Q&A with renown jewellery expert Sushil Raniga at Bees Jewellery

The Asian jewellery industry is a growing and exciting market which is constantly changing. We wanted to know more about the glitz and glamour, and what it takes to be successful in such a competitive industry. We couldn’t think of anyone better than Brand Manager Sushil Raniga from Bees jewellery, to give us the inside scoop! Bees is a family run business which was established twenty years ago and is now one of the most recognised and famous jewellery stores when it comes to Asian jewellery.

Have a look at our exclusive interview with Sushil below:

1. How long have you been working in the jewellery industry?    

Bees was established twenty years ago but as a family business, we’ve been in the industry since 1950. My granddad, Bhanji Gokaldas, started the business by designing and manufacturing jewellery in Nairobi, Kenya. His craftsmanship and creativity captured the minds of a loyal customer following which allowed him to excel in the production of the finest twenty-two carat gold jewellery.  In 1975 he travelled to London and setup shop (PureJewels) on Green street to continue what he knew best – jewellery making! My father was also always involved in the workshop and making jewellery alongside my granddad. In 1994 my father identified an opportunity to create costume jewellery using the same techniques found in the real-gold jewellery business.  Only this time, he wanted to adopt colour into the mix with jewellery. Bees serves an audience that loves colour, style and wants to express their individuality

2. What made you want to be a part of the Asian jewellery industry?

The Asian jewellery industry is an exciting place to be at the moment. I’ve seen the development of the marketplace since a young age and everything is so different now.  As a third generation member in the family business, I would spend my weekends and summer holidays at the store learning from my father. I developed a keen interest in knowing how jewellery was made, presenting it in the store and selling it to our customers. I love retail and interacting with people, so from a young age I knew this industry was for me. Today technology has paved the way for us to offer our Colour Coordination service online to customers from all around the world.

 3. What makes Bees jewellery different to other jewellery brands?               

 I believe the experience we offer our customers at every point of their journey sets us apart. Our customers are our family, so we like to serve them with the utmost love. We welcome our family into the store and they leave the rest to us. They trust us to put all their jewellery together perfectly, and so for them the experience is stress-free. Finally, we love to stay in touch with our customers through social media.

 4.What do you think this season’s key jewellery trends are?

 This summer it’s all about jewellery for the everyday look. There’s nothing like pairing up a chain style matha patti with a white dress from French Connection, just as our resident blogger, Sukhman, did in this photo below. With Instagram, it’s so easy for anyone to be inspired by the different styles and trends.  Make sure you follow us on Instagram for your dose of fabulousness!

5.What are your two favourite Raishma outfits and why?

The team at Bees are huge fans of Raishma’s range of Kaftans and Tunic tops, particularly the Royal Blue and Gold Tunic – it’s minimal and a great option for during the day with a pair of jeans. The Black and Red Saree is another favourite of ours. It’s very feminine, and has an usual style neckline and cut out back; it’s great for a VIP event or summer party.

 6.What type of jewellery do you think complements these outfits and why?

 With the tunic we would keep it simple and understated. The accent gold earrings are a perfect match for the antique gold embroidery on the tunic. There is also another piece that would work really well with this tunic, and we’ve not officially released it yet (so you’re getting an exclusive!) This piece is the Layered Antique Chain Necklace below. The dust bangle set would coordinate well with the saree on one hand with a pair of the red moon earrings. For a more extravagant look we recommend rocking the manbhawati cuff bangle for a VIP event!

Follow: Bees Jewellery on Facebook/Instagram.

Get the looks by checking out the Accent Gold Earrings, Dust Bangle Stack, Red Moon Earrings and Manbhawati Cuff Bangle.