Heart and Craft of Diamonds with Bhavin Jakhia
Meet the director of OM Jewellers, whose fascination for natural diamonds helped breathe new life into his heirloom jewellery business.
When actor Amandla Stenberg walked onto the red carpet at the Academy Awards last year wearing an exquisite pair of floral natural diamond drop earrings designed by Mumbai-based OM Jewellers, Bhavin Jakhia, the brand’s director, knew the moment was a jewel in his crown. “For the last 80 years we were only known for our authentic 22-carat gold jewellery, but now we can proudly say that we are a premier brand for contemporary diamond jewellery,” he beams.
From a small jewellery workshop in Gujarat in 1939, the family-owned business has undergone several revolutionary changes to become a luxury diamond brand that has made its presence felt in the world’s most glamourous red carpets. However, this process of adapting with times, hasn’t been one devoid of struggles. “We weren’t born into riches. We’ve had to work our way up slowly and steadily and that has taught us to stay grounded always,” says Bhavin. “I’ve spent endless days in our jewellery workshop, labouring over designs under our then manager who was also a hard taskmaster,” he recalls.
The big gamechanger moment for the brand was when Bhavin decided to turn to natural diamonds to cater to a whole new generation of customers. “The desirability of natural diamonds is unmatched and transcends generations. We were not just rebranding ourselves, we were trying to create our little niche as new-age diamond jewellers,” he adds.
Classics with a twist
With an innate love for classic silhouettes, Bhavin’s favourite piece so far is the natural diamond cuff that OM Jewellers created for the Oscars red carpet this year. “It’s a classy white gold cuff with lines of natural diamonds running through it, which stands for the essence of the brand. We wanted it to be edgy and elegant enough for the Oscars, but also relatable to millennials,” he says.
Looking forward
Everything in their collection is a spin on what the contemporary Indian woman would desire and Bhavin’s biggest inspiration is his wife. “I always think of her as my muse and also the most difficult customer I have to cater to because she is so hard to please,” he laughs. Bhavana, his wife, is well-travelled and has a keen eye for diamonds, which makes her the last word on the trendy designs that the brand creates. “I often tell my staff to run new design ideas by her because she is very intuitive when it comes to natural diamonds and loves playing with colours, cuts and shapes to create one-of-a-kind pieces,” he adds.
When it comes to his own sense of style, Bhavin loves to discover new ways to use natural diamonds in his wardrobe as well. Be it through a natural —diamond thumb ring— his first gift to himself—or bold and powerful cuffs, the self-proclaimed diamond lover is always experimenting. “I truly believe that if millennials today can relate to jewellery it is only through natural diamonds; they’re just so versatile and functional,” he adds.
Adapting with the changing times, has always been the key for OM Jewellers. So yet again, they are evolving while carefully nurturing the legacy handed over to them by their forefathers. “We don’t rely on heavy corporate mantras and believe that we are jewellery lovers before we are jewellers. My fondness for natural diamonds makes it easier for me to bond with customers and promise them the same commitment I get from earth’s most beautiful and valuable resource,” says Bhavin.
