Kantilal & Bros. is All That Glitters
Kantilal & Bros. is All That Glitters
S/S 2020
Modern concepts with traditional themes define the design philosophy at Kantilal & Bros. jewellers. In the hands of JINAY CHOKSI, the brand is set to reinvent the perception towards jewellery.
To look at jewellery objectively is a difficult task; some stores promise instant glamour with a hefty price tag, while some give a brand name, but with an equally hefty price tag. Living in aware times, the future of luxury is in creating dialogues with buyers, a defining aspect of Kantilal &Bros. Jewellers. The Surat-based jewellery brand has a loyal clientele built, meticulously, on their motto of retaining these values and rewriting the rules, which have been preserved through four generations now.
Established in 1948 by Kantilal Panachand Choksi, the store was a trusted name in the business. Seventy years later, they still maintain their reputation but have expanded to three stores in the city. The original one is situated in Parle Point, the second in Bhagal, and their newest one will launch soon in Katargam, Surat. In 2016, they received the award for Best Diamond jewellery and Best Jadau Jewellery by National Jewellery Awards.
The family business is now in the trained hands of 29-year-old Jinay, who brings a futuristic and forward-thinking vision to the mix. He grew up watching his father nurture the business faithfully and gives him credit for the brand’s phenomenal growth. Tushar Choksi was the president of the Surat Jewellers Association for 18 years and was instrumental in making ground-breaking changes in their family business. Jinay has been handling the business for four years now. He graduated from the Indian Diamond Institute, Surat in 2010, from where he went on to pursue his MBA from SP Jain University in Mumbai. After that, he went abroad to study Gemology in 2013 from the famous Gemological Institute of America in California, USA. With such distinguished education, he has a trained eye in procuring the perfect stones for the artful construction of couture jewellery.
Now fully engrossed in running the business empire, Jinay has worked tirelessly towards changing the brand’s standing from a reputed jeweller’s store in the city to charting out a path countrywide. He wanted to change the perspective of people towards their products by using new concepts. The brand language was tweaked to include modern designs and materials. They also introduced marketing into the fold with innovative visual campaigns to show their clients a new side of the Kantilal name. At the heart of the business though, the core value of transparency held steady and unchanged.
Design aesthetic, transparency and building lasting relationships with their clients is part of their foundation. Offering a range of contemporary and modern jewellery, they even customised their brick and mortar stores according to the customers’ wants. While one floor caters to the mass market, the other focuses on a niche one where the price goes from three lakhs up to a crore of rupees. Of course, when talking of a discerning segment, the premium pricing matches the accessories’ couture status. Their bridal collection “Aryahi” is an exploration of Polki and pearls. Opulent chokers caressed with pearls and set in antique gold are some statement pieces that define the collection. They are known for traditional gold and Polki jewellery, but have also modernised their ideas with the need of the hour. A few years back the brand launched a contemporary collection inspired by birds. It was a medley of Swarovski stones in popping colours juxtaposed with real gemstones like garnets. It was, designed taking into account a modern bride with a versatile wardrobe. “This was a modern collection that we had designed, of course, we do traditional jewellery too, but this was something different, and we got an amazing response to it,” explains Jinay.
His approach to designing is bolder and wildly colourful. “Stones are my first love, and I love to experiment with them,” he reveals. One of his recent innovations included a distinctive collection featuring Russian emeralds, sapphires and rubies. The chokers and necklaces ranged from two to ten lakhs rupees and were a popular choice for people shopping at their stores and exhibitions.
Today Jinay is focused on eradicating the issue of trust around the true value for money in the jewellery business. “How do you know if you’re paying for 22-carat gold and not 18?” he questions. The breakdown of the cost of a luxury item is often veiled, which leaves buyers with just the option of placing their trust in unknown quantities. “We reveal the entire process on the various stages of how a particular piece was designed to the buyer before they place the order,” he explains. The care with which customer responses are acknowledged is a mark of a conscientious name.
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