During their recent visit to the multi-brand Amethyst boutique in Chennai, which also houses their wonderful collections, Watches, Luxury & Beyond had a chance to speak with Rajiv Arora and Rajesh Ajmera, the founders and owners of Amrapali Jewels. Here are the excerpts:
WL: It is known that the both of you have an educational background in History. How did you begin your journey into jewellery-making?
RA: We were both interested in Indian art and culture because of our backgrounds in History. We also travelled a lot and saw Rajasthan in particular very closely. We were very inspired by what the women in rural areas used to wear, like their silver jewellery, lot of earrings, big necklaces and head-pieces. We started collecting and selling these items slowly. Many of the pieces were not in wearable condition. So we started designing jewellery, taking old pieces and redoing them. If I found some loose pieces, I would make a one-of-a-kind earring. Initially, actresses like Reena Roy, Dimple Kapadia and Rekha spotted us and would come to our small shop in Jaipur. Then the Ambassador to the US and others got to know and we became very popular. We got customers from Europe who wanted us to make pieces that were more commercially viable for them so we started to make silver jewellery inspired by old design but with an antique finish. It clicked well and we got good orders. Export from Jaipur of silver jewellery was very little back then so we thought that we should also start exporting from India. And now, 50 per cent of the export from India is from Jaipur and a lot of the credit goes to Amrapali as we have a lot of tie-ups and promotions with different departmental stores abroad like Liberty in London. This kind of ethnic, tribal Indian looking jewellery became very popular and we started adding stones to silver, then gold. Now Amrapali is everywhere and we got the opportunity to make gifts for President Clinton’s first official visit to India. Now Hollywood stars wear Amrapali, and we design for the Emmy, Oscar and Tony Awards. We were the first jewellery-design company to be invited by the Fashion Design Council of India to come and participate in Fashion Week. We’ve done shows in New York and Milan Fashion Weeks and this year, Lagos Fashion Week in Nigeria. So now Amrapali pieces are in London, New York, Spain, Sri Lanka, Africa, everywhere.
RA: Absoutely. I think it’s so because we never compromised on our design. We always wanted our pieces to look very Indian and the design is inspired by Indian art, culture and architecture. The look may be international but it is all handcrafted so it’s different from what other people are making. Around the world, buyers choose Amrapali because it is one of a kind. Most of our pieces are unique, solo pieces. So if you come to Bombay or Jaipur, I cannot give you that piece. So to buy our best jewels, you should buy them where you spot them. When celebrities want something exclusive, they want something that is bold, matches their personality and unique. So our jewellery is worn by Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and others.
Fiera di Vicenza is the most important jewellery fair in Italy. They had seen our work so we got shortlisted for the Andrea Palladio International Jewellery Awards along with Van Cleef & Arpels, H. Stern, Tiffany & Co. and Brumani. It’s a great achievement for Indian jewellery design.
WL: How do you balance the two design aspects of your work, the modern and the traditional?
RA: I think we when we design any piece, it needs lot of concentration and time in the design studio. Rajesh sits with the designers and gives them lots of inputs. They also come with good ideas on which we can modify and improvise. Now many young designers who have passed out from NIFT or NID come and work with Amrapali. So we also have new thinking. My son is a qualified jewellery designer, as are my daughter-in-law and daughter. So they have all been helping out in the business. Fresh thinking and new ideas are welcome but we don’t want to deviate from the main Amrapali look.
WL: You had started off your business with traditional craftsmen. What is your connection with them today?
RA: The people we started with on our first day are still with us. They are in remote areas of Rajasthan, still working from their homes. We have an organised factory in Jaipur but we can’t bring them here. They prefer to work from their home where their heart is, they don’t want to be uprooted and we have still have a very good relationship with them. They still give us a lot of inputs on design.
WL: I recently saw a picture of the crown you had made for the HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee for Harrods. Can you tell me a bit more about that?
RA: Harrods wanted us to make a piece inspired by the original British crown. We thought it would be nice for Harrods Exclusive Tea because when the East Indian Company had begun in India, they took tea from Assam and Darjeeling and it became an important part of their daily routine. So we made an interesting crown that looks like the original crown but with a teapot on top. On the sides we have royal Jaipur elephants which show the connection of royalty with tea. And I’m so happy to tell you that it is the most photographed crown in London. It’s not very expensive. It is made out of base metal, gold leaf, semi-precious stones and synthetic glass to give it a bold, beautiful look
WL: What do you feel about the luxury jewellery scene in India? Would you classify yourself solely as a luxury brand?
RA: It’s very difficult to create a brand and not make too many pieces of a popular design. So we are managing a very difficult task going against marketing principles, because you’re actually supposed to make many pieces of a popular design and pocket a profit. But ours is a more passion-driven company and we want to make exclusive pieces. So we are definitely luxury, no doubt, but we also have a range to suit every pocket. We have pieces that cost a thousand, but also some in lakhs. We want, ultimately, every Indian woman to have a piece from Amrapali. That’s the aim but we won’t compromise on luxury. So people feel it’s luxury but I would say it’s affordable luxury.
WL: Do all Amrapali clients have a particular characteristic that you can see?
RA: You have to have a love for design and art, with a discerning eye to see what Amrapali gives you. You should be able to understand, when you look at and feel the piece that lots of man hours have gone in to making it; it’s not come out of a machine. So if you know this, love your culture, and know what goldsmiths in India have done for the last 5000 years then you‘ll love Amrapali. That’s why western people pick up Amrapali pieces, because they appreciate what we do since in the West you don’t see hand-craftsmanship. You can also pass it on to the next generation and some pieces have even been auctioned.
WL: You have been on the Indian jewellery scene now for more than two decades. What are the changes you have noticed?
RA: People used to buy gold and silver jewellery keeping in mind what value they will get in the future. But now people are design and fashion conscious. They know what they are buying now will appreciate in the future and they can still enjoy it now. Any other luxury item, once you wear it, the value goes down. But for handcrafted jewellery, the more you wear it, the more its value increases. That’s the best part.
WL: Are you planning to open any new boutiques?
RA: We want to concentrate more in India. We’ve opened in Harrods and revamped our shop in London in Knightsbridge. Maybe we’ll open stores in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur but in India we want to grow and go to B-cities for silver jewellery. > archana.a@thehindu.co.in