Armed with more than three decades of experience, high-end jewelry label Royal Gem is a new entrant in the local jewelry industry.
Beneluxe Trading Corporation—the jewelry arm of Metro Gaisano Group of Retail Stores—rebranded the 30-year-old Metro Jewelry brand to Royal Gem in a bid to give identity to its luxury line. The company also operates low-range Smythe & Co. that caters to the young market and the mid-range brand MyGold for those who are starting to collect jewelry.
“Metro Jewelry started in 1982, before I was born,” shares Merill Tiffany Gaisano, Royal Gem's resident gemologist and the third generation of Cebu-based Gaisano family who founded Metro Department Stores among other companies under the Metro Group of Companies.
She continues, “Now we’re renaming it from Metro Jewelry to Royal Gem to differentiate ourselves from other brands we’re carrying and to convey that message that our market is mainly for the empowered women.”
It obviously took the management some time to give their high-end line its own name, but the officials share that after conducting studies last year, they found out that giving identity to the range would help it cement its ground in the market—especially in Luzon and Metro Manila where it is still considered an underdog.
Initially, five stores of flagship Metro Jewelry will be renamed Royal Gem—these are located at Metro Department Stores in Ayala Center Cebu, Alabang Town Center, Market! Market!, Marquee Mall and Metro Legazpi. “But eventually we will transition to changing Metro Jewelry to Royal Gem and some to MyGold and Smythe & Co.,” notes Marketing Manager Francesca Zosa.
Zosa also shares that they are looking into establishing stand-alone Royal Gem stores at Glorietta Mall and Solaire Resort and Casino.
Each flagship Metro Jewelry store that will be turned into Royal Gem has more than 100 square meters of space to house its wide assortment of diamonds, colored stones, South Sea pearls, and silver and gold, among others—which they source from all over the world, but mostly in Asia.
“We source topaz and sapphire in Thailand, our diamonds are from India. We also get from Cambodia and Sri Lanka,” says Zosa.
Their partner manufacturers in Japan and Italy design the Royal Gem's jewelry pieces. Zosa shares they even have a collection that has the same manufacturer as Bulgari.
From humble beginnings with its first store in Cebu where there were only two showcases of mostly gold-plated jewelry that cater to religious locals, Royal Gem now carries all categories, according to Gaisano.
“Our assortment is aspirational, basically catering to all sorts of women who want to have their own set of gemstones,” adds Zosa.
A huge chunk of Royal Gem's market are women 30 years old and up. Jewelry prices range from P50,000.00 to as much as P20 million.
The luxury jewelry line has six main collections.
The Enchanted Collection takes cue from romance and nature as it combines lustrous pearls with diamonds. Basic studs for everyday wear and experimental pieces for more dressed up occasions comprise the Pristine Collection. The Decadent Collection, on the other hand, is a colorful range composed of jewelry made of amethyst, citrine, blue topaz, peridot, rose quartz, garnet, aquamarine, morganite, opal, turquoise and jade.
Jewelry that can be worn with basic jeans and t-shirt are included in the galaxy-inspired Celestia Collection. The Imperiale Collection is composed of vibrant gemstones such as stunning red rubies, majestic green emeralds and cool blue sapphires. And the show-stopping Ultra Collection features carat stones and one-of-a-kind pieces that are suitable for special occasions.
According to Zosa, items in the six main collections will be changed quarterly.