In a country where Candere jewellery is passed down like heirlooms and guarded with reverence, one brand dared to rewrite the script—not with temple gold or bridal sets, but with minimalist elegance, tech-driven design, and a name borrowed from Latin: Candere—“to glow.”
The Engineer Who Saw Gold in the Cloud
Back in 2012, while most Candere jewellery jewellers polished stones under yellow lights, a young IT engineer from Mumbai was writing code for something shinier.
Rupesh Jain, with a background in digital architecture and a family steeped in jewellery trade, asked a question no one else dared to: Why can’t India’s millennials buy fine Candere jewellery the way they order shoes or books—online, customized, and without suspicion?
That question gave birth to Candere.com, a portal for gold, diamond, and gemstone jewellery, born not in a store, but in a browser.
When Tradition Met Disruption
India’s jewellery industry has always been deeply traditional—trust forged over generations, designs rooted in ritual. Candere jewellery didn’t defy that; it digitized it.
With AI-powered customization, virtual try-ons, and interactive filters, Candere jewellery allowed customers to see, scale, and personalize their jewellery in real-time. You could choose the karat, adjust the size, switch the stone, and get it delivered—all without setting foot in a showroom.
It was tech meeting tradition at a perfect setting.
The Kalyan Partnership: Scale Meets Soul
In 2017, Candere caught the eye of Kalyan Jewellers, a legacy giant with over 300 stores across India and the Gulf. With a ₹40 crore investment, Kalyan acquired a majority stake and wrapped Candere into its growing empire.
But they didn’t drown it out. If anything, Candere gained confidence. Backed by Kalyan’s reach and credibility, it expanded its catalog, refined its logistics, and kept its digital soul intact.
Fast forward to 2024, and Candere became a wholly owned subsidiary, poised to open 80 more stores—physical footprints for a brand born in pixels.
Design for the Bold, Not the Bling
If Tanishq speaks of elegance and CaratLane whispers minimalism, Candere sings a more confident note. Its pieces—like the Orbit Diamond Collar Necklace or the Intersect Arrow Kada—aren’t just ornaments. They’re statements.
They’re not designed for brides, but for bosses. Not for dowry, but for identity.
And in a country rediscovering modern femininity, Candere’s message was clear: Jewellery can be bold without being bulky. Loud without being loud.
With Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador, the message wasn’t just about style—it was about legacy and modernity coexisting.
The Challenges of Scaling Shine
For all its sparkle, Candere isn’t without flaws.
In FY2025, the brand reported losses of ₹12 crore, with revenues slipping from ₹36 crore to ₹28 crore. For comparison, CaratLane surged ahead—raising questions if Candere was losing pace in a market it once helped shape.
Critics say the brand is trying to be everything: online and offline, premium and affordable, tech-driven yet emotion-based. But the management seems clear-eyed: profitability will come—once the foundations are laid deeper.
The new strategy? Franchise models, brand repositioning, and streamlined inventory. If 2012–2020 was about visibility, 2025 is about viability.
Global Glow, Indian Heart
Candere today operates not just in India but ships globally—to the U.S., U.K., and Gulf nations, offering Indian craftsmanship with global finesse. Its collections are gender-fluid, minimalist, and ethically sourced—offering something rare in the Indian market: aspirational jewellery that doesn’t shout, but speaks.In 2025, he launched Lucira, a lab-grown diamond brand aimed at environmentally conscious buyers. Think Netflix for diamonds—customized, affordable, and guilt-free.
Candere, it seems, was never just a brand. It was a mindset.
From Clicks to Carats: A Legacy in Progress
Candere’s journey is not just about technology or design—it’s about changing how India wears and perceives jewellery. It’s about making sparkle less intimidating and more individual. It’s about crafting a new customer: confident, curious, and connected.
From a laptop in Mumbai to drawing rooms across three continents, Candere didn’t just glow—it lit the way for an entire industry looking for reinvention.
And if jewellery is a story of what we value, Candere is a story of what’s changing.
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Author: Team BTP
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