The jewellery business is the most difficult to deal in since it relies on a mouth to mouth marketing but for Ragini Patel’s family, it has been a forty five year long journey.

Located at New Stanley Hotel’s ground floor terrace, Ms Patel’s Maru Craft shop operates behind closed doors where strict instructions await anyone seeking to venture into the shop that has a guard outside to frisk all customers before entry.

Ms Patel said their business hardly relied on window shoppers but past clients who referred new clients to them.

“We build partnerships with our clients when they visit us once to buy rings for their nuptials. Some come back for a second helping of new earrings, necklaces and rings but mostly we receive soon to wed couples and those planning to renew their vows,” she said.

BEST MONTHS

Ms Patel said that December and mid-January are their best months while pre-Valentine shoppers visit to buy surprise gifts for their spouses.

“Kenyans are now willing to spend any amount to please a loved one. It is not the price that matters but the evident show of love on the cost of an item. One wants to prove a point that dignity and prestige of being loved are worth every penny spent on an item that remains cherished for life,” she added.

Ms Patel said that they have managed to build their business for the past 45 years by personalising the items purchased by inscribing names and initials on them which helps couples adore their jewellery.

“No client wants a gold ring that will fade after a while but one that will glow with their name on it for life. Our business is built on trust and every couple visiting us ends up recommending us to the next couple in line,” she said.

While the jewellery business started off with a few players in the late sixties, it has attracted more players selling finished imported products.

The challenge now is that some of the jewellery, though costly, ends up being fake.

FAKE DEALERS

“These fake dealers give us a bad name since they sell costly items that fade with time forcing couples to buy new rings. A fade on a ring could be interpreted to mean a dying marriage,” said Ms Patel.

The booming jewellery business in Kenya has attracted global attention with South African-based consultancy firm, New World Wealth (NWW), which tracks the spending habits of the world’s affluent society from property to luxury goods, saying Kenyans now appreciate jewellery.

In their latest report, NWW mentioned Kenya as among eight countries where purchase of luxurious items shot up in the past twelve months.

On display at Maru Craft Jewellery are rings whose value vary from Sh20,000 to Sh300,000 while necklaces, mostly preferred during the Valentine period, go for between Sh8,000 and Sh100,000.

While men are said to be spendthrift, a growing middleclass group of men has shown a change of heart and now frequent the shop to buy watches that go for between Sh20,000 and Sh169,000.

This is meant to place them above their peers in terms of status.

President Uhuru dons a Classic Rolex estimated to be worth Sh600,000 while RMA Motors Chief Executive Mr Sanjiv Shah dons a Sh600,000 Rado Florence watch.

KCB Group’s CEO Joshua Oigara’s Montblanc does not come cheap as its price tag is Sh438,000.

“People save money to buy a quality watch that guarantees them a service for life.

“Among them are Rolex, Seiko, Citizen and Pulsar,” she said adding that most of the watches are a must-have for politicians, salesmen and company executives.

Microsoft’s Global Head of Marketing Activation Mr Ken Oyola goes around with a Tag Heuer worth Sh380,000.

Maru Craft established itself as a major source for earrings where the cheapest goes for Sh5,000 for a silver-coated one while the gold-coated ones will go for as much as Sh20,000.

HIGH RISK BUSINESS

A survey around Nairobi also indicated that jewellery is a high risk business where security for the items is a matter of concern, which has seen many of the jewellery outlets being based inside four and five star hotels where clients visit.

“Most of the items are an investment worthy of being handed down from one generation to another.

“People come here to buy jewellery for keeps and will only hand it over to their son or daughter on their wedding day,” added Ms Patel.

But most Kenyans interviewed who loathe costly items were unwilling to reveal their real cost for fear of exposing themselves to criminals while some jewellers located at prominent hotels declined to be interviewed saying their business fared well behind wraps.

“Jewelleries are not for everyone but for a few who know why their spouses or children should don jewellery during special occasions such as a wedding or anniversary of a special occasion,” said a dealer who declined to be identified.

Safaricom’s Chief Executive Bob Collymore has a t liking for watches and has a Breitling, Longines, Montblanc and Armani whose worth is about Sh1.6 million.