Every piece of jewellery tells a story
Ghatiwala Jewellers is more than a jewellery brand. It is an experience, an emotion, a legacy of love that makes you go nostalgic. Here, every piece of jewellery tells a story. During an interaction with Abhishek Ghatiwala, Creative Head and CEO, MARWAR traces the 90-year-old legacy of this renowned brand in the jewel city of India.
Talk of classic jadau jewellery and one of the most trusted names that come to mind is Ghatiwala Jewellers located on the iconic Prithviraj Road in the city of Jaipur. Backed by a generations-old legacy, this jewellery brand has consistently been serving its customers with traditional, ethnic jewellery and a matchless personalised experience for the last many decades. A walk through this jewellery studio makes you fall in love with its mindfully crafted jewellery line that reflects the rich heritage of Rajasthan and other regions.The opulent odyssey of Ghatiwala was set off 90 years ago. “My grandfather Shri Kanhaiya Lal Ghatiwala laid the foundation of the company in the 1920s when he started trading and later importing rough emeralds into Jaipur. The legacy was carried forward by my father Shri Kishanji Ghatiwala, who named it as Ghatiwala Jewellers in the ’70s. It was in 2000 that I joined the business,” says the third generation jeweller and the Creative Head and CEO Abhishek Ghatiwala. “The name Ghatiwala has been synonymous with classic, high-end jadau jewellery. Each piece is an heirloom, a legacy to carry forward. We believe that jewellery tells a story and that is truly what makes it priceless. The idea is not to be pathbreaking but to be an integral part of families and their memories for generations,” says the creative genius.
PROUD OF THE LEGACY
Right from his young age, Abhishek was passionate about art and design. He trained under the guidance of his father and grandfather. “One thing that I learnt from them is that money can be earned but name and legacy take generations to build. My grandfather was reputed and knowledgeable and known in the industry for his wisdom. People would give his reference to get their work done. As a child, I remember people coming home to express their gratitude towards him. More than money, he had earned name and recognition in the industry as well as in the Marwari community. His motto in life was to help people and that made ‘Ghatiwala’ a legacy that my family and I carry forward.” He continues, “In the past, numerous foreign wholesale buyers and celebrities would do business with my grandfather— the original Mr Ghatiwala—and look forward to meeting him during their visits to India. During our first exhibit at the Hong Kong show in 2013, an old foreign national came up to our booth. During our conversation, I learnt that he had conducted business with my grandfather and my father too. Now, he is my client also!” A young Abhishek completed his schooling in Jaipur and headed to Mumbai for further studies and to get trained in diamond-grading. Keen to learn the nuances of business, he pursued an MBA degree from the UK and returned to India to gain exposure and work alongside top industry experts. “That, combined with my childhood learning about business ethics and practices led me to transform the business from a family-run enterprise into a professionally run atelier today,” says the business-savvy jeweller.
THE HOUSE OF HEIRLOOMS
Ghatiwala Jewellers delivers personalised experiences that make an emotional connect with the customers. “Nostalgia and love form the essence of jewellery and Ghatiwala takes upon itself that responsibility to create treasures for years to come. Your grandmother’s necklace holds warmth and affection passed on from your mother to you, whereas your mother’s ring makes you feel assured. Each piece is a labour of devotion.”
Since its inception 90 years back, Ghatiwala has notched up success stories of clients. “Such high value jewellery is usually bought for special occasions. During the shopping process, often, we also become the part of our customers’ stories. So over the years, their emotional connection with jewellery develops our bond too,” he adds.
MOVING INTO A NEW ERA
With a diverse jewellery portfolio, Ghatiwala has scaled newer heights presenting an aesthetic range of unblemished jadau pieces, while continuing the legacy set by the forefathers. Moving forward, the brand caters to the B2B segment, and supplies jewellery to prominent jewellery retail brands in India. “It gives me immense pleasure to see my jewels being worn by elite celebrities or gracing the covers of the most elite magazines of India.” Even in its business with consumers directly, it has alist of the most affluent business and royal families of India. With strong titans in the industry, competition is very high but Ghatiwala’s cutting edge lies in its originality. “We believe in creating original designs. It’s like the gemstones are speaking to us. We focus on creating designs around gemstones that are classic and elegant, ensuring that we work with the best team of artisans in Jaipur to bring life to our creations.” Of all the challenges they are dealing with, one of the biggest ones is to benchmark their quality. To maintain this standard along with consistently producing jewellery with the same quality demands a lot of principles at work.
