Ella Stein Jewelry Enhancing the Lives of Women

From the Ella Stein Jewelry Collection Love 'Em, the Triangle Flexi Bangles. Just one way Ella Stein enhances the lives of women. Photo Courtesy Ella Stein Jewelry.   Ella Stein Jewelry stands apart in its commitment to break the male-dominated mold in the diamond industry. I had the supreme pleasure of discussing this mission with founder, Adi Choksi, earlier this month. I am so impressed by Adi's vision for women, not only in India but all around the world.  

It Started with Ella

When Adi and his wife welcomed twins into the world, a boy and a girl, he pondered deeply his country's cultural norms. Like most parents, he felt as strongly about his daughter as he did his son. Yet, Indian culture dictates that the son inherits the family business. What about his daughter, Ella? Didn't she deserve as much to look forward to as her brother? Of course. Adi considered the role models she looked up to, the women in their life that even he admired deeply. First of all, his wife, Ella's mother. A jeweler in her own right, Ella's mother makes and markets her jewelry locally in India. Adi respects and admires his wife and trusts that in her Ella has a powerfully strong role model. Then there is her grandmother, Adi's own mother. Though often silent, his mother's strength emerges in the presence of others. Seemingly unflappable, she gives people the space and time they need to work through their struggles. She never criticizes, never offers unwanted advice, just quietly trusts that her children and grandchildren will figure things out. Finally, he considered women in the jewelry industry. Women like Kendra Scott, who started her exceptional jewelry business with a mere $500 in her pocket. Newly divorced, raising an infant on her own, she took her money and invested in supplies. Transforming her raw inventory into jewels, she then took them door to door. When she sold out, she took the money and reinvested in supplies to make more. Today, she is a billionaire. Her story, and others like hers, inspired Adi to draw more attention to women in the jewelry and diamond industry. Women his daughter could admire as much as he did, women she could aspire to emulate.  

The Women at Ella Stein

The Manufacturing Team

Making a conscious choice to favor women, Adi looks for ways to employ and promote women in his company. Today, women comprise between 70% to 80% of his manufacturing team. Nearly all of the operations managers are also women. Indeed, all of his sales and marketing managers are women, as are all of Ella Stein's diamond cutters. He finds that women generally handle the stressful situations that arise far better than men. With women in charge, the political and egotistical power plays ceased. As a result, he consciously replaced male team members with women whenever possible. Working in this way provides a unique opportunity for Adi to demonstrate his commitment to empowering and enhancing the lives of women around the world. One way he accomplishes this is to provide stellar benefits for his staff.

Benefits for Women

Ella Stein provides full medical coverage not only for every employee, but for every member of their family. This includes their elderly parents and in-laws. Adi discovered that families in debt primarily took loans out to provide care for their elderly parents, and he opted to remedy this burden. Furthermore, every employee receives a full six months of maternity leave. In some cases, the company grants a full year of leave. "And we don't say a word. We just figure it out," he remarks. Every team member has access to a confidential, in-house therapist. They can discuss whatever might be bothering them without fear of repercussion. In fact, the therapist doesn't even report who has come to see them, just the number of sessions they conduct each day. Finally, Adi brings a spiritual/emotional component to the mix. Every day, 600 people meditate together for 10 minutes before beginning to work. Incredible! Furthermore, every employee attends a compulsory 30-minute yoga session with an in-house yoga instructor at some point during the work day. This, in addition to the usual breaks for meals and such. "People are happy," he said. This applies also to the women cutting diamonds in Botad, as well.  

Diamond Cutters in Botad

Every time I watch this short video about Ella Stein's diamond cutters in India, I break out in chills. Adi, of course, purposefully chose to employ the women in Botad to cut all of Ella Stein's diamonds. Trained in the art of polishing and cutting, these women take tremendous pride in the art and technique of their work. In the small towns in India, women rarely find opportunity to earn money of their own. Typically, they raise the children, keep house, and prepare meals for their families while their husbands earn money farming.

Turning Culture On Its Head

In Botad, Adi has turned traditional culture on its head, employing the women of Botad to polish and cut diamonds for $2,000 to $3,000 per month. A truly staggering sum! Adi shared with me how visiting these women inspired him. First of all, he remarked on their money habits. "Women are not holders of money," he said. He explained that rather than spending on ego purchases to impress others, they spend it on bettering not only their own families but also the entire community. First of all, they use the money to ensure their children obtain the best education. Next, they use it to update their homes, creating an atmosphere of beauty and dignity. Then they use the rest to better the lives of those around them in their community. Furthermore, they use their opportunities to enhance relationships within the community. Rather than working alone in their own homes, one of the women opens her home to the rest. They hire a young woman to care for the children, while the rest of them polish and cut diamonds together as they chat and listen to music. In this way, they offer their children an opportunity to witness their mothers taking pride in their work, bettering their community, and producing beautiful jewels. Adi hopes to hire more of these women, and their daughters, as well, as their mothers pass the art down to them. Today, I invite you to take a look at their website and choose an Ella Stein jewel for yourself. When you make a purchase, know that you are joining with Adi in his mission to better the lives of women all around the world! ~Angela Magnotti Andrews