Bijoux Talks with Renu Choudhary of ‘The Diamond Talk’
As you all are aware, we at Bijouxpedia understand that the world has changed due to Coronavirus and we think it is important to let our audience and the brands that we consult get the right know-how to survive and thrive in the market today nationally and internationally.
We hence have decided to come up with an Interview Section of our blog called — ‘Bijoux Talks — Luxury Voices Amplified’ which will invite the big names in the luxury industry so that we, our clients and our audience can understand the luxury market more, learn from their experiences of working in the luxury industry, know about their favorite brands which are setting great examples today and learn from them about their forecasts and suggestions to help brands wanting to succeed in the luxury world.
This interview is a part of ‘Top Jewelry Social Media Influencers Series’ of ‘Bijoux Talks — Luxury Voices Amplified’.
We are so proud to have with us, our first and most admired guest, Renu Choudhary of ‘The Diamond Talk’.
We would love to thank Renu for her time and for collaborating with us. We have enjoyed speaking with her and knowing from her, the real deal to succeed in the industry. We have asked her questions which we have gathered from the clients we consult and we are sure, it will help not just our clients, but the jewelry industry worldwide.
Renu is one of the most respected names in the Jewelry Industry coming from a family of 4th generation jewelers in Jaipur, India and loves sharing her knowledge with her audience via her Instagram — The Diamond Talk by Renu Choudhary.
She was a Jury member of the Social Symphony Awards in Sept 2020 and for JEA (Jewelry eminence Awards) a 13th Jewelry Design Competition, Jaipur (March 2020).
In November 2019 she was invited by De Beers Group of Company to attend their ‘De Beers Diamond Week Event’ and visit De Beers Diamond Mines Damtshaa and Orapa, in Botswana.
Apart from that she has attended various national and international Gems and Jewelry shows and collaborated with renowned jewelry brands from across the world.
We want to thank her for her time and for collaborating with us. We have enjoyed speaking with her and knowing from her, the real deal to succeed in the industry. We have asked her questions which we have gathered from the clients we consult and we are sure, it will help not just our clients, but the jewelry industry worldwide.
Renu, thanks for joining us for the interview. We all would love to know how and when did you start your journey in the jewelry industry?
It’s my pleasure to be here. Thanks for inviting me and thanks for creating such a platform where established and emerging high end jewelry brands can interact, learn, promote themselves and succeed in the industry internationally.
My passion stems from early exposure to precious stones and jewelry design through my family, which has been a part of the industry for 4 generations. Growing up I often frequented my ancestral city of Jaipur, where I was strongly influenced by its rich heritage of exceptional gems, exquisite traditional ornamentations and exquisite craftsmanship that remain a significant part of the traditions and lifestyle.
To hone my interest further, I completed jewelry designing course from the Indian Institute Of Gems & Jewelry(IIGJ); thereafter worked with Inter Gold (India) Private Limited as a jewelry designer and as a member of the sales & marketing team. Certain that diamonds were my calling, I then pursued the Diamond Graduate Program from GIA, New York to enhance my technical knowledge and expertise.
I have been associated in the jewelry and loose diamond departments of leading diamond manufacturing companies such as Rosy Blue (India) Pvt. Ltd. and Hari Krishna Exports Pvt Ltd, and also managed my family business alongside.
The journey of my social media handle, THE DIAMOND TALK began with my burning passion to promote the Gems and Jewelry industry on the social media platform.
The primary purpose of launching the channel was to add value to every person who is investing their valuable time on my channel, I attempt to educate my audience through my content on manufacturing techniques, bespoke craftsmanships and market trends and help them make better investment decisions.
The guiding light of my career is my mentor Late Arun Kumar Mehta from Rosy Blue India Pvt Ltd who bestowed utmost faith in me. His words of encouragement still resonate with me as I reminisce about him saying, “Renu I know you will achieve something, I know you are precious. You have to be hardworking, have to have faith and work with complete honesty. That’s how you will achieve all your dreams. The sky is the limit.” Keeping these words close to my heart, I always keep working hard, keep shining and try to spread joy and happiness to everyone!
How have you been spending your time during the virus?
I believe every adversity brings in a wonderful opportunity with it. During these challenging days, I have been spending quality time with my family, enjoying my morning meditation and researching and curating educative and informative content on gemstones, trends, historic jewels and helping my clients with social media marketing strategies and consultancy. I have done 35+ Instagram Live chats with renowned guest across continents discussion and sharing their expertise about the industry.
I am mentioning some of them here for the readers:
1. Richa Singh, MD India, Natural Diamond Council.
The mission of the Natural Diamond Council is to advance the integrity of the modern diamond jewelry industry and inspire, educate and protect the consumer. I had a conversation with Richa Singh who is the Managing Director, India of the Natural Diamond Council.
2. Tom Heyman of Oscar Heyman & Brothers.
Oscar Heyman has evolved from a behind the scenes manufacturer of 1912 to a stand-alone brand today, known and appreciated by jewelry connoisseurs around the world. The evidence that Oscar Heyman creates heirloom-quality jewelry, born in style and in function, is in the company’s storied history.
3.Vithaldas Jewellers from Hyderabad, Jewels Of Nizam.
Vithaldas Zaveri (VZ) is a jeweler who takes great care to maintain ancient traditions in a modern world. As the industry continues to cater to the tastes of a constantly evolving public with diverse and dynamic tastes, we continue to be the vanguard of a heritage of artisanry that is fast becoming a thing of the past. While this is a most unfortunate phenomenon overall, VZ continues to offer its customers the finest handcrafted, individually-made pieces of jewelry, helping keep age-old traditions and the heritage of craftsmanship alive for years to come.
4. HH Maharani Of Baroda, Radhika Raje Gaekwad.
Maharani Radhika Raje is the daughter of Maharajkumar Dr. Ranjitsinhji of Wankaner. She got married to Maharaja Simarjit Singh Rao Gaekwad in the year 2002. She is raised in one royal family and married to another. No wonder, history is in her roots. She has also completed her Masters in Indian History. Before marrying the Maharaja of Baroda, she had worked as a journalist for leading magazines and dailies. At present, she looks after the digitalization of the assets of the palace. As per sources, she is a connoisseur of traditional fashion too.
5. Minal Vazirani, President and Co-Founder of Saffronart.
Minal founded Saffronart in 2000, and has been instrumental in growing its operations from startup to its current position. She has provided leadership in every area of the company, ranging from strategy and business development to technology and finance. She was instrumental in establishing and expanding Saffronart’s presence in Mumbai, New York and London, and has driven the company’s foray into new businesses, including jewellery, textiles and other collectibles. In addition, Minal has curated, planned and organised exhibitions of Indian art in India and internationally.
6. Sachin Jain Forevermark President, India.
Sachin Jain has been a part of the luxury industry since the last 17 years and is the current India President of Forevermark which is a diamond brand from De Beers Group, which has a vast history of diamond expertise spanning back more than 130 years. Every Forevermark inscribed diamond is natural, hand-selected and comes with a promise that it is beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced. Less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are eligible to become Forevermark.
7. Margot Mckinney, fourth-generation jeweller from Australia.
Margot McKinney’s jewellery is inspired by the vibrant, exotic textures and colours that are so abundant in the natural world. Coral reefs teeming with life, rich dappled rainforests, the red dusty outback and deepest azure oceans are all reflected in the organic forms of Margot’s exquisite creations.
Based in Australia, Margot McKinney hails from a long family tradition of luxury retail, dating back to 1884. This heritage is evident in the pristine craftsmanship of her one-of-a-kind statement pieces.
How has Coronavirus affected the jewelry industry according to you?
The virus has affected the industry and its people in both a positive and negative way.
POSITIVE IMPACT
– Everyone is understanding the importance of Mother Nature, for a diamond is worthless if one’s doesn’t value the mother that gives birth to it.
– Jewelry brands have also understood the importance of sustainable sourcing of gemstones, and consumers also want to know if the process of manufacturing and sourcing is appropriate and eco friendly.
– Brands have developed CRM, building a stronger emotional connection with their customer.
– Brands are creating new designs; rearranging and organizing their merchandise/ inventory, and also developing a stronger bond with their employees.
– Brands and designers are upgrading their knowledge by attending online webinars and seminars, and become comfortable in making online presentations.
– Brands and designers are upgrading and developing their social media presence by building a brand presence on various channels such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, E-commerce website etc.
– Consumers are investing in meaningful jewelry, diamonds and gold jewelry which make them feel special, everyday wear jewels are a big hit, especially hoop earrings, danglers, ear cuffs, link chains, talisman jewels etc.
NEGATIVE IMPACT
– There have been fewer sales, leading to an increase in stock and inventory.
– With a complete lockdown in most parts of the world, factories and workshops have been shut down, affecting the production.
– There have been job cuts in all sectors.
– Sentiments and emotion of people have been affected.
What is your suggestion to brands wanting to grow their business through Instagram during the pandemic?
Instagram has become an effective visual platform for marketing and sales of jewelry which is a visual product. Instagram helps to connect with audiences which leads to potential clients across continents. Especially during current times, where travel is restricted, Instagram is a perfect marketing platform to expand and grow your business from the comfort of your home or office.
1. Understand your target audience: There are 1 billion active users on IG, with nearly 500 million daily active. It’s very essential to understand your target audience. Understand your audience’s age, gender, occupation, income spending decision, their social status, their values, what kind of jewelry would they like to invest in.
The attention span of an audience is only a few seconds. Good visual content will keep the audience engaged and interested in your page, leading to building your Instagram audience and converting them into potential clients. It’s extremely important to invest in good images of your product along with short crips videos.
Make your bio very crisp, for it introduces your brand, have all the needful information such as:
– A brief product description line.
– Your contact address.
– Website/ Shop-able link.
– Brand Hashtag.
– Call to action contact.
2. Carefully plan your content.
– Focus is on creating and posting unique, high quality, diverse and creative content.
– Curate an interesting, informative and engaging campaign /content keeping the upcoming season of festivities and celebrations in mind.
– A well-curated content helps in developing mutual trust and long term relationship with your Instagram family. Remember building TRUST with your audience is very very important.
3. A short and crisp caption is very important.
– It essential to get the attention of your audience with an interesting title which will evoke emotions.
– Build a desire and interest in your audience, highlighting the advantages of having your jewelry.
– Have a call to action with your contact email/boutique digits.
4. Consistency is the key, keep posting regularly, this will help in staying connected and building loyalty with existing clients and to build new customer. Brand presence is the key!!
5. Engage and respond to the comments:
– There could be a potential customer amongst your audience who is trying to reach out, always interact and engage with your audience.
– They should know you as a person, your ideas, your inspiration and your experiences. This helps the audience to understand your designs and the brand better.
– Share your client’s feedback and testimony.
4. Understand the analytics which will help with development, for eg: Helps you to understand what time to post when to post. Compare your post to understand the likes and comments received.
5. Make the most of Instagram features:
– Share stories about behind the scenes of your manufacturing, upcoming campaign, work in progress of a design etc this builds excitement and enthusiasm.
– Use story features such a poll, ask a question, location, quizzes, hashtags, swipe up etc.
– Add the shopping feature which allows the customer to see the price and website link to place the order.
– Going LIVE from an event/ trade fair/ workshop is a great idea to build and strengthen a relationship with your audience.
6. Collaborate with an Influencer, with a similar target audience, who can talk and promote your brand on their channels, they help to build and spread awareness about your brand.
What are your top 5 emerging jewelry brands or designers people should look out for?
1) Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas: Luxury bridal and fine jewelry house with over decades of regal cultural legacy.
2) Pichhiotti: Timeless beauty, traditional and modern sophistication designs.
3) Paul Wild: Beautifully crafted Gemstone Manufacturer since 10th generation.
4) Mattar Jewelers: Leading name in the trade of Natural Pearls and modern and contemporary Natural Pearl Jewelry.
5) Kunming Diamonds: Natural Color & Argyle Pink Diamonds Authorized Partner, a wide variety of Natural Colored Diamonds
What is your favorite jewelry piece you own and why?
DIAMONDS are a precious gift from mother nature, they are a symbol of everlasting love and commitment. Captivating us with their Shine, Brilliance and Fire.
They have always inspired me to be strong, resilient, and to keep rising higher. It gives me immense delight to talk about my very own 3 stone Diamond Pendant which symbolises friendship, love and fidelity. Each diamond holds a special meaning and it reminds me to have a compassionate heart and respect the lives of every person I meet; because just like Diamonds, each one of us is a precious gift!
