![\"\"](\"https:\/\/gjepc.org\/solitaire\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/dsadas.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMilan Chokshi, convener, Promotions, Marketing & Business Development sub-committee, GJEPC, concluded the day two session by thanking every speaker individually for participating in the seminar and providing meaningful insights and directions. \u201cIndia is omnipresent in the world of gems and jewellery, and consequently the largest stakeholder in every way. As the leader, it\u2019s essential that we extend our lead over the others by constantly striving to improve in every area. Definitely, Design Inspirations is a move in that direction, and I am sure this would help the industry to move in sync, if not ahead of the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe list of speakers this year included Alexandra Mor, haute joaillerie creative director and designer of the eponymous brand in the USA; Paola De Luca, founder, The Futurist Ltd; Roza Topolnicka, branding partner, Swarovski Gemstones; Abhishek Rastogi, head of design, Tanishq; Farah Khan, founder, Farah Khan Fine Jewellery; Aakrosh Sharma, Caratlane; John Varghese, associate partner at IBM India; Siddharth Kasliwal, creative head and heir of The Gem Palace, Payal Singhal, fashion designer, Shehzad Zaveri, owner and creative head, Minawala Jewellers; Roopa Vohra, jewellery designer and many more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what the experts had to say:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHe touched upon consumer behaviour and highlighted who is the consumer of the future. India has the highest fascination for jewellery among major markets of the world, with unmatched capabilities and strengths. The gem and jewellery sector contributes 7% to India\u2019s GDP, and employs about 5 million workforce. India is the world\u2019s second largest gold and third largest diamond market. However, the jewellery industry is facing headwinds, globally as well as in India as there is declining global demand for jewellery and declining share of wallet of jewellery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key fulcrum to overcome these challenges lies in the design itself. The market of the future is going to be based on the foundation of values, influence and personalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hundekari pointed out that millennials are the largest living generation, with 86% of them living in emerging markets like China, India and Brazil; 80% of millennials want to work for companies that care about their environmental impact and they are most likely to pay more for responsibly made products. They are highly educated, career-driven and politically progressive. They develop strong brand loyalty when presented with quality products and when they are actively engaged by brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further outlining some common characteristics of millennials, he said: \u201cThey are true global citizens, who live in a borderless environment with a global network of friends. They are digital natives and are value driven, always in search of meaning and authenticity. They belong to the \u2018Me-now\u201d culture and believe in daily social posts and selfies, which, in turn, reflects their interest in personalised products. They value memories over material and have caused a shift in goods to service, but this has created high expectations for all experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India is on track to become the youngest country in the world by 2020, with a median age of 29. More than 200 millennials, those born after 1982, account for a third of India\u2019s population and 46% of its workforce. They are also more likely to view fine jewellery as an adornment and accessory rather than an investment that is reserved only for special occasions \u2014 that is indeed a fundamental shift in approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AT Kearney recently surveyed more than 7,000 consumers across seven countries to examine demographic, economic, and technological trends, and studied the primary generation who will be key consumers in 2027. For years, the key assumptions on which jewellery sales were based were seduction, affluence and scale. But from now on markets will thrive on three principles: Trust (values), Influence (family, friends) and highest level of personalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how does one engage today\u2019s consumer? A direct approach to consumers is important; invest big in consumer intimacy by tailoring to her or his needs; redefine your view of consumer cohorts, for example, the jewellery industry should move beyond the emotion of love as a sales driver. Think respect or friendship as well, he suggested. Can we also see jewellery as a functional product? he asked; deliver customised solutions in pockets of scale; adjust marketing budgets to reflect the new social media realities and allocate some revenue for digital marketing; engage micro influencers to build authentic communities, as influencers with less than 1000 followers have a like rate of 8%, so see quality not quantity; build trust via sharper value propositions; and balance resources and efforts and change commercial and revenue models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abhishek Rastogi<\/strong>
Head of design, Tanishq<\/h4>\n\n\n\nRastogi noted that it was imperative to create rather than follow trends. The three big influences for the Indian jewellery industry, according to him, are Bollywood, royal heirlooms and handcrafted products. It is crucial for designers to observe and interpret trends. Customising collections to suit a particular segment of customers from a region was important as well. He urged young designers to understand the purpose of a good design combined with the business aspect for creating and establishing trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexandra Mor
Haute jewellery designer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAlexandra emphasised on the importance of developing the brand DNA for it to become successful. Narrating an engaging story through your jewels — the story should come from within, it should reflect your beliefs and not be fake. She stated, \u201cI have so far done what I felt was right. You have to think out of the box and not follow rules, and keep your mind open to create trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She spoke at length about how her trip to Bali, Indonesia, inspired her to come up with the eco-conscious line that uses tagua seeds and incorporates traditional, handcrafted Balinese workmanship and heritage. The tagua seed is an alternative to elephant ivory, adding that part of the sales proceeds of the collection will be donated to an elephant organisation. \u201cIn just one year, a single tagua palm can produce as much ivory as an average African elephant can in its lifetime and can offer a real solution to help stop the senseless killing of beautiful and soulful animals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The limited, one-of-a-kind edition comes together with the harmonious use of artisanal, hand-carved tagua seeds, black and red Balinese wood, Sumatran pearls and 22-karat yellow gold work, gemstones and diamond melees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexandra Mor mentioned that the tagua seed takes the character of ivory. \u201cWe dye it, and its colours are magnificent and when polished it looks like a gemstone. It is a botanical alternative to save the future of the planet. I am an ambassador of a bigger movement. Through this collection, I will bring awareness of the tragic reality of species on the brink of extinction, the preservation of native forests and the people and culture that depend on this animal\u2019s survival.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roza Topolnicka
Head of creative and retail marketing, Swarovski Gems<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nShe emphasised that mega trends are based on social, economic, and political environment or technical changes and are slow to form. Brands today are shifting focus to target the younger generation who believe in adorning jewellery rather than locking it away. It is imperative to understand the consumer and cater to designs in line with their needs and preferences. Jewellery is viewed as an adornment rather than an investment. Revolutionary charms, eccentric ear wear and contemporary engagement rings are the trends to look out for this year. She rounded off by saying that millennials will be key drivers of India\u2019s growth story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Varghese
Associate partner, IBM India<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndia is at the cusp of a first of its kind digital disruption. With the emergence of the digital economy, brands have evolved in the last five years to adapt to new business models. Consumers spend a majority of their time in the digital world giving designers an opportunity to leverage this platform to enhance visibility and interactivity, adding, \u201cThe digital economy will be a trillion dollar economy by 2025.\u201d He went on to exhort the jewellery industry to pay heed to this and align strategies to include the digital world into their plans. Although the physical world will never disappear, what will enable it is linking itself to the digital world to target consumers, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paola De Luca
Founder of The Futurist<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cDesign Inspirations is a platform for forecasting the jewellery trends which is essential knowledge for designers to enable them to plan with methodology and system. Understanding the consumer\u2019s culture, taste and preferences, translates into knowing what he or she will buy and how. Trends are not to be confused with fashion or fads,\u201d Paola clarified at the outset. \u201cRather it is an understanding of social changes. Of seeing how these will affect what people wear, buy, and spend on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanmay Shah
Head of Innovations, Imaginarium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nHe touched upon consumer behaviour and highlighted who is the consumer of the future. India has the highest fascination for jewellery among major markets of the world, with unmatched capabilities and strengths. The gem and jewellery sector contributes 7% to India\u2019s GDP, and employs about 5 million workforce. India is the world\u2019s second largest gold and third largest diamond market. However, the jewellery industry is facing headwinds, globally as well as in India as there is declining global demand for jewellery and declining share of wallet of jewellery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The key fulcrum to overcome these challenges lies in the design itself. The market of the future is going to be based on the foundation of values, influence and personalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hundekari pointed out that millennials are the largest living generation, with 86% of them living in emerging markets like China, India and Brazil; 80% of millennials want to work for companies that care about their environmental impact and they are most likely to pay more for responsibly made products. They are highly educated, career-driven and politically progressive. They develop strong brand loyalty when presented with quality products and when they are actively engaged by brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Further outlining some common characteristics of millennials, he said: \u201cThey are true global citizens, who live in a borderless environment with a global network of friends. They are digital natives and are value driven, always in search of meaning and authenticity. They belong to the \u2018Me-now\u201d culture and believe in daily social posts and selfies, which, in turn, reflects their interest in personalised products. They value memories over material and have caused a shift in goods to service, but this has created high expectations for all experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India is on track to become the youngest country in the world by 2020, with a median age of 29. More than 200 millennials, those born after 1982, account for a third of India\u2019s population and 46% of its workforce. They are also more likely to view fine jewellery as an adornment and accessory rather than an investment that is reserved only for special occasions \u2014 that is indeed a fundamental shift in approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AT Kearney recently surveyed more than 7,000 consumers across seven countries to examine demographic, economic, and technological trends, and studied the primary generation who will be key consumers in 2027. For years, the key assumptions on which jewellery sales were based were seduction, affluence and scale. But from now on markets will thrive on three principles: Trust (values), Influence (family, friends) and highest level of personalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how does one engage today\u2019s consumer? A direct approach to consumers is important; invest big in consumer intimacy by tailoring to her or his needs; redefine your view of consumer cohorts, for example, the jewellery industry should move beyond the emotion of love as a sales driver. Think respect or friendship as well, he suggested. Can we also see jewellery as a functional product? he asked; deliver customised solutions in pockets of scale; adjust marketing budgets to reflect the new social media realities and allocate some revenue for digital marketing; engage micro influencers to build authentic communities, as influencers with less than 1000 followers have a like rate of 8%, so see quality not quantity; build trust via sharper value propositions; and balance resources and efforts and change commercial and revenue models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Abhishek Rastogi<\/strong>
Head of design, Tanishq<\/h4>\n\n\n\nRastogi noted that it was imperative to create rather than follow trends. The three big influences for the Indian jewellery industry, according to him, are Bollywood, royal heirlooms and handcrafted products. It is crucial for designers to observe and interpret trends. Customising collections to suit a particular segment of customers from a region was important as well. He urged young designers to understand the purpose of a good design combined with the business aspect for creating and establishing trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexandra Mor
Haute jewellery designer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAlexandra emphasised on the importance of developing the brand DNA for it to become successful. Narrating an engaging story through your jewels — the story should come from within, it should reflect your beliefs and not be fake. She stated, \u201cI have so far done what I felt was right. You have to think out of the box and not follow rules, and keep your mind open to create trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She spoke at length about how her trip to Bali, Indonesia, inspired her to come up with the eco-conscious line that uses tagua seeds and incorporates traditional, handcrafted Balinese workmanship and heritage. The tagua seed is an alternative to elephant ivory, adding that part of the sales proceeds of the collection will be donated to an elephant organisation. \u201cIn just one year, a single tagua palm can produce as much ivory as an average African elephant can in its lifetime and can offer a real solution to help stop the senseless killing of beautiful and soulful animals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The limited, one-of-a-kind edition comes together with the harmonious use of artisanal, hand-carved tagua seeds, black and red Balinese wood, Sumatran pearls and 22-karat yellow gold work, gemstones and diamond melees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexandra Mor mentioned that the tagua seed takes the character of ivory. \u201cWe dye it, and its colours are magnificent and when polished it looks like a gemstone. It is a botanical alternative to save the future of the planet. I am an ambassador of a bigger movement. Through this collection, I will bring awareness of the tragic reality of species on the brink of extinction, the preservation of native forests and the people and culture that depend on this animal\u2019s survival.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roza Topolnicka
Head of creative and retail marketing, Swarovski Gems<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nShe emphasised that mega trends are based on social, economic, and political environment or technical changes and are slow to form. Brands today are shifting focus to target the younger generation who believe in adorning jewellery rather than locking it away. It is imperative to understand the consumer and cater to designs in line with their needs and preferences. Jewellery is viewed as an adornment rather than an investment. Revolutionary charms, eccentric ear wear and contemporary engagement rings are the trends to look out for this year. She rounded off by saying that millennials will be key drivers of India\u2019s growth story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Varghese
Associate partner, IBM India<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndia is at the cusp of a first of its kind digital disruption. With the emergence of the digital economy, brands have evolved in the last five years to adapt to new business models. Consumers spend a majority of their time in the digital world giving designers an opportunity to leverage this platform to enhance visibility and interactivity, adding, \u201cThe digital economy will be a trillion dollar economy by 2025.\u201d He went on to exhort the jewellery industry to pay heed to this and align strategies to include the digital world into their plans. Although the physical world will never disappear, what will enable it is linking itself to the digital world to target consumers, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paola De Luca
Founder of The Futurist<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cDesign Inspirations is a platform for forecasting the jewellery trends which is essential knowledge for designers to enable them to plan with methodology and system. Understanding the consumer\u2019s culture, taste and preferences, translates into knowing what he or she will buy and how. Trends are not to be confused with fashion or fads,\u201d Paola clarified at the outset. \u201cRather it is an understanding of social changes. Of seeing how these will affect what people wear, buy, and spend on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanmay Shah
Head of Innovations, Imaginarium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Haute jewellery designer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nAlexandra emphasised on the importance of developing the brand DNA for it to become successful. Narrating an engaging story through your jewels — the story should come from within, it should reflect your beliefs and not be fake. She stated, \u201cI have so far done what I felt was right. You have to think out of the box and not follow rules, and keep your mind open to create trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She spoke at length about how her trip to Bali, Indonesia, inspired her to come up with the eco-conscious line that uses tagua seeds and incorporates traditional, handcrafted Balinese workmanship and heritage. The tagua seed is an alternative to elephant ivory, adding that part of the sales proceeds of the collection will be donated to an elephant organisation. \u201cIn just one year, a single tagua palm can produce as much ivory as an average African elephant can in its lifetime and can offer a real solution to help stop the senseless killing of beautiful and soulful animals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The limited, one-of-a-kind edition comes together with the harmonious use of artisanal, hand-carved tagua seeds, black and red Balinese wood, Sumatran pearls and 22-karat yellow gold work, gemstones and diamond melees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alexandra Mor mentioned that the tagua seed takes the character of ivory. \u201cWe dye it, and its colours are magnificent and when polished it looks like a gemstone. It is a botanical alternative to save the future of the planet. I am an ambassador of a bigger movement. Through this collection, I will bring awareness of the tragic reality of species on the brink of extinction, the preservation of native forests and the people and culture that depend on this animal\u2019s survival.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Roza Topolnicka
Head of creative and retail marketing, Swarovski Gems<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nShe emphasised that mega trends are based on social, economic, and political environment or technical changes and are slow to form. Brands today are shifting focus to target the younger generation who believe in adorning jewellery rather than locking it away. It is imperative to understand the consumer and cater to designs in line with their needs and preferences. Jewellery is viewed as an adornment rather than an investment. Revolutionary charms, eccentric ear wear and contemporary engagement rings are the trends to look out for this year. She rounded off by saying that millennials will be key drivers of India\u2019s growth story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Varghese
Associate partner, IBM India<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndia is at the cusp of a first of its kind digital disruption. With the emergence of the digital economy, brands have evolved in the last five years to adapt to new business models. Consumers spend a majority of their time in the digital world giving designers an opportunity to leverage this platform to enhance visibility and interactivity, adding, \u201cThe digital economy will be a trillion dollar economy by 2025.\u201d He went on to exhort the jewellery industry to pay heed to this and align strategies to include the digital world into their plans. Although the physical world will never disappear, what will enable it is linking itself to the digital world to target consumers, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paola De Luca
Founder of The Futurist<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cDesign Inspirations is a platform for forecasting the jewellery trends which is essential knowledge for designers to enable them to plan with methodology and system. Understanding the consumer\u2019s culture, taste and preferences, translates into knowing what he or she will buy and how. Trends are not to be confused with fashion or fads,\u201d Paola clarified at the outset. \u201cRather it is an understanding of social changes. Of seeing how these will affect what people wear, buy, and spend on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanmay Shah
Head of Innovations, Imaginarium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nShe emphasised that mega trends are based on social, economic, and political environment or technical changes and are slow to form. Brands today are shifting focus to target the younger generation who believe in adorning jewellery rather than locking it away. It is imperative to understand the consumer and cater to designs in line with their needs and preferences. Jewellery is viewed as an adornment rather than an investment. Revolutionary charms, eccentric ear wear and contemporary engagement rings are the trends to look out for this year. She rounded off by saying that millennials will be key drivers of India\u2019s growth story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
John Varghese
Associate partner, IBM India<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIndia is at the cusp of a first of its kind digital disruption. With the emergence of the digital economy, brands have evolved in the last five years to adapt to new business models. Consumers spend a majority of their time in the digital world giving designers an opportunity to leverage this platform to enhance visibility and interactivity, adding, \u201cThe digital economy will be a trillion dollar economy by 2025.\u201d He went on to exhort the jewellery industry to pay heed to this and align strategies to include the digital world into their plans. Although the physical world will never disappear, what will enable it is linking itself to the digital world to target consumers, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paola De Luca
Founder of The Futurist<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cDesign Inspirations is a platform for forecasting the jewellery trends which is essential knowledge for designers to enable them to plan with methodology and system. Understanding the consumer\u2019s culture, taste and preferences, translates into knowing what he or she will buy and how. Trends are not to be confused with fashion or fads,\u201d Paola clarified at the outset. \u201cRather it is an understanding of social changes. Of seeing how these will affect what people wear, buy, and spend on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tanmay Shah
Head of Innovations, Imaginarium<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cDesign Inspirations is a platform for forecasting the jewellery trends which is essential knowledge for designers to enable them to plan with methodology and system. Understanding the consumer\u2019s culture, taste and preferences, translates into knowing what he or she will buy and how. Trends are not to be confused with fashion or fads,\u201d Paola clarified at the outset. \u201cRather it is an understanding of social changes. Of seeing how these will affect what people wear, buy, and spend on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n