How this tier-3 city's startup is redefining jewelry by bridging tradition and everyday gifting in India

For decades, jewellery in India has been tied to tradition—a symbol of wealth, an investment for the future. But for modern consumers, especially young people, there was little to choose from when it came to everyday, meaningful jewellery that wasn’t just about luxury.  To fill this gap, Vivek Soni came up with Sterlyn, a D2C silver jewellery brand launched in 2022.

“We’ve never treated jewellery as a mere commodity. For us, it’s always been about selling emotions, with jewellery as the byproduct,” says Vivek.

Vivek comes from a family with nearly four decades of experience in the jewellery business, but his own path was different. With an MBA in Finance and a career in credit and risk management, he wasn’t initially looking to follow in his family’s footsteps. His professional background taught him to analyse markets and spot opportunities, and it was this mix of traditional knowledge and modern business acumen that led to the idea of Sterlyn.

Starting the brand wasn’t easy. Vivek wanted Sterlyn to focus on everyday, affordable gifting, but the mindset around jewellery needed to change—both within his family and among potential customers.

“The biggest challenge was changing mindsets—both within the family and among customers. Traditional jewellery is often seen as an investment or a luxury, but I wanted Sterlyn to be about everyday, affordable gifting. Building trust online in a space dominated by big players and educating customers about our unique value proposition were initial hurdles,” Vivek mentions.

What makes Sterlyn different from other brands?

Besides offering rings, earrings, bracelets, jewellery sets, and pendants, what truly sets Sterlyn apart is its plastic-positive commitment. As one of India’s first plastic-positive jewellery brands, it offsets more plastic than it uses in its production and packaging. 

Vivek explains, “We collaborate with recycling initiatives to ensure sustainability isn’t just a buzzword but a reality. This commitment was born from my desire to build a brand that cares for the environment while delivering beautiful, minimalistic jewellery.”

This eco-conscious focus has resonated strongly with Sterlyn’s target audience. Vivek says that young women, particularly those aged 18 and above, have embraced the brand’s efforts to align with their values. 

Giving a personal touch

Sterlyn’s most distinctive offering is its message-card jewellery, which allows customers to add a personal touch to their gifts. Each piece of jewellery comes with a customisable message card, making it perfect for occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, or even apologies.

According to Vivek, the focus on personalisation has redefined how customers perceive jewellery, transforming it from just another product into a thoughtful, emotion-filled gift.

Interestingly, this approach has made Sterlyn popular among male customers, who now make up 50-60% of their buyers. 

“Around 50-60% of our customers are men, purchasing gifts for their wives, girlfriends, or sisters. This insight has shaped our marketing strategy to emphasise meaningful gifting options and simplify the purchasing journey for men who may be unfamiliar with jewellery shopping,” Vivek says.

From humble beginnings to big goals

Like many successful brands, Sterlyn had humble beginnings, with sales of just Rs 38,000 in its first year. However, the brand's offerings with a personal touch scaled its sales figure to Rs 48 lakh in the following year. Notably, it now aims to achieve Rs 2.5 crore in sales by FY25.

“Our success lies in focusing on what the customer truly values—affordable, meaningful gifts,” Vivek explains. 

The brand has leaned heavily on digital marketing, collaborations with social media influencers, and user-generated content to drive growth.

“Strategically, we’ve relied on UGC videos and customer feedback to refine our offerings, while influencer partnerships have helped us build trust and recognition.”

However, building a presence in a crowded market hasn’t been easy for Sterlyn. As Vivek explains, "Educating customers about the unique concept of message-card jewellery and building recognition in a crowded market has been a challenge." 

To tackle this, the brand focuses on storytelling, influencer collaborations, engaging content, and user-generated content (UGC) videos to highlight real customer experiences.

When it comes to pricing, the brand focuses on lightweight, minimalistic designs to ensure affordability without compromising on quality. Vivek highlights how operational efficiencies help maintain this balance: “Bulk manufacturing and streamlined operations allow us to offer competitive prices while maintaining the quality our customers expect.”

"We’ve seen consistent revenue growth by staying laser-focused on customer needs and doubling down on high-performing categories,” he says.

Open to raising external capital

Vivek highlighted that Sterlyn is exploring ways to scale its growth effectively. While the brand remains focused on organic growth, he mentioned being open to raising external capital—provided it aligns with Sterlyn’s vision and values. 

Currently, the brand aims to increase its topline to Rs 1 crore+ monthly within the next 8–10 months by making essential hires and boosting sales across major ecommerce marketplaces, including Myntra, Nykaa, Amazon, and TataCliq.

Expanding product range

Sterlyn aims to expand its product range with more expression-card jewelry and customizable options, while focusing on enhancing eco-friendly initiatives.

The brand is also planning to move beyond the online space by establishing offline stores, bringing its thoughtful gifting experience to a wider audience.

“We see a shift towards personalization, affordability, and sustainability in the jewelry market. Sterlyn is perfectly positioned to lead in these areas with our offerings," Vivek added.