E ven as a young girl, when she was no more than a child of merely eight years, Varuna D Jani remembers that she had a deep passion for jewellery. Her greatest joy was to accompany her father, Ramchand Popley, to their Zaveri Bazaar jewellery showroom. But it was not only a love of jewellery that fi red her, it was also a deep interest in design. And as the karigars came and discussed with her father, the little girl would be inspired to make sketches of jewellery designs of her own.%% As Varuna grew up, her talent and interest blossomed as well, and led her to do a gemmology and design course at the Gemmological Institute of India (GII). But before her career could go any further, Varuna was married at the young age of 18 years and soon moved to Dubai with her husband. %% Though the duties as a young wife and mother kept her busy in those initial years, her interest in jewellery did not diminish. “Even in Dubai, I didn’t lose touch with the jewellery world,” says Varuna. “I used to regularly visit the Gold Souk. I kept up my exposure to international trends and designs and studied the manufacturing and fi nish of international products. Dubai was a good place to be in as even in those days it had jewellery of all types catering to all markets. I developed as a designer by minutely observing all that was going on in the jewellery market.” %% In a way, Varuna was marking time. Though her eye for detail and her design sensibilities were developing, there was no clear cut plan to put these into practice. However, in 2005, the opportunity arose when her father called her back to India to help with the family business – the Popley Gold Plaza, as their showroom was then called – due to his failing health, and with only her brother to help, what was a large developing business enterprise. %% Varuna’s joining of the family business was marked by a flurry of developments. “I took over as the CEO of the operation and handled everything, from HR, advertising and marketing to design,” says Varuna. She also questioned the branding of the enterprise. “I thought, why Popley Gold Plaza?” she asks “when a large part of our business was diamond jewellery. It evoked an old fashioned image as well.” Eventually this led to the fashioning of Popley Eternal. %% At that time, Varuna moved all over India, studying the markets in various cities. One fact struck her forcefully. She realised that though there was developed retail in many parts of the country, it was Mumbai that consumers flocked to when they considered buying high end diamond jewellery – in the range of Rs. 20 lakh and above. “Mumbai was perceived as the place for both design and quality,” she says. She also realised that there were hardly any brands in the field. From these insights was born the Varuna D Jani label. “To my mind, we had everything going for us,” avers Varuna. “ We had the brand value and reputation of Popley’s behind us. We had a grand showroom of three storeys. We had the design sense and we had the holding power – for when you are talking about jewellery in this price range, you are talking big money on inventories alone.”

The Varuna D Jani brand was conceived as a high value, high end label. “We had a very clear positioning,” says Varuna. “Exclusivity and grandeur were the key attributes of the brand. This jewellery was also expensive, but to maintain the exclusivity one had to have a top end product.” The brand first came into existence as Varuna D Jani for Popley. They started with 40 sets, and a few pieces in every category, and an entire floor was turned over to this range of jewellery. “Clearly this kind of jewellery was what was missing in the market,” recalls Varuna. “And we had a good response from the first. We had very good sales. We already had the Popley tag which stood for trust built up over years. And that stood us in good stead.” %% The immediate response and success that Varuna met with fired her passion even further. “By 2008 I had the desire to take India to the international level, to have a designer label that could make a mark anywhere” says Varuna. “With a clear cut focus that people should be proud to wear your jewellery and be able to say with confidence, we are wearing a Varuna D Jani piece. And I believe if you are able to give people unique designs, excellent craftsmanship, and full transparency, they will be happy to flaunt the label.” It is interesting that Varuna understood early on the importance of transparency which has today become a byword in the diamond jewellery market. “As long as you give what you say you are giving that is important,” observes Varuna. “Today people may be willing to go in for an SI quality diamond, but they must be told that is what they are getting.” %% By 2009, due to a variety of factors, Varuna decided to move out of a Popley and set up her own flagship store. “It was not the best of times to make such a big move,” says Varuna wryly. “The recession had just struck, the terrorist attack was still fresh in people’s memory and the prices of diamonds were very high.” Recovering her spirits instantly and with a never-say-die attitude, Varuna adds with a bright smile, “But if one has confidence in oneself and patience, and one puts in hard work, then you can ride out the bad times.” That is exactly what she did. The initial period was full of challenges, but she persevered on to put up an exclusive showroom, which is both quietly elegant, and a tranquil oasis in Mumbai’s busy suburb of Bandra. A fitting setting indeed for her exclusive and classic pieces of jewellery; and a place where consumers with a discerning eye and high budgets can be catered to at leisure.

“Now things are going well,” says Varuna brightly. “Everyone who came into the store said it was unique, they appreciated the jewellery - both its design and workmanship.” But Varuna also strongly believes that over and above excellence of product and ambience there is one more element essential for any high end brand. “New luxury is all about personalisation,” she asserts. “It is about giving your customer a unique service experience. And I make sure I can give all my customers personal attention and time to understand exactly what they are looking for in order to give them the best. That is the USP and positioning of Varuna D Jani.” %% Currently the Varuna D Jani Jewellery serves as the flagship collection of the designer. This collection of jewellery, Varuna believes is “Classic jewellery redefined” and includes bespoke pieces which can become heirlooms. Priced at Rs. 3 lakh and above, this caters to the 25 years and above age group, the connoisseur, the global traveler, in short the cognoscenti. Included in this range are a number of lines created around different themes as well as classic pieces which are eternally attractive. %% At the India International Jewellery Week last year, Varuna launched the VOW collection, an acronym for “Very Own Wish”, which is a patented collection of pieces which can be mixed and matched and is multi-wear jewellery for women. The VOW collection is priced at Rs. one lakh and above. A consumer can keep updating her VOW jewellery by adding pieces as and when desired. %% At the IIJS to be held in August this year, Varuna will launch yet another collection – V Rock. Conceived as jewellery for those in their late teens and the 20 plus age group and men, this jewellery for the younger generation creates the illusion of a solitaire and is jewellery “made affordable and available” according to the designer. It will be an “aspirational” brand, a first step for the consumer to enter the diamond jewellery market. %

Varuna’s expansion plans like everything else are very clear cut. “I only want to have three stores,” she says. “Another one in south Mumbai, and one in Delhi. I believe very strongly that you must give personal attention to your customers and so I want to be able to have enough time to cater to customers in all the places. I will also introduce technology in the way of video conferencing and so on so that I will be available at all times to anyone who needs me.” %% Varuna also has a string of awards to her credit all received in the relatively short time since she set up her flagship store. In 2009, Varuna received the Women Super Achiever by a global jury of Asia Retail Congress 2009, and in the same year Indira Institute of Marketing bestowed upon her “Brand Leadership Award” for Marketing Excellence. She completed a hat trick when she won the “Best Diamond Vivaah Jewellery Award” at the Retail Jeweller Awards. She went on to better her record by bagging the “India International Achievers’ Award”, a distinction bestowed on a select few from India and abroad for their outstanding contribution towards progress and development of Indian economy and society. %% She has passion, she has drive, and she is dedicated to what she does. Little wonder that this talented designer and able entrepreneur has made a success of all she has set out to achieve.

I kept up my exposure to international trends and designs and studied the manufacturing and fi nish of international products. Dubai had jewellery of all types catering to all markets. I developed as a designer by minutely observing all that was going on.

Exclusivity and grandeur were the key attributes of the Varuna D Jani brand. This jewellery was also expensive, but to maintain the exclusivity one had to have a top end product.

She put up an exclusive showroom which is quietly elegant and a tranquil oasis in Mumbai’s busy suburb of Bandra and a fitting setting indeed for her exclusive and classic pieces of jewellery.

She bagged the “India International Achievers’ Award”, a distinction bestowed on a select few from India and abroad for their outstanding contribution towards progress and development of Indian economy and society.

E ven as a young girl, when she was no more than a child of merely eight years, Varuna D Jani remembers that she had a deep passion for jewellery. Her greatest joy was to accompany her father, Ramchand Popley, to their Zaveri Bazaar jewellery showroom. But it was not only a love of jewellery that fi red her, it was also a deep interest in design. And as the karigars came and discussed with her father, the little girl would be inspired to make sketches of jewellery designs of her own.%% As Varuna grew up, her talent and interest blossomed as well, and led her to do a gemmology and design course at the Gemmological Institute of India (GII). But before her career could go any further, Varuna was married at the young age of 18 years and soon moved to Dubai with her husband. %% Though the duties as a young wife and mother kept her busy in those initial years, her interest in jewellery did not diminish. “Even in Dubai, I didn’t lose touch with the jewellery world,” says Varuna. “I used to regularly visit the Gold Souk. I kept up my exposure to international trends and designs and studied the manufacturing and fi nish of international products. Dubai was a good place to be in as even in those days it had jewellery of all types catering to all markets. I developed as a designer by minutely observing all that was going on in the jewellery market.” %% In a way, Varuna was marking time. Though her eye for detail and her design sensibilities were developing, there was no clear cut plan to put these into practice. However, in 2005, the opportunity arose when her father called her back to India to help with the family business – the Popley Gold Plaza, as their showroom was then called – due to his failing health, and with only her brother to help, what was a large developing business enterprise. %% Varuna’s joining of the family business was marked by a flurry of developments. “I took over as the CEO of the operation and handled everything, from HR, advertising and marketing to design,” says Varuna. She also questioned the branding of the enterprise. “I thought, why Popley Gold Plaza?” she asks “when a large part of our business was diamond jewellery. It evoked an old fashioned image as well.” Eventually this led to the fashioning of Popley Eternal. %% At that time, Varuna moved all over India, studying the markets in various cities. One fact struck her forcefully. She realised that though there was developed retail in many parts of the country, it was Mumbai that consumers flocked to when they considered buying high end diamond jewellery – in the range of Rs. 20 lakh and above. “Mumbai was perceived as the place for both design and quality,” she says. She also realised that there were hardly any brands in the field. From these insights was born the Varuna D Jani label. “To my mind, we had everything going for us,” avers Varuna. “ We had the brand value and reputation of Popley’s behind us. We had a grand showroom of three storeys. We had the design sense and we had the holding power – for when you are talking about jewellery in this price range, you are talking big money on inventories alone.”

The Varuna D Jani brand was conceived as a high value, high end label. “We had a very clear positioning,” says Varuna. “Exclusivity and grandeur were the key attributes of the brand. This jewellery was also expensive, but to maintain the exclusivity one had to have a top end product.” The brand first came into existence as Varuna D Jani for Popley. They started with 40 sets, and a few pieces in every category, and an entire floor was turned over to this range of jewellery. “Clearly this kind of jewellery was what was missing in the market,” recalls Varuna. “And we had a good response from the first. We had very good sales. We already had the Popley tag which stood for trust built up over years. And that stood us in good stead.” %% The immediate response and success that Varuna met with fired her passion even further. “By 2008 I had the desire to take India to the international level, to have a designer label that could make a mark anywhere” says Varuna. “With a clear cut focus that people should be proud to wear your jewellery and be able to say with confidence, we are wearing a Varuna D Jani piece. And I believe if you are able to give people unique designs, excellent craftsmanship, and full transparency, they will be happy to flaunt the label.” It is interesting that Varuna understood early on the importance of transparency which has today become a byword in the diamond jewellery market. “As long as you give what you say you are giving that is important,” observes Varuna. “Today people may be willing to go in for an SI quality diamond, but they must be told that is what they are getting.” %% By 2009, due to a variety of factors, Varuna decided to move out of a Popley and set up her own flagship store. “It was not the best of times to make such a big move,” says Varuna wryly. “The recession had just struck, the terrorist attack was still fresh in people’s memory and the prices of diamonds were very high.” Recovering her spirits instantly and with a never-say-die attitude, Varuna adds with a bright smile, “But if one has confidence in oneself and patience, and one puts in hard work, then you can ride out the bad times.” That is exactly what she did. The initial period was full of challenges, but she persevered on to put up an exclusive showroom, which is both quietly elegant, and a tranquil oasis in Mumbai’s busy suburb of Bandra. A fitting setting indeed for her exclusive and classic pieces of jewellery; and a place where consumers with a discerning eye and high budgets can be catered to at leisure.

“Now things are going well,” says Varuna brightly. “Everyone who came into the store said it was unique, they appreciated the jewellery - both its design and workmanship.” But Varuna also strongly believes that over and above excellence of product and ambience there is one more element essential for any high end brand. “New luxury is all about personalisation,” she asserts. “It is about giving your customer a unique service experience. And I make sure I can give all my customers personal attention and time to understand exactly what they are looking for in order to give them the best. That is the USP and positioning of Varuna D Jani.” %% Currently the Varuna D Jani Jewellery serves as the flagship collection of the designer. This collection of jewellery, Varuna believes is “Classic jewellery redefined” and includes bespoke pieces which can become heirlooms. Priced at Rs. 3 lakh and above, this caters to the 25 years and above age group, the connoisseur, the global traveler, in short the cognoscenti. Included in this range are a number of lines created around different themes as well as classic pieces which are eternally attractive. %% At the India International Jewellery Week last year, Varuna launched the VOW collection, an acronym for “Very Own Wish”, which is a patented collection of pieces which can be mixed and matched and is multi-wear jewellery for women. The VOW collection is priced at Rs. one lakh and above. A consumer can keep updating her VOW jewellery by adding pieces as and when desired. %% At the IIJS to be held in August this year, Varuna will launch yet another collection – V Rock. Conceived as jewellery for those in their late teens and the 20 plus age group and men, this jewellery for the younger generation creates the illusion of a solitaire and is jewellery “made affordable and available” according to the designer. It will be an “aspirational” brand, a first step for the consumer to enter the diamond jewellery market. %

Varuna’s expansion plans like everything else are very clear cut. “I only want to have three stores,” she says. “Another one in south Mumbai, and one in Delhi. I believe very strongly that you must give personal attention to your customers and so I want to be able to have enough time to cater to customers in all the places. I will also introduce technology in the way of video conferencing and so on so that I will be available at all times to anyone who needs me.” %% Varuna also has a string of awards to her credit all received in the relatively short time since she set up her flagship store. In 2009, Varuna received the Women Super Achiever by a global jury of Asia Retail Congress 2009, and in the same year Indira Institute of Marketing bestowed upon her “Brand Leadership Award” for Marketing Excellence. She completed a hat trick when she won the “Best Diamond Vivaah Jewellery Award” at the Retail Jeweller Awards. She went on to better her record by bagging the “India International Achievers’ Award”, a distinction bestowed on a select few from India and abroad for their outstanding contribution towards progress and development of Indian economy and society. %% She has passion, she has drive, and she is dedicated to what she does. Little wonder that this talented designer and able entrepreneur has made a success of all she has set out to achieve.

I kept up my exposure to international trends and designs and studied the manufacturing and fi nish of international products. Dubai had jewellery of all types catering to all markets. I developed as a designer by minutely observing all that was going on.

Exclusivity and grandeur were the key attributes of the Varuna D Jani brand. This jewellery was also expensive, but to maintain the exclusivity one had to have a top end product.

She put up an exclusive showroom which is quietly elegant and a tranquil oasis in Mumbai’s busy suburb of Bandra and a fitting setting indeed for her exclusive and classic pieces of jewellery.

She bagged the “India International Achievers’ Award”, a distinction bestowed on a select few from India and abroad for their outstanding contribution towards progress and development of Indian economy and society.

E ven as a young girl, when she was no more than a child of merely eight years, Varuna D Jani remembers that she had a deep passion for jewellery. Her greatest joy was to accompany her father, Ramchand Popley, to their Zaveri Bazaar jewellery showroom. But it was not only a love of jewellery that fi red her, it was also a deep interest in design. And as the karigars came and discussed with her father, the little girl would be inspired to make sketches of jewellery designs of her own.%% As Varuna grew up, her talent and interest blossomed as well, and led her to do a gemmology and design course at the Gemmological Institute of India (GII). But before her career could go any further, Varuna was married at the young age of 18 years and soon moved to Dubai with her husband. %% Though the duties as a young wife and mother kept her busy in those initial years, her interest in jewellery did not diminish. “Even in Dubai, I didn’t lose touch with the jewellery world,” says Varuna. “I used to regularly visit the Gold Souk. I kept up my exposure to international trends and designs and studied the manufacturing and fi nish of international products. Dubai was a good place to be in as even in those days it had jewellery of all types catering to all markets. I developed as a designer by minutely observing all that was going on in the jewellery market.” %% In a way, Varuna was marking time. Though her eye for detail and her design sensibilities were developing, there was no clear cut plan to put these into practice. However, in 2005, the opportunity arose when her father called her back to India to help with the family business – the Popley Gold Plaza, as their showroom was then called – due to his failing health, and with only her brother to help, what was a large developing business enterprise. %% Varuna’s joining of the family business was marked by a flurry of developments. “I took over as the CEO of the operation and handled everything, from HR, advertising and marketing to design,” says Varuna. She also questioned the branding of the enterprise. “I thought, why Popley Gold Plaza?” she asks “when a large part of our business was diamond jewellery. It evoked an old fashioned image as well.” Eventually this led to the fashioning of Popley Eternal. %% At that time, Varuna moved all over India, studying the markets in various cities. One fact struck her forcefully. She realised that though there was developed retail in many parts of the country, it was Mumbai that consumers flocked to when they considered buying high end diamond jewellery – in the range of Rs. 20 lakh and above. “Mumbai was perceived as the place for both design and quality,” she says. She also realised that there were hardly any brands in the field. From these insights was born the Varuna D Jani label. “To my mind, we had everything going for us,” avers Varuna. “ We had the brand value and reputation of Popley’s behind us. We had a grand showroom of three storeys. We had the design sense and we had the holding power – for when you are talking about jewellery in this price range, you are talking big money on inventories alone.”

The Varuna D Jani brand was conceived as a high value, high end label. “We had a very clear positioning,” says Varuna. “Exclusivity and grandeur were the key attributes of the brand. This jewellery was also expensive, but to maintain the exclusivity one had to have a top end product.” The brand first came into existence as Varuna D Jani for Popley. They started with 40 sets, and a few pieces in every category, and an entire floor was turned over to this range of jewellery. “Clearly this kind of jewellery was what was missing in the market,” recalls Varuna. “And we had a good response from the first. We had very good sales. We already had the Popley tag which stood for trust built up over years. And that stood us in good stead.” %% The immediate response and success that Varuna met with fired her passion even further. “By 2008 I had the desire to take India to the international level, to have a designer label that could make a mark anywhere” says Varuna. “With a clear cut focus that people should be proud to wear your jewellery and be able to say with confidence, we are wearing a Varuna D Jani piece. And I believe if you are able to give people unique designs, excellent craftsmanship, and full transparency, they will be happy to flaunt the label.” It is interesting that Varuna understood early on the importance of transparency which has today become a byword in the diamond jewellery market. “As long as you give what you say you are giving that is important,” observes Varuna. “Today people may be willing to go in for an SI quality diamond, but they must be told that is what they are getting.” %% By 2009, due to a variety of factors, Varuna decided to move out of a Popley and set up her own flagship store. “It was not the best of times to make such a big move,” says Varuna wryly. “The recession had just struck, the terrorist attack was still fresh in people’s memory and the prices of diamonds were very high.” Recovering her spirits instantly and with a never-say-die attitude, Varuna adds with a bright smile, “But if one has confidence in oneself and patience, and one puts in hard work, then you can ride out the bad times.” That is exactly what she did. The initial period was full of challenges, but she persevered on to put up an exclusive showroom, which is both quietly elegant, and a tranquil oasis in Mumbai’s busy suburb of Bandra. A fitting setting indeed for her exclusive and classic pieces of jewellery; and a place where consumers with a discerning eye and high budgets can be catered to at leisure.

“Now things are going well,” says Varuna brightly. “Everyone who came into the store said it was unique, they appreciated the jewellery - both its design and workmanship.” But Varuna also strongly believes that over and above excellence of product and ambience there is one more element essential for any high end brand. “New luxury is all about personalisation,” she asserts. “It is about giving your customer a unique service experience. And I make sure I can give all my customers personal attention and time to understand exactly what they are looking for in order to give them the best. That is the USP and positioning of Varuna D Jani.” %% Currently the Varuna D Jani Jewellery serves as the flagship collection of the designer. This collection of jewellery, Varuna believes is “Classic jewellery redefined” and includes bespoke pieces which can become heirlooms. Priced at Rs. 3 lakh and above, this caters to the 25 years and above age group, the connoisseur, the global traveler, in short the cognoscenti. Included in this range are a number of lines created around different themes as well as classic pieces which are eternally attractive. %% At the India International Jewellery Week last year, Varuna launched the VOW collection, an acronym for “Very Own Wish”, which is a patented collection of pieces which can be mixed and matched and is multi-wear jewellery for women. The VOW collection is priced at Rs. one lakh and above. A consumer can keep updating her VOW jewellery by adding pieces as and when desired. %% At the IIJS to be held in August this year, Varuna will launch yet another collection – V Rock. Conceived as jewellery for those in their late teens and the 20 plus age group and men, this jewellery for the younger generation creates the illusion of a solitaire and is jewellery “made affordable and available” according to the designer. It will be an “aspirational” brand, a first step for the consumer to enter the diamond jewellery market. %

Varuna’s expansion plans like everything else are very clear cut. “I only want to have three stores,” she says. “Another one in south Mumbai, and one in Delhi. I believe very strongly that you must give personal attention to your customers and so I want to be able to have enough time to cater to customers in all the places. I will also introduce technology in the way of video conferencing and so on so that I will be available at all times to anyone who needs me.” %% Varuna also has a string of awards to her credit all received in the relatively short time since she set up her flagship store. In 2009, Varuna received the Women Super Achiever by a global jury of Asia Retail Congress 2009, and in the same year Indira Institute of Marketing bestowed upon her “Brand Leadership Award” for Marketing Excellence. She completed a hat trick when she won the “Best Diamond Vivaah Jewellery Award” at the Retail Jeweller Awards. She went on to better her record by bagging the “India International Achievers’ Award”, a distinction bestowed on a select few from India and abroad for their outstanding contribution towards progress and development of Indian economy and society. %% She has passion, she has drive, and she is dedicated to what she does. Little wonder that this talented designer and able entrepreneur has made a success of all she has set out to achieve.

I kept up my exposure to international trends and designs and studied the manufacturing and fi nish of international products. Dubai had jewellery of all types catering to all markets. I developed as a designer by minutely observing all that was going on.

Exclusivity and grandeur were the key attributes of the Varuna D Jani brand. This jewellery was also expensive, but to maintain the exclusivity one had to have a top end product.

She put up an exclusive showroom which is quietly elegant and a tranquil oasis in Mumbai’s busy suburb of Bandra and a fitting setting indeed for her exclusive and classic pieces of jewellery.

She bagged the “India International Achievers’ Award”, a distinction bestowed on a select few from India and abroad for their outstanding contribution towards progress and development of Indian economy and society.