For years, gold has held a major significance in Indian culture. The yellow metal has been regarded as a symbol of wealth and is often given as a gift on special occasions such as weddings. However, mining — the process of extracting gold and other precious metals — is disastrous for the environment.
"90-95% of jewellery in India is with gold, and while we are obsessed with this metal, the problem is that it is extremely destructive to the environment, due to its mining footprint," said Vivek Ramabhadran, Founder and CEO of Aulerth, a multi-designer house of consciously-made jewellery.
The precious metals are extracted from the Earth's surface in two main ways — through surface mining or underground mining. In surface mining, the ground is blasted to extract the ores situated near the Earth's core, destroying the surrounding landscape. On the other hand, in underground mining, ores are removed after blasting tunnels that reach the ore deposits situated deeper. This process can lead to accidents that trap miners underground. Mining leads to water and air pollution.
Founded in 2021, Aulerth produces couture-inspired pieces in association with designers like JJ Valaya, Suneet Varma, Shivan and Narresh, and Tribe Amrapali, that are consciously made. The ornaments are made from scrap material such as recycled brass. Aulerth incorporates man-made stones instead of mined stones in its designs. The jewellery goes through a process of gold plating, protective layering, and anti-allergen coatings to maximise longevity.
On how the idea of Aulerth germinated, Ramabhadran said, "It’s a collection of learnings I picked up during my time spent in the world of fashion and jewellery across India and other emerging markets, understanding the perspectives of different players in the eco-system, mindsets of consumers, and understanding how global luxury houses in Europe work." Before establishing Aulerth, Ramabhadran had worked with McKinsey and Swarovski.
Aulerth was initially a digital platform, but is now expanding its presence in the physical world. The brand recently launched its stores in Delhi and Bangalore and plans on expanding its presence to other cities.
Aulerth's demographics are very widespread, explained Ramabhadran — "From a 25-year-old from Delhi to a 50-year-old from the Hamptons in the UK." Ramabhadran said the brand’s current client base is largely from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The brand also has its presence in international markets, mainly UK, Dubai, US, and Singapore.
Overall, 25-30% of sales comes from online platforms like Tata Cliq Luxury, Ajio Luxe, Elahe, other than the brand’s own website. The brand has also partnered up with third parties to expand its client base. These include Taj hotels in Delhi, Mumbai, and Goa, multi-designer boutiques like Ogaan, Ensemble, Evoluzione and Elahe.
Aulerth reported 33% repeat customers in the past year, which according to Ramabhadran, could spike up to 40% in the coming year. Last year, the brand introduced a rental programme called the ‘The Aulerth Loop.’ "We observed a gradual rate of growth and acceptance in the market, which has led to a repeat customer of 10-15% in the first year itself. Our projection for ‘Loop’ in this coming year is that it can increase to about 30-35%. All the above cumulates to give us nearly 4-5 times more on our current conversions," Ramabhadran said.
Aulerth's product offerings range from ₹5,000 to as high as ₹2.8 lakh. Are women willing to spend this much on non-precious jewels? Ramabhadran firmly believes so.
"Through our research with current and prospective clients, we have understood that there’s a growing group of consumers who are financially savvy enough to understand that buying gold jewellery as an investment option is not the ultimate choice. There’s also an increasing awareness of the inconveniences around just wearing gold jewellery – one can’t travel with it freely, it’s unsafe, and it’s cumbersome to store and retrieve," Ramabhadran reasoned.
According to Ramabhadran, Aulerth bridges the gap between fashion and designer jewellery. "Four out of five women find it difficult to match jewellery with their outfits because jewellery designs don't evolve as fast as wardrobe choices. We offer a 50% credit exchange policy, a lifetime warranty, and a rental programme."
Does he plan to lower the costs going forward? "Our product-price offering is well configured for our clientele, and hence won’t be changing. Our offering is for those who are discerning on design, quality, and craftsmanship," Ramabhadran clarified.
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