“For an Indian woman, the mangalsutra is the piece of jewelry that she treasures for a lifetime,” says Jinal Sampat. The Sampat Jewellers designer is describing the traditional necklace the groom ties around the bride’s neck during the wedding ceremony.
“But these necklaces are often too big and too elaborate and worn only on special occasions. Millennials want jewelry that matches their lifestyle,” she adds. To meet those needs, she creates more modern mangalsutras — wearable, versatile jewelry that can go from day to night.
Sampat, who started her business four years ago with husband Kunal, was introduced to diamond jewelry through her father-in-law, Sudhir Sampat, but never studied jewelry design. After majoring in architecture in Mumbai, she earned a master’s degree in landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), “surrounded by jewelry designers.” Yet she credits Facebook with directing her creative bent to fashioning custom mangalsutras and selling them online.
“After doing research, I put out some mangalsutra designs to understand the desires and wants of today’s Indian brides. I received over 100 responses within a few hours,” she recalls.
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Sampat brings an architect’s eye for structure to her designs, along with a love for the beauty of nature, which comes through in their names — Lotus, Jasmine, Flower of Life. “Combining the simplicity of landscaping with feminine and floral components creates a richer design, while the diamonds create an arch around the neck,” she points out.
In designing a custom piece, she takes her creative cues from the client’s personality. “I do my homework,” she says. “I study her lifestyle, her tastes, where she hangs out, what she likes to do.”
She also encourages the client to visit the company website to see how traditional elements can be updated and personalized. Options include choosing pear- or cushion-cut diamonds, using changeable gemstones, adding tassels, incorporating ethnic elements such as kundan or polki diamonds — the rough diamonds used in Rajasthani jewelry — or setting the mangalsutra in rose gold or two-tone gold. One of her favorite designs substitutes a thin, three-strand chain of diamonds for the traditional black beads, resulting in a shimmering halo that frames the face.
Sampat’s next step is to sketch some ideas and then create a collage in Photoshop that shows diamonds in different settings. After discussing it with the client, she sends the collage to the company’s artisans in Mumbai, who originally come from West Bengal. Depending on the complexity of the piece, several different artisans may be involved. She communicates with them via WhatsApp to refine the details. A mold is then created and sent to Sampat, who photographs it and uses it as the basis for further discussions and refinements with the client.
“It is a very personal experience that our clients appreciate,” she says. “The piece is handcrafted, but being part of the design process makes it truly unique for them.”
Themangalsutras range in price from $2,000 to $6,000, and the average start-to-finish time is approximately six weeks. All diamonds meet Gemological Institute of America (GIA) grading standards of G color or higher, VS clarity or higher, and Excellent cut.
Sampat does not use melee in any of her designs, but notes that colored gemstones, such as rubies, emeralds and blue or yellow sapphires, are gainingin popularity.
While Sampat enjoys the creative challenges of creating custom mangalsutras, the company promotes itself as “The Modern Indian Jeweler” and offers bracelets, bangles, pendants and rings as well. Sampat recently introduced the Millennial collection, which consists of a diamond mangalsutra, a ring and studs, and plans to develop more affordable collections geared toward this target market. While most of her clients are Indian, she has seen a growing cross-cultural customer base, with brides from all over the US and even Australia.
“When we started this company, Kunal and I knew that the jewelry market in the US was saturated,” she says. “You have to understand your market and find your special niche. And then keep refining it. Testing on Facebook lets us do that, but it’s an ongoing process.”
Keeping with family tradition, Sampat adheres to the core values her father-in-law instilled in her. “You have to think about the customer first, even if you have to take a loss. You have to ensure a consistent, high level of quality — in the gemstones and workmanship. Finally, it’s imperative to take care of your employees. The artisans leave their families to work for us. It’s in our generation’s hands to give them educational opportunities so they can grow professionally. It’s good for the industry, too.”
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Image: Sampat Jewellers creations featuring diamonds - Chandelier earrings; Modern mangalsutra; Millennial Globe pendant; Rose Petal ring.Article from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2017. To subscribe click here.