Case study · Bespoke diamond jewellery
“How much gold does the karigar still have?”
At Ornate by Shruti, answering that meant a call to the workshop and a page in a paper ledger. With 30+ bespoke orders out with karigars at any time, every status update was a phone call. Here’s how one system replaced them.
On the bench
Every piece made to order. Each one with its own job card.
Rings, earrings, bracelets and pendants, each designed with the client, made by a karigar and checked gram by gram before delivery.
SettingOB-231Halo Solitaire RingRamesh K. · due 20 Dec
PolishingOB-228Sapphire Drop EarringsSalim A. · due 18 Dec
ReadyOB-224Rose Gold Diamond BraceletCollected by Kunal R. today
CastingOB-219Amethyst Flower RingDinesh P. · due 27 Dec
DesignOB-235Emerald Pendant ChainSent to client for approval
The problem
The workshop ran on a ledger and a phone.
Ornate by Shruti designs and makes bespoke diamond jewellery in Mumbai. Gold and stones go out to karigars, come back as finished pieces, and every gram has to be accounted for. All of it was tracked in paper ledgers and WhatsApp.
Gold out, no running balance
Gold issued to karigars was written in a paper ledger. The balance was only worked out at month-end.
4 days of reconciliation every month
Diamonds counted by packet
Stones went out in packets. Count and weight on return were checked by hand, if at all.
Shortfalls impossible to trace to a job
Bespoke orders on WhatsApp
Designs, changes and approvals sat in chat threads with clients and karigars.
Every status update needed a call
Budgets on a calculator
Clients asked what a design would cost in 14K or 18K. The answer came the next day.
Clients left the consultation without a price
Every month-end we spent four days matching gold with the karigars. Every missing gram had to be argued for.
What we did
We followed one ring from sketch to delivery.
Consultation, design, quotation, metal and stone issue, casting, setting, polishing, delivery. We mapped every step the studio already followed, then built the system around it.
The life of one bespoke order
- BeforeConsultationBudget worked out on a calculator. Price sent the next dayWith FaxtorConsultationThe budget planner prices the piece while the client is in the room
- BeforeDesignSketches and photos shared back and forth on WhatsAppWith FaxtorDesign approvalDesign photo approved on the order and sent on WhatsApp
- BeforeIssue to karigarGold and diamond packets written in a paper ledgerWith FaxtorIssue to karigarGold and every stone issued against the job card
- BeforeIn workStatus known only by calling the karigarWith FaxtorIn workEach stage updated from the workshop phone
- BeforeDeliver and invoiceInvoice typed by hand. Gold matched at month-endWith FaxtorDeliver and invoiceGST invoice from the order. Weight and loss settled on return
What we built
One system for the studio. On the karigar’s bench too.
Customers, catalogue, quotations, orders, job cards and invoices in one place. The workshop updates each stage from a phone, and clients approve designs on WhatsApp.
- RKRamesh K.86.4 g
- SASalim A.74.1 g
- DPDinesh P.69.8 g
- ASAnwar S.61.3 g
- +88 others121.0 g
- Sapphire Drop EarringsMrs. Shah · 18 DecPolishing
- Halo Solitaire RingMrs. Mehta · 20 DecSetting
- Rose Gold BraceletKunal R. · todayReady
- Amethyst Flower RingMs. Iyer · 21 DecQC
- 01Customers and consultationsEvery client’s preferences, past pieces and budgets in one profile.
- 02Catalogue with design photosDesigns, weights and stone details ready to show in the consultation.
- 03Quotations and budget plannerPrice a piece in 14K, 18K or 22K while the client is still in the room.
- 04Orders and job cardsEvery bespoke order with its design, karigar, stage and due date.
- 05Metal and diamond ledgerGold issued and returned by karigar and job. Stones tracked to 0.01 ct.
- 06GST invoicesInvoices from the order with weights, rates, making charges and UPI QR.
- 07Configurable rates and chargesDaily gold rate, making charges and loss limits set by the studio.
- 08Financial-year recordsOrders, ledgers and invoices kept and closed by financial year.
The project
6 people. Live in 9 weeks.
- 6people on the team
- 5days in the workshop
- 4weeks to the first working version
- 9weeks to go live
The team
- PLProject lead
- UXDesigner
- FS3 full-stack engineers
- QAQA engineer
Built with
- React
- Node.js
- PostgreSQL
- AWS
- WhatsApp Business API
- UPI QR
- GST invoicing
The results
Every piece in work. Status the same day.
Live numbers from the workshop’s current orders, from consultation to delivery.
- 34Orders in work
- 12Karigars on the system
- 412.6 gGold tracked live
- 18.42 ctDiamonds tracked
- 0.01 ctStone-level precision
- 4 daysSaved at month-end
Order status
Same day
Before
A call to the karigarGold reconciliation
Live, every issue
Before
4 days at month-endQuotation in consultation
In the meeting
Before
Next-day callbackDiamond tracking
0.01 ct, by job
Before
Counted by packetDesign approvals
Saved on the order
Before
Lost in chatsKarigar loss
Flagged on return
Before
Found at month-end
“Every bespoke order has its design, stones and karigar in one place.”
Your workshop next
Your order book is growing. Let’s make sure every gram keeps up.
Book a no-obligation discovery call. Tell us how your workshop runs today, and we’ll show you exactly where the system saves you hours and money.