Mirari Jewellery : Mira Gulati’s Innovative Tangent from the Traditional

To update our readers worldwide about the fact that fabulous India, the traditional fountain-head of superb gems and jewellery is not resting on its laurels and has taken up the challenging creation of precious designer jewellery, the Diamond World has been profiling contemporary Indian jewellery designing geniuses and showcasing their masterpiece creations. The latest celebrated Indian designer Mira Gulati whose matchless brand Mirari has been creating waves in the high-end branded jewellery segment, has been interviewed for an insight into the devotion and dynamics of her unique creativity that has elevated Indian branded jewellery designing to new heights. Meet her in this heart-to-heart interview for a revealation of all her inspiration, abiding commitment and life-long fascination for making jewellery a dream come true.

Diamond World : Our designer jewellery connoisseur readers are eager to know about Mirari the Indian brand setting waves in India’s designer jewellery segment. Please let us know more about this dream come true brand and how you create it ?

Mira Gulati : Mirari is the one quality contemporary jewellery brand that stands for modern India. Mirari is a new take on India as it is NOW. It’s about this country’s contemporary attitude towards design; it’s about quality; individuality; it’s a new way of thinking and being. And yet the essence of Mirari is also defined on an individual basis by the women who make it their own. I provide the quality and the designs that I feel capture the essence of Mirari, and then it’s up to individual clients to take ownership and make their own indelible statement with whatever they are wearing.

Eternally Beautiful Jewellery :

There are billions of people in this world and every one of them is different. I tend to look for the difference and design for that: play with the notion of individuality so that every customer completes the statement. And yet if there is a unifying theme, I would say that I design for people who understand the pleasure of eternally beautiful jewellery; those who are unafraid to take risks and for style leaders who demand the highest quality gems and the most contemporary designs available anywhere.

D.W.: For how long have you been designing jewellery?

MG: I have been fascinated with jewellery ever since I was a child. I knew when I was 13 that I wanted to be a jewellery designer. I have been designing for Mirari since the last 5 years when I founded the company.

D.W.: Being such a passionate devoted designer, have you received any specialized training in gemology or jewellery design?

360 Degrees Honing at GIA :

MG: I trained for 2 years in the US as a jewellery designer and gemmologist, at the world’s foremost institute of jewellery design the GIA – Gemological Institute of America in their head quarters in Carlsbad. Since I did not come from a jewellery background (my parents were in a different business line) in those 2 years at GIA, I did every course available in the institute since I wanted a 360 degree exposure to jewellery design and gemology.

DW.: What kind of jewellery do you make and what category do you put yourself in?

Fabulous Past Re-interpreted :

MG : Traditional Indian jewellery will stay exactly where it is, in the jewellery boxes our grandmothers gave us! It has a wonderful heritage which I draw on in some of my designs, and it is steeped in sentimental value that gives it special status in our families. But the new India is progressing faster than almost every other nation in the world. There’s a highly contemporary, cutting edge style emerging that meets the world on equal terms. I may borrow on traditions, but I like to engage at this level, as a designer, because I get to explore everything that’s exciting about India. It’s not as if the past has to be cast off. It’s more like the past is reinterpreted and fashioned into something that is truly a ‘must have,’ precisely because it makes sense today.

In terms of quality, Mirari really has the best that the world has to offer. We hand-pick the rarest, most flawless gemstones we can source from around the world and use these in exquisite, unique designs that make Mirari jewellery stand in a class of its own.

D.W.: What is the market size of your kind of jewellery? Is recession affecting your business? Which is your target audience?

Not Limited by Boundaries :

MG: India has had one of the most glorious, design-intensive jewellery traditions for as long as anybody can remember. Indians today are avid consumers of jewellery, so yes; they constitute my biggest market so far. The Indians I design for define themselves beyond the boundaries of India. They have international tastes and attitudes and find that Mirari speaks to them of contemporary style that goes well beyond borders. I’m also getting wonderful responses from distinguished overseas visitors who have come across Mirari on their travels to India and have written letters of appreciation from abroad.

At Mirari we manufacture jewellery using the most flawless diamonds! Therefore we offer one of the best avenues of investment. At Mirari we are affected by the recession but its not too bad.

The typical Mirari customer is a woman who feels comfortable with modern attitudes, regardless of her age; someone who is beautiful on her own terms, smart and unafraid to set her own rules.

D.W.: Who you think are your competitors, selling similar kind of fine jewellery under umbrella of designer brand jewellery?

Mirari Unique :

MG : I think what Mirari has to offer is very unique in terms of quality and design. It’s difficult to compare to other players in the business. Growing up I idolized Harry Winston for its quality of workmanship, Van Cleef an Arpels for its femininity in design and de GRISOGONO for the exquisite color combinations. At Mirari I feel that we offer the same quality and design, the only difference being the number of years behind our brand.

D.W.: We recently saw your Anoushka Shankar Ad Campaign, any reason to choose her, what brand strategy have you adopted?

Anoushka Shankar Joins Mirari :

MG: Mirari jewellery recently announced its new partnership with sitar prodigy Anoushka Shankar, who took up her position as brand ambassador.

Mirari is so much more than just another jewellery brand, so I wanted someone who was much more than just a model or actress to represent our work. I wanted someone artistic, intelligent and gifted – someone who really represents the best that India can offer the world. Anoushka Shankar was always the perfect answer. Certainly, both Anoushka Shankar and Mirari represent the new India, a nation bubbling with potential as the next generation of gifted, artistic representative’s step forward onto the world stage.

5 Year Plan of Expansion :

D.W.:Do you have any plans to move to Mumbai, Bangalore or any other city besides New Delhi? Brief us about you expansion plans?

MG: My future plans for Mirari include a second store in Mumbai. We also plan to have a retail presence in London by 2009.

Within a period of next 5 years we will establish Mirari’s presence in international emerging markets including cities such as Dubai, Kuwait, Moscow, New York and Shanghai.

Gems Preference :

D.W.:Do you specialize in any particular gemstones or use particular clarity or color of diamonds only?

MG: Mirari aims for the highest quality standards and hence I use the only VVS clarity and F-G color in white diamonds. I only use intense colored diamonds of all shades specially yellows and pinks. I have used a lot of sugar loaf Blue sapphires and Rubies as their color and shape stands out. I would never like to be known as a specialist in any gemstone as Mirari stands for freedom and hence I will specialize in designs as that is my passion.

D.W.: Among colored gemstones, which one is doing well or is in vogue currently?

Diamonds Forever :

MG.: Leading positions among precious gemstones three centuries ago were claimed by diamonds. And they still do! In addition to that, their colored variations are back in fashion: yellow, pink, blue and even black.

D.W.:Why don’t you use synthetic diamonds or other synthetic gems? Synthetics may well be the jewels of the future.

It is the beauty of the natural gemstones and materials that mesmerize me. I take inspiration from nature and use only nature’s treasures to create the unique Mirari jewels. The fire and color of a natural diamond can never be duplicated by humans and I would never compromise on that as I only want to give my clients the best.

D.W.: Have you won any awards for jewellery design?

Client’s Satisfaction My Reward :

MG: I create jewels as that is my passion. All designs that I create are unique and I don’t approve of judging one design against another. My award is when my client is satisfied and appreciates the quality and design I create. No award is bigger than that. Have you ever heard Harry Winston or Cartier entering into award competitions? I aim for Mirari to stand in the same league.

D.W.: What kind of craftsmanship do you employ in your designs?

Handmade Charmers :

MG.: All jewels I create are hand crafted as I make limited editions and use unique and rare gemstones. Machines can replicate but originals can only be created with hand as even the craftsman making the piece enhances the design with his input. I use technology only to enhance the skills of hand to achieve international level quality but each piece is made by hand. India has been known for its craftsmanship for centuries and I take pride in that fact.

D.W.: If you manufacture yourself, how many workers have you employed? Being a retailer, do you ever source jewellery from other manufacturers?

No Outsourcing : MG.: I have a well equipped workshop with best craftsmen from around the country. As I’m very particular about the quality and the exact translation of my design, I don’t need to outsource any jewellery.