A jeweller that wants to sell diamonds with everyday appeal
Federica Imperiali, the director of the Forevermark Design and Innovation Centre, on Forevermark Diamond Jewellery entering the Indian market and the demands of today's consumer
Over a month ago, brand Forevermark Diamond Jewellery from the De Beers Group, a South African-British corporation that's been in the business of diamonds for more than 130 years, made its India debut with the launch of its first store, in Delhi.
The collection showcased at the store, located in South Extension I market—home to several jewellery brands—includes everyday as well as occasion wear jewellery, all studded with diamonds.
During a brief chat with Lounge, Federica Imperiali, the director of the Forevermark Design and Innovation Centre in Milan, spoke about the Indian market, how India inspires her work and the demands of today's consumer. Edited excerpts:
What makes the brand stand out in the market?
Forevermark Diamond is not about considering jewellery as a heritage piece that needs to be kept in a safe, but to be worn everyday while expressing the wearer's personality. We want to offer pieces that are trendy but also so timeless and comfortable that a customer can wear them even when they are sleeping.
How do you zero in on trends?
We look at trends that are valid globally. We go through magazines, social media, we look at what remains the same and what changes. In fact, we are soon launching two collections that are inspired by traditional Indian jewellery but can be worn on a day to day basis—perfect for today's consumer.
Who is today's consumer?
Today, it's no longer about Indian woman or American woman; it's a world of global woman who knows exactly what she wants—and that is functional jewellery that can work for several occasions. Having said that what really fascinates me about the modern Indian woman is how attached they are to traditions even if they don't necessarily follow them. They definitely want to stay close to those traditions in a way that's comfortable to them. To address demands of such a consumer, for example, we have recreated an entire collection of mangal sutra that had the key elements of the traditional mangal sutra but with a softer and more wearable design.
You've been with the brand for over two decades. How have you seen the consumer demands evolve when it comes to diamond jewellery?
In the past, diamond jewellery was used to celebrate a milestone or a particular occasion, like a wedding set, the engagement ring and the whole proposal ritual. Or, parents, who could afford, would give their girl a pair of studded earrings as a gift after graduation. Now, the consumer doesn't wait for an occasion to buy jewellery. They also don't wait for someone else to give them jewellery. And we have seen this trend across the world. Even our data shows that self-purchase is happening more worldwide.
Do you look at India for design inspiration?
Yes, I look at both the past and present of India. It's not just about saying that ‘I go to Jaipur and I see several things that inspire me’. India is very unique in terms of jewellery design. I am very inspired by the jewellery of India from the past. In the old times, people used to wear something adorned with gemstones to shield their fingers while using the arrow. It was not just adornment; the gems were worn with the belief that they would protect them. I am working on a collection based on this concept. I am also working on something else, inspired by polki.
The general idea is not to compete with the traditional style because Indian artisans were, and are, much more skilled than us, but to honour it. For us, the natural diamond is always the centre of any piece. So, when when we design we always look at the stone and decide what should go around it in order to enhance it, both from the symbolic point of view and from the manufacturing and the craftsmanship perspective.
topics
