Keeping The Legacy Alive

Driven by the belief that his great grandfather, a connoisseur of jewellery, has consciously and subconsciously inspired him in many ways, Abhishek Raniwala, the co-founder of Raniwala 1881, has identified himself with the jadau craft and excelled in it. In conversation with MARWAR, Raniwala, who began his career as an assistant marketing manager at Shaw Wallace, takes us through his decade-long journey.

- Anurima Das

STARTING WITH THEIR FIRST COTTON MILL IN 1850, the Raniwala family has been in diverse businesses, including a foray into the finance sector with the establishment of Raniwala Bank in the1940s. The story of Raniwala Jewellers, however, began in 1881 with Abhishek Raniwala’s great grandfather, Rai Bahadur Champalal of Beawar, an avid collector of the finest gems and stones. With his astute eye for opulent jewellery, he started designing and manufacturing exclusive pieces for close family members, beginning a family tradition of creating exceptional jewellery. He made elaborate jadau sets, with kundan and Navratna work, accentuated by emeralds, pearls and stones. Slowly word spread and requests from various quarters started pouring in. Abhishek Raniwala believes that he has inherited his mastery, which he now passionately carries forward to keep the family tradition alive, through Raniwala Jewellers, the family’s present-day jewellery business.

“As I watched my grandfather work for long hours in multiple capacities, I got a knack for the craft. So I went to Moscow to undergo training in diamonds and precious stones from Choron Diamonds and returned to Jaipur in early 2007 to educate myself about the local jewellery industry. I decided to combine our expertise and ardour for jewellery with our family heritage to carve a niche in jadau jewellery and co-founded Raniwala 1881 in 2007, with my father and brother Abhiyant,” explains Abhishek Raniwala.