[100 Emerging Women Leaders] These women entrepreneurs started up to make every day fine jewellery

When Aakriti Sethi came back to India from the US, she realised there was no brand that offered jewellery that could be worn every day. She then shared her thoughts with her college friend Rashi Sanghvi. 

The duo realised that while the market for fine jewellery was booming in India, there was a huge gap in the market for every day fine jewellery. This led them to launch STAC Fine Jewellery in 2018. The Mumbai-based brand offers jewellery crafted in 18 karat gold, diamonds, emeralds and pearls, the label offers versatile pieces that are luxurious yet light, hassle-free and easy to wear.

According to the co-founders, the common ground they found was that women tend to traditionally own jewellery that is very heavy and has been passed down for generations. Their journey started with hunting for fine jewellery that would be practical to wear while also retaining its 18-carat gold shine and quality. 

The consumers had two options available--there were either mass players with a wide portfolio of products or jewellers that one could reach out to. However, there was no particular brand that was offering jewellery in this niche segment. 

Rashi says, “We were at that age in our lives where costume jewellery just wouldn’t cut it. People wanted to own high-quality pieces, and that too across the board. This included better, fewer, and quality pieces that they could keep forever.” 

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Coming from a family of jewellery business also served as a stepping stone for Aakriti. “I’ve grown up seeing my mother’s designs,” she says. 

Rashi was also familiar with the ecommerce business, which proved to be helpful for the company. She had earlier started a company called Gardner Street, which was sold later. The challenge was to ensure that potential customers would familiarise themselves with the products and brand. For this, the co-founders held virtual appointments aimed at addressing the issue. 

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Advising women entrepreneurs, Aakriti says one should not to be afraid. She believes that failure is an organic part of every process and that there will always be ups and downs.

Rashi highlights that standing one’s ground is extremely important instead of being drowned by the noise around them.