In the Limelight… Vendor Spotlight… Sampat Jewellers

This week on Apropos Creations, I’m featuring one of my favorite modern Indian jewelry brands, Sampat Jewelers. 

At a South Asian Bride event, I met the owner and lead designer Jinal Sampat. We then met again when I was visiting San Jose, California.

I love the energy and passion Jinal and her team bring to the Indian wedding scene. Jinal is a thought leader when it comes to creating modern Indian wedding chains, commonly known as mangalsutras.

In the limelight...  vendor spotlight...  Sampat Jewellers

Tell us about Sampat Jewellers…

I design and create versatile diamond mangalsutras that the women won’t store in the bank safe.

When it comes to fine jewelry including diamond mangalsutras, there are three things that matter the most: (a) the jewelry design, (b) the quality of the gems and gold, and (c) the clients trust in their jeweler. Through my work, I strive to meet or exceed customer expectations in all three areas.

Indian fine jewelry for today’s generation needs to be accessible and practical. This goal is achieved through thoughtful jewelry design. As a family business since 1977, our strength lies in the ability to source high quality natural diamonds. Our clients trust us our ability to create jewelry pieces that they’ll enjoy for their lifetime and pass it onto future generations. This is what we stand for.

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How did you get started in the wedding business?

I decided to expand our family business in the USA to preserve our family legacy. 

As I worked with more and more brides, it became clear that there was a need for versatile, modern pieces. I started to focus on creating mangalsutra pieces, an important jewelry piece in most Indian marriages.

Traditional mangalsutras are only worn on special occasions such as weddings or Indian holidays. For the rest of the year, they are stored in the bank safe. I wanted to change this practice.

What makes you different from other businesses in the field?

There are two aspects of our work that make us unique  (1) Diamond quality that goes beyond the 4C’s and (2) Timeless and daily wear designs 

When purchasing diamond jewelry, most people know about the Gemological Institute of America and their widely published 4Cs – carat, cut, clarity, and color. This is a quick and easy way to compare diamonds sold by two or more different companies. But the 4Cs in and by itself are not sufficient to compare diamond quality. The proportion and sparkle of the diamond are equally important but rarely discussed with retail buyers.

If diamonds and gold are the ingredients of jewelry, the timeless and versatile design is what puts it all together. Without design excellence, you’re basically buying expensive rocks mounted on precious metal. We love creating designs that are original, timeless, and wearable on a daily basis. Our design goal has always been to create pieces that our clients won’t store in their bank safe.

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From a vendor’s perspective, what’s the best piece of advice you can give to engaged couples?

I recommend brides to pick their fine jewelry first and then the outfit. This may sound like biased advice, but it’s not. 

Most brides will wear their wedding outfits once, maybe twice. But they’ll wear their fine jewelry many times during their lifetime. Brides forget that they get to enjoy their fine jewelry including mangalsutras, for their lifetime.

What was the most difficult situation you have faced with a client and how did you resolve it?

A couple of years ago I worked with a bride who wanted me to design a custom mangalsutra for her wedding. We experienced minor delays in getting her design finalized. In spite of these delays, I was confident we could deliver her mangalsutra before her wedding date. 

To leave nothing to chance, I decided to upgrade her shipping service to FedEx Priority for no additional cost. It was our bad luck that her shipment was delayed due to a storm in the Memphis area. 

But there was some hope. The package had successfully reached her hometown in Illinois. Since it was a weekend, FedEx re-scheduled the delivery the following Monday. But her wedding was on that weekend and she needed the mangalsutra for her wedding ceremony. 

To resolve this issue, I got on the call with FedEx, convinced them to open their sorting facility and deliver the package to the wedding location. I was so relieved and happy to know that the bride could wear her mangalsutra on her wedding day. 

Why do you like working with weddings?

I love weddings because brides and grooms are starting a new phase of their lives and it is a privilege to create a jewelry piece that symbolizes their marriage.

In the limelight...  vendor spotlight...  Sampat Jewellers

What or who motivates you?

Preserving the art of fine jewelry making is what motivates me the most. In the world filled with technology and mass manufacturing, it’s more important than ever to cherish, appreciate, and preserve the art of fine jewelry making.

What do you do when you are not working?

My favorite thing to do when I’m not working is spending time in the garden. I love exploring different plant species, being curious about honey bees and hummingbirds, and cherishing the vitality of a healthy garden.

In the limelight...  vendor spotlight...  Sampat Jewellers

What would we be surprised to learn about you?

I love capturing precious moments not just in my life but in other people’s lives. It is not uncommon to find me behind a smart phone taking candid shots of people being kind and loving with their loved one’s.

Check out the rest of our blog to learn more about other fabulous vendors we’ve worked with and to learn more about Jinal and Sampat Jewellers, visit their website at https://sampatjewelers.com/.  When you contact Jinal, make sure to let her know you found them here.

Here’s one of our featured South Asian weddings we’ve worked together in the past in Overthemoon.com.

Thank you for reading this month’s In the Limelight… Vendor Spotlight… Sampat Jewellers!

In the limelight... vendor spotlight... Sampat Jewellers