It’s not just Ganjam’s heritage and magnificent jewellery that’s old. Many of its clients are almost of the same vintage, according to Dushyanth Ganjam, retail head of the Bangalore-based jewelers. “Just the other day, an old lady came into our store wearing large gold ornaments in her ears. ‘I have not taken my karnaphool off since I was 14. They were a wedding gift from my mother-in-law. But now, I want to get them redone so that I can pass them on to my granddaughter,’ she said. “The gold earrings had been crafted by my granduncle Eswar Ganjam. It was his grandfather Nagappa who founded the company in 1889. So you can imagine how old the pieces were,” says Dushyanth. “We share a strong, emotional relation with clients, old and new,” adds his uncle and joint managing director Kumar Ganjam.
The two are in Delhi to launch Ganjam’s latest collection of jewels, called ‘Song of the Sea’. The white gold collection is inspired by the ever-changing, never-changing movements of the ocean; diamonds, blue sapphires and tanzanites recreate the interplay of blue and white created by waves. The choice of stones and design seems rather unusual for a brand with rich Carnatic jewellery. But Kumar has an easy explanation: “We have evolved and so have our patrons.” The 26 pieces in the collection—neckpieces, earrings, rings and wrist-wear—are priced between `1 lakh and `30 lakh. “It took us more than a year to create it,” explains Dushyanth. That’s because the word ‘hurry’ doesn’t seem to exist in the brand’s dictionary. Ganjam’s designers and creators slave over every product and launch only one theme-based collection each year. While the latest collection recreates water drops and waves with a network of stones and tassel-like structure, the brand is also known for its ‘sensations’ pieces like the one that was created for Platinum Guild International a few years back. Called ‘Iraja’, it recreated riverbanks with diamonds and could be draped around neck and shoulders. While the brand add new pieces to its popular temple jewellery collection ‘Heritage’ each year, it also revisits Nizam jewellery and crafts like ikat to craft new pieces. Unlike most years, Delhi (instead of Bangalore) has been the first to see the ‘Song of the Sea’ collection. “Delhi is a growing market and is responding extremely well,” Kumar answers.
For a brand that is overtly Indian, Ganjam has interacted significantly with foreign designers. In 2000, it collaborated with Japanese designer Kazuo Ogawa to create a memento for the Japanese princess that was styled on the mythical bird Ganda Berunda. In 2005, it again roped in Ogawa to create exclusive pieces for the brand.
But given that Ganjam has a presence in Tokyo, London, Lucca and Milan in Italy and Singapore, why has it restricted itself to only three boutiques (in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai) in its own country? “Having a limited number of stores means better control as we want our customers to be a part of our creation process,” Dushyanth says. The brand’s sharp customer focus was evident at the Delhi boutique recently when a live crafting counter was created for craftsmen to demonstrate how Ganjam jewellery pieces are created.
Back in Bangalore, a team of 12 designers works closely with over 60 artisans—some of whom are third-generation craftsmen with the brand. Each piece is handcrafted in-house. While one designer works on only one collection at a time, work on a piece doesn’t stop until the piece reaches ‘Ganjam perfection’. “My team and I procure and then cut and polish the rarest gems that from across the world,” Kumar says. They also oblige loyal clients who want rare gems to be cast into their jewellery. “But we do so only after a thorough test at our Bangalore lab,” Kumar adds.
Not that all the clients want the same thing. The jewellers say they get plenty of customers who have designs on their mind rather than pockets full of precious stones. “Today’s clients are so sure of what they want. They surprise us, pleasantly, with their knowledge of stones, trends and prices,” Dushyanth adds. The pleasant surprises are mutual, one’s sure.