Branding as `Gees', Guptasons is hoping to beat the competition by allowing its customers to personalise the designs available in the `Gees' portfolio.

The store has hired eight jewellery designers who will help women conceptualise and execute the designs in gold and diamond jewellery. Says Mr N V Gupta, a director of Guptasons, ``It began with a competition in October, where women were asked to submit designs for jewellery for any part of the body from head to toe." Mr Gupta also invited some celebrities, like Ms Romi Dev, Ms Nafisa Ali, Ms Madhu Trehan and Ms Reshma Punj, to submit their design concepts which the designers translated on paper and then onto metal.

`Uptill now, most of the designs were traditional and dependent on the craftsmen. Now, we have gone a step ahead by introducing personalised designs,'' says Mr Gupta. Though the personalised jewellery is right now available only at the Guptasons store in Karol Bagh, Delhi, Mr Gupta hopes to take the concept to other cities of the country by the end of this year.

The first set of ten personalised designs will be launched at a fashion show in the Capital next month and a panel of judges will choose the best design.

The piece of jewellery selected as the best will be given free of cost to the winner.

The designs have moved away from the traditional concepts and designs. Some of the patterns are very western but incorporated into Indian jewellery like the ones worn on foreheads. ``We have also got an order for a wedding in February, where we will be doing jewellery not only for the bride but for everyone in the family,'' says Mr Gupta. This will be the test-launch for the Gees' personlised brand, he says. ``Usually for weddings, only the bride gets to wear the best jewellery. But in this case we are designing jewellery to compliment what the bride wears by designing jewellery for the relatives too,'' says Mr Gupta. The Gees' personalised jewellery range will be priced upward of Rs 40,000, depending on the design.

Gees will also launch a pret collection made with 18 carat gold and diamonds. ``This collection will be launched by the middle of the year and we will be different from the other brands by offering jewellery from head to toe,'' says Mr Gupta. Jewellery brands usually have a limited range of jewels like necklaces, rings and bangles. Gees hopes to be different by introducing headgear, hairpins, nose rings, armlets, waistbands, navel enhancers, toe rings and an ornament for the leg similar to the armlet! However, the pricing for this range will be in keeping with the market prices.