Bejewelled like never before

Online shopping for jewellery might be a new trend, but it’s surely picking up fast and at a pace like never before. We speak to Shipra Jain, CMO, Bluestone, to discover the inner functionings of the industry, what works and how a loyal clientele is created.Several online jewellery stores have made inroads into the Indian market. How successful has Bluestone been, considering that the competition in the online space is fierce?Bluestone is different because we offer an exquisite range of fine jewellery designs which are manufactured indigenously. We also offer customers a transparent and hassle-free online shopping experience. As an online store that’s based in Bangalore, India’s IT hub, where there are net-savvy customers, we attract lot of customers. Not just that, we also get orders from Tier-II cities, where the working population is comfortable ordering their jewellery online. We cater to 41 cities in India and the response has been great.When compared with the West, e-commerce is still at a nascent stage in India. So do you think people are comfortable shopping online?Yes, people have become used to the idea of shopping online. We see an increased turnover every month. And moreover, by buying jewellery online, customers get to save a lot of money. For instance, in the case of an offline store, the owner will have to pay for the infrastructure, human resources etc, and these costs are included in the final price of the jewellery. In certain cases, an offline jeweller offers you a discount only if he knows you personally, if you are a stranger who walks into the store for a purchase, those extra discounts are not doled out to you. But in an online store, the transactions are transparent. Moreover, our 30-Day No-Questions-Asked Return Policy gives you ample time to ensure that your piece of Jewellery is the right one for you. If you’re unhappy with the product, you can go for a full refund within 30 days. We also provide free delivery/shipping on all items within India.

What kind of jewellery do you sell and how are they priced?We sell bangles, earrings, pendants and rings. The starting price is Rs11,000. This jewellery is primarily aimed at the working woman who prefers elegant and minimalist jewellery. So the best sellers are diamonds, white gold and other cosmetic jewellery.What are the designs that are in vogue now?At present, the peacock and foliage motifs are in vogue. The response has been great and this is visibly evident in the fact that we have over 23,000 fans on Facebook.Have you noticed any interesting trends in jewellery purchase patterns in the past few years?Every customer is unique and their preferences are unique too. But what we have noticed is that gifting jewellery to family and friends is fast becoming a popular trend. A first-time online buyer is always wary, so he/she buys something of lower value. Once the customer is satisfied with the services and the product, they become repeat customers. Another interesting factor is that customers today are more aware of certifications. Before they order jewellery online, they do their homework to find out if we have third-party certifications.So, what kind of certification does Bluestone provide?We have been certified by the International Gemological Institute (IGI) and HKD Diamond Laboratories, Canada. The value of a precious stone is determined by its gemological makeup, natural rarity and finished quality.

And we have these two certifications to assure the customer that we sell quality jewellery.