THE SECOND COMING OF BLUESTONE

After being laid low by the pandemic, the IPO-bound jewellery startup has begun to turn around

- Priyamvada C

The dazzlingly bright fine jewellery store had all kinds of glitzy items on display, but there were only four customers checking them out when Mint visited it on a Wednesday evening earlier this month. The manager candidly told us that the store, located in a commercial area not far from IT hub Whitefield, never saw the kind of wedding jewellery-hunting crowds common at long-established names such as C. Krishniah Chetty, Bhima Jewellers, or GRT Jewellers. Most people who visit the store do so only after going through the company's website, he added, to look at items they liked online. And wedding chokers or bijouterie aren't the sort of thing they look for on Bluestone.com.

"They have a very good variety, and any piece of jewellery is highly customizable. I was looking for something casual that can be worn on an everyday basis and Bluestone has a wide assortment for just this," said Payal Dutta, one of the customers at the store.

"They have very simple and attractive options for office-going people like me. They also have a provision to get your jewellery serviced every two months, which helps to create great trust with the brand for first-time customers like me," said another customer, who did not want to be named. "But they are slightly on the pricier end."

Slightly pricier is a bit of an understatement—the average selling price of Bluestone's fine jewellery is ₹40,000-60,000. It's a chain that caters to the well-heeled, and that, perhaps, is one of the reasons it is not overrun by shoppers. Despite the high prices, however, the digital-first jewellery company's stores do see a decent amount of footfalls, mostly chic or casual wear-clad youngsters.