By Anelisa Centani
In an ever-evolving jewellery industry, remarkable pioneers like Thembi Lekota are reshaping the landscape. Luna Jewellery, an online retailer, was founded by Lekota in May 2021. The business has quickly carved out a niche in the market, offering bespoke jewellery services that enable clients to be fully involved in the design process. “This personalised experience allows the client to create their own memories. Also, with heirloom pieces is pieces that you can keep within your family for a lifetime,” Lekota told Vutivi News. The 33-year-old jeweller combines her passion for jewellery with a vision for a unique business.
“The jewellery industry has always been a great passion for myself. I wanted to turn something that I loved into a business that is fulfilling,” she said. With a decade of experience including retail, consulting and designing, Lekota gained valuable insights and improved her skills, paving the way to establish her business. Her extensive experience has also given her a clear vision of how to operate the business and balance the creativity of traditional artistry with contemporary design trends.
“We receive an inquiry from a client, we request contact details, we set up an appointment, we go through a design process and sketch the client’s vision. Our 3D designer then brings the vision to life. The manufacturing process then begins. The client then receives regular updates within this process,” said Lekota.
“If a client wants to reuse metal that they had from like a grandmother or mother, we keep that metal and craft the item by hand and then obviously with the contemporary, that’s when the 3D CAD (computer aided design) imaging comes in, and we cast it. Once it’s complete, it goes back to the bench and is completed by hand.”
Luna Jewellery specialises in engagement rings, wedding rings, and lifestyle jewellery. It faced initial challenges such as building market share, attracting the right clientele, and establishing a solid online presence. Lekota and her team used social media to overcome these hurdles. “We had designed comprehensive social media campaigns, and we keep growing our online presence. So, with posting every day, trying to find like different ways of interacting with our social media clients,” she said.
Lekota told Vutivi News that providing valuable jewellery education has also played an essential role in building trust with her clients and boosting their confidence. She is excited about the future of Luna Jewellery, with a festive season campaign in the works and proposal packages lined up for next year.
Lekota said her aim was to expand their product range and reach out to a broader clientele. “So ultimately, we want to have a footprint in the jewellery industry and keep expanding and growing, especially online presence, because we are a fully online retailer,” said Lekota. Their commitment to growth and innovation ensures an exciting journey ahead.
