Krishna Chavda: Jewelry Designer and VEATGE Owner
I was introduced to Krishna Chavda and her jewelry brand, VEATGE, at an event earlier this year. I only spoke with her for a few minutes, but I instantly knew she was someone special. Not only is beautiful on the inside and out, she’s also creative and driven. In 2017, she opened VEATGE, a fine and demi-fine jewelry brand that is based out of Houston, Texas, and can be found online. Learn more about Krishna, her family’s jewelry business, and her journey to opening VEATGE.
Family Jewelry Business
Jewelry is an important part of Krishna’s Indian culture and something she has always admired, but it wasn’t something she saw herself pursuing as a career early on. When Krishna was five, her father opened a jewelry store in India. She grew up helping family businesses during her holidays and summer vacations.
"My father, an optometrist by profession, had established many successful businesses; jewelry was one of them. When he was young, he traveled to the Middle East to expand our retail base for eyeglass frames and stayed there for some time. My grandpa manufactured and retailed glasses frames. To pay the bills while in the Middle East, he took up a job at a jewelry showroom in Bahrain, where he fell in love with this industry. A few years later, he started his own business in India with his younger brother.”
"A career in jewelry never crossed my mind back then. During my teen years, all I knew was I wanted to move to a big city and work for a big company. Having a career itself was a big deal as no women in my family had worked outside before me."
"The jewelry business eventually had to be gifted away to my uncle as per my grandfather's wishes, as dad already had a successful career in eyewear. While it sounds like a Bollywood movie, these things are normal in large Indian joint families."
"He believed that while a degree was necessary, practical day-to-day knowledge and being street smart was more important."
Krishna was working for Indian Airlines after finishing her Bachelor's degree when she met her future husband, Dipak, and decided to make a big move to the United States to be with him.
Motherhood
When Krishna got to the U.S. it was after the September 11th attacks and a difficult time for her to get a job at an airline, so she decided to pursue her MBA. After she graduated she worked for MD Anderson Cancer Center and then moved into the oil and gas industry. However, Krishna ultimately left her job one year after the birth of her daughter.
"My daughter suffered from sleep apnea when she was born, and it became challenging to balance work and motherhood. She was going through so many problems. . .doctor's appointments. . .nannies were not working out. . .daycares were not working out. So I decided, 'You know what? I'm going to stay at home and cherish motherhood and take this time off from work.' I think that was the best decision I ever made."
Silversmithing
Though she didn’t realize jewelry would be something she would pursue as a business in the future, Krishna had started learning jewelry making skills back at their jewelry store in India.
"At our shop, the sales girls taught me how to wire wrap and bead. I learned these skills and would make jewelry to wear and give as gifts to my friends. I also worked a short time at a Turkish Jewelry store to pay for my MBA tuition.”
Then, after her daughter was born, Krishna decided to take a ring-making class from a local jewelry store. She later enrolled in Advanced Metalsmithing, where she learned most of the skills.
"It was just a fun hobby class that I had attended with a friend. I was told that if you're at home, then you have to keep yourself busy, or else boredom will set in, and postpartum depression will set in. All these scary terms. So I said, 'Okay, I'm going to have fun. I'm going to learn new skills. Happy mommy, happy baby."
“Perfecting your craft eventually requires a lot of trial and error, a curious mind and constant focused practice."
"I've always been entrepreneurial and knew that I would eventually start a business. Jewelry kept crossing my path in different ways, and it felt like fate. All the serendipitous events made me realize that it was the right decision. To my surprise, those around me also shared the same feeling and encouraged me to pursue it – especially my dad".
VEATGE
“I wanted to build a jewelry collection that I would one day pass on to my daughter.”
This was a shared sentiment between Krishna and her customers.
The vision for the business certainly came from the heart. But Krishna didn’t realize how difficult it would be to actually get the business off the ground. When she launched VEATGE in 2017 she had a hard time getting manufacturers to take her seriously. They would treat her like she was a young girl trying to start a hobby business. Fortunately, a third-generation silversmith was able to help her understand the manufacturing process of fine jewelry. He still works with the company today.
"My corporate-to-creative journey gave me an outsider's perspective. It helped me understand the gap in the market and the modern women’s pain point. She loves heirloom-quality pieces with designs that can stand the test of time without breaking the bank, all at her fingertips. We launched VEATGE with minimal investment, and our business consistently grew each year, mostly by word of mouth. The materials and designs remain my number one priority today, and jewelry making was a creative outlet that I never took seriously but found myself connecting with deeply."
"Demi-fine jewelry is a growing category and the best alternative to solid gold. Many discerning jewelry buyers are now using demi-fine to build their jewelry collections due to its unique balance of cost and quality. Demi-fine hits a sweet spot for both gifting and self-purchasing.”
Krishna is very proud of the business she’s built, completely bootstrapped with a small amount of money, but she finds her customers to be the most rewarding part.
“They will say:
‘I'm proposing with this ring!’
‘I’m buying this for my wedding!’
‘This is for my 50th anniversary!’
It makes me feel so special that I was able to create something that is going to be cherished for so many years.”
Advice for Women
On owning your own business
"There is no blueprint or proven method for building a successful business. Even if someone who has done it before shares their exact strategy with you, it may still not be applicable to your unique business. Today a new social platform or AI technology can pop up overnight and completely change the landscape of any business. Trusting my intuition, trusting the process, and cutting the unnecessary noise is what I have found useful."
"Oh, and don't forget to have fun while you are at it. We get so caught up in the imperfections and small setbacks that we often forget to celebrate the wins and appreciate what we've built.”
On embracing your passion
"When you have your own business, there's a special passion that you don't feel when working for someone else. It's like raising your own child. I find the creative process quite fulfilling - from imagining how the piece will look to seeing it right in front of me and seeing others wear it. I've seen my jewelry on strangers, and it is such a great feeling!"
On working with your life partner
"We stick to our strengths. I focus on the creative aspects of the business and the retail side; he handles the supply chain and finances. He is our implementation king. Once his mind is set on something, he will make it happen."
"I told him I wanted an office space, and he did everything from finding the location to getting furniture to setting up security. He is someone I respect a lot! He already has a very successful career in the oil and gas industry but gives his 100% on building my dream. He is always giving without expecting anything at all. We still have our share of disagreements or conflicts.. But I think when you have mutual respect and trust in each other, only then you can go forward with a business like this. It's been a great journey."
