Former Forest Hills Residents Launch Online Custom-Design Jewelry Business

A former Forest Hills resident has founded an online jewelry business with her husband and brother that allows patrons to customize their purchases based on their budgets.

Taruna Shah said that she and her husband, Anish Shah, and brother, Mitesh Jain, launched Kimmati Jewelry online earlier this year to give people the option of creating their own jewelry, but also allowing them to do so based on how much they are able to spend.

“We want people to create their own jewelry and their own experience,” Taruna Shah said. “People can come in and change out a stone and make it their birthstone or change it to a color or pattern they like. We are the only site that is giving people access to create whatever they want when it comes to jewelry.”

Shah, who lived in Forest Hills for more than 20 years and previously worked in sales, recently moved with her husband to Sunnyvale, Calif., where the couple runs the technology side of the company.

Jain, who moved from Forest Hills to New Jersey, runs the company’s local manufacturing operations. He has a wholesale business, so Kimmati, which means “precious” in Hindi, would act as his retail arm.

Currently, Kimmati sells rings, pendants and earrings.

“It’s all fine jewelry, from higher end products to lower end ones,” Shah said. “You can change anything out to silver and make it a lower price. It’s very dynamic. The price changes with every adjustment you make based on your budget.”

Eventually, the company will also offer cuff links for men and bracelets.

Items on Kimmati’s site can cost anywhere from $50 to $20,000, Shah said. Jewelry purchased through the site is shipped to customers’ homes within 10 days.

“These are all items we’re making from existing designs, so people can customize the metal and the gemstone,” she said. “There’s no one out there who does what we do. This is new for the industry.”

Kimmati launched in January, but went through a site redesign several months later.

“We got a lot of great feedback,” Shah said. “After the redesign, we started marketing. The site has been really well received. People love it and the ability to personalize their purchases.”