buying a heavy set because that is the ‘Indian tradition.’

Majority of the NRI brides are opting for the ‘white look.’ Diamonds set in white gold or white gold studded with colored stones is in high demand. Their love for colored stones is not limited to only emeralds and rubies. They are open to experimentation with other precious and semi precious stones too.

A noteworthy factor is that NRI brides are breaking the grounds of superstition and opting for stones like the blue sapphire which is otherwise avoided in the Indian mainland, unless astrologically advised.

Besides that the brides also want to own a piece of tradition. This is leading to the high sales of light weight jewelry with traditional designs. They do not want complicates pieces or designs, making the geometric and nature inspired designs a hit.

A significant influence of the west is visible in the sale of rings among NRIs. Fashion designer, Lina Tipnis informs that 8 out of 10 women purchase rings. This is a trend that has been on a rise in the recent years. The fascination of the west with the engagement ring has made it a rage amongst the NRI brides, especially the ones with sweet nothings engraved on them. This is increasing the market for big solitaires set in white gold or, occasionally, platinum rings.
It is evident from these trends that whether a girl stays in the Indian sub-continent or abroad, their jewelry choice for the final day is not very different. Traditional bridal sets continue to be the main attraction along with a touch of the west. Her jewelry speaks volumes about her personality, expressing the fact that she maybe living in any part of the world but she will always be rooted to her motherland.