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A family affair

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Photo by Madoline Markham.

It doesn’t take long to learn where Avani Rupa got its name. The jewelry store, which is moving to a new showroom on Canterbury Road this month, features the designs of Avani Patel and her mom, Rupa Patel. 

Customers come in to see Rupa or to see Avani for a design, not for a brand, they said. 

The business started a decade ago with Rupa selling her jewelry creations off her dining room table at home. Eventually she opened Reflections Diamond Jewelry in a Hoover store front before she and Avani adopted a new name and brand his year.

Avani had always helped with the business and wanted to be a part of it professionally, but first she studied accounting and business at Birmingham-Southern College, an experience she knew would help her ultimately grow a jewelry business. 

Afterward, Avani pursued joining her mom by way of the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California, where she studied for a year and earned certifications in Graduate Gemology, Jewelry Design and CAD/CAM. 

 With her GIA certification, Avani brings a unique skill set to the business that was built by grading diamonds for eight hours a day for six months. She creates custom bridal jewelry with certified diamonds and gemstones as well as earrings and necklaces. No two of her creations are the same, as she focuses on quality over quantity. She is also passionate about educating her customers as she works with them on her designs. She walks them through the four Cs — carat, cut, color and clarity — explaining the importance of using stones with certified authenticity.

Outside of this collection of gemstones and diamonds, Avani creates more fun and trendy pieces the store sells.

“It portrays who I am — a second generation Indian raised in the South,” Avani said. “It’s chic with American clothes, but you wouldn’t see it in an American store.”

Rupa still designs pieces as well. They have a more a classic style than Avani’s but still feature an Indian influence.

When designing the new shop space in Mountain Brook Village, Avani wanted it to feel approachable. When you walk in, you will see a beverage center with a seating area where you can discuss designs. 

The store will also feature gallery pieces at the front. Display pieces will show off jewelry, the design sketches that guided its creation, photos of the owner wearing it. Avani wants it to feel like an art gallery to show off custom work the shop has done, although they won’t be for sale. 

Further back in the store, Avani will work with customers in a design area by appointment, and the jewelry will be divided into three sections: solitaires and bridal, high-end customized pieces and everyday chic such as bangles, hoops and pendants.

“Just because you are coming in doesn’t mean you have to buy something,” Avani said. “I want to share what we do, and when they feel ready, they will be ready [to buy.]”

Avani

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