Small Is Big

Lightweight jewellery demand has grown 20% in the last year. Self-purchases, gifting and work wear drive the demand. Solitaire International interviewed retailers and designers to check out what’s hot in this category.

In the last few years, the quantum of lightweight jewellery purchased has been growing steadily. Today, women prefer to dress up every day even if it is for work, pairing their modern outfits with dainty contemporary jewellery. Also, the notion that jewellery is for the lockers is a thing of the past. Women want jewellery which makes them feel special every day. The government’s decision to bring down the cap on producing a PAN card on jewellery purchases from ₹5 lakh to ₹2 lakh in January 2016 amplified the demand for lightweight jewellery.

“Today’s young women and girls are opting for lightweight jewellery as it enables them to opt for subtle styling. The distinguishing feature of this category is that the jewellery is functional and versatile and the wearer can pair it with any ensemble,” informs Sunil Datwani, founder of Gehna Jewellers, Mumbai. “Lightweight jewellery is doing very well as compared to last year – the total sales volume in this category is as high as 30%. The jewellery pieces are typically priced between ₹30,000 and ₹2 lakh,” adds Datwani.

Krishaa Ghanasingh, marketing director, Ghanasingh Be True, notes that there has been a tremendous growth in the purchase of small-ticket, lightweight jewellery. She reasons, “The demand for lightweight jewellery is so great, that we even sell such pieces through an e-commerce portal such as velvetcase.com and amazon.in. These pieces work well for the modern woman, who likes to wear delicate yet versatile jewellery.”

For diamond jewellery designer, Leshna Shah of Aurelle, there has been a 20% growth in the lightweight category. “Consumers now prefer lightweight fine jewellery, especially in rose gold, in the price bracket of R7,000 to R35,000. Most of these purchases are either for gifting or to wear while travelling. Work wear jewellery is popular these days. Dainty yet designer neck pieces, earrings, and rings are preferred to add a hint of glamour to one’s look. In fact, more and more consumers, especially millennials, are looking at self purchasing gem-studded pieces.”