GURHAN One-of-a-Kind Jewelry is Antidote for Buyers & Sellers

NEW YORK : Every week this year, luxury jewelry brand GURHAN has sold more one-of-a-kind (unique… yes-really-the-only-one) pieces of jewelry than items from its standard line. Representing a whopping 70% of sales, this 22-year-old brand is experiencing what many ‘heritage’ brands can only dream of: a surge in demand by consumers fueled by what it has always done best! No need here to reinvent its product or reposition its story. From the start, designer, Gurhan Orhan, has boldly indulged his passion for one-of-a-kind creations and savvy connoisseurs have diligently sought them out. But now, a new generation of consumers has come to recognize the appeal of one-of-a-kind designs and is spearheading unprecedented demand for GURHAN’s creations. Why is this happening? GURHAN CEO, Fiona Tilley, has some pretty compelling explanations for this phenomenon and why it will continue to carry the brand to even higher levels of success in the future.

Why are customers so avidly buying GURHAN’s One-of-a-Kind jewelry today?

For consumers and retailers alike, the surge of online offerings poses the challenge of how to attain differentiation in a time when everyone has the same access to the same products as everyone else. This is true in the highly personal jewelry market as much as for commodity items like tech or t-shirts.

Retailers need to compete with other retailers – whether from storefronts on Main Street or online – for the same shoppers…

… it is easier than ever for customers to ‘window shop’ online to peruse a vast array of choices.

… it is easier than ever to price-compare online, irrespective of where the customer ends up shopping.

… it is easier than ever to get discounts through loyalty programs, special offers, and discount code without ever having to think about negotiating.

… and it is easier than ever to make a purchase without leaving the comfort of your home.

On such a level playing field, competition is fierce, and retailers must rise to the challenge to differentiate themselves. Perhaps the best way to secure customer loyalty is through deeply personal relationships with a real human being, which is why concierges are now as important as the seasoned sales associate. But coming in a close second is offering a product that no one else has.

And that’s where savvy New York jewelry brand, GURHAN, has the answer.

Retailers crave differentiation

Stores around the world that carry the GURHAN jewelry line have come to realize that they can eliminate competition and price-shopping by buying into the robust offerings of unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry. Tilley, reports that while one-of-a-kind jewelry has always been an important part of their business, there has been a stunning increase in the percent of sales represented by this type of product. Only 3 years ago, 25% of the brand’s sales were of these unique pieces, compared to the 70% of their business today. Tilley attributes this to the fact that GURHAN’s one-of-a-kind jewelry is truly one-of-a-kind, and that at a time when consumers are experiencing an overload of availability of a cookie-cutter product, the ability to own something that is truly different is very meaningful to someone.

Consumers demand differentiation

Which brings it back to the consumer. It has never been more important for a woman to want to buy something that has real value, and not just value in terms of ‘cost’. Value today is represented by creations that are designed from the heart, made by hand, sourced responsibly, and most of all, personal to the consumer. A piece of jewelry that is all of these, but which is truly one-of-a-kind is the most personal of all items.

And this is exactly why GURHAN has been so successful in creating the difference in a market of sameness. GURHAN offers woman jewelry that only she will own; she will never see another person walking down the street, at a party or in the boardroom who has the same piece of jewelry. It is this ultimate gift of individuality that has propelled GURHAN into the enviable position of being the ‘go-to’ brand for distinctive, one-of-a-kind jewelry creations.

Different + Gorgeous is the winning combination

GURHAN’s one-of-a-kind jewelry creations are also gorgeous. They feature the most unusual stones and combinations of stones, such as opals and tanzanite and pink sapphires. Designer Gurhan Orhan, says,

“The unique quality of stones inspires my one-of-a-kind creations. When I select a stone, I usually have a vision of how I will build a design around it… it is as if each stone has a destiny that I am bound to discover and create for it.”

Perhaps his most coveted one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces are those which showcase antiquities collected from around the world which make their way into his jewelry. Ancient Roman coins, Viking bronzes, Byzantine crosses, Victorian lava cameos, and micro-mosaics from the period of the Grand Tour, are just some examples of the extraordinary finds that GURHAN combines into his unique creations. Many items used in the jewelry are taken from Gurhan and Fiona’s personal collection. Says Orhan,

“Collecting remnants of the past and recreating their future has been an obsession for me since my earliest days as a goldsmith. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to capture a piece of history and imagine the past lives that were touched by it. To then give that object a new life as jewelry is my way of honoring the past.”

The GURHAN brand might be using items from the past but the items it creates today are securing that the brand will have a long future, both in the hearts of its consumers as well as in the showcases of its retailers.

Starting this season, the brand is ensuring that consumers and retailers alike will not miss out on seeing the latest one-of-a-kind creations. On a monthly basis, GURHAN sends out an email featuring the newest one-of designs, “Hot off the Bench”. Collectors now can see the latest creations as they are produced and, better still, to snap these rarities up before they reach the broader marketplace. In addition, to better inform customers of the incredible stories behind each piece, GURHAN publishes a regular blog packed with information on jewelry, history, tales, and inspirations.

For the woman that knows she deserves something that is hers and hers alone, GURHAN is the clear leader in the jewelry world.

By developing one-of-kind jewelry, Gurhan is catering customer’s needs in this today’s fashion driven world. iDesigniBuy in this segment offers Jewelry Customization Software for retailers so that they can integrate it with their website and offer personalized jewelry to their customers.