Luxury jewellery brand Solitario and Deltin recently came together for an event that, at first glance, looked like another glittering brand tie-up. But the collaboration between the lab-grown diamond company and the gaming operator during the Deltin Star Weekend – Diamond Edition hints at a deeper shift in how experience-driven brands in India are targeting aspirational consumers.
For Deltin, the idea was to expand the lifestyle appeal of its flagship event. “The Deltin Star Weekend is one of our key lifestyle experiences, and this time, we introduced the ‘diamond edition’ with Solitario to explore a more indulgent, design-led atmosphere,” said Arindam Basu, Deputy Vice President, Marketing and Brand Communication – Delta Corp Ltd.
The collaboration featured a fashion show—‘Runway to the Stars’—where Solitario showcased its jewellery and introduced 12 diamond-studded prizes for guests on board Deltin Royale, the company’s floating casino in Goa. It was accompanied by a digital and influencer campaign across channels, intended to improve both visibility and customer engagement.
Basu said the goal was to improve experiential value and test how brand-led activations could impact engagement and perception. “Partnerships like these are part of a broader strategy to future-proof the brand,” he said, adding that Delta evaluates collaborations through a mix of internal metrics, including both qualitative and quantitative data.
The initiative also aligns with Deltin’s recent push towards personalization and loyalty through its new digital app, DeltinOne, which aims to provide offers, updates, and access to exclusive experiences. Basu said the brand is responding to younger, content-savvy audiences who expect more from luxury experiences—both in terms of curation and convenience.
While Deltin is focusing on broadening its appeal beyond gaming, Solitario saw the partnership as a route to connect with high-value consumers in a setting aligned with luxury and self-indulgence. “Casinos are high-spend environments and the people who come here often seek ways to pamper themselves,” said Solitario founder and CEO Ricky Vasandani.
Solitario, which began as a natural diamond business, pivoted to lab-grown diamonds around 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine war disrupted global supply chains. After a visit to Surat, India’s diamond hub, Vasandani shifted the company’s focus to lab-grown solitaires—primarily large stones that offer visual impact at a lower price point than their mined counterparts.
“The difference in price increases dramatically with size,” he explained. “For a 10-carat natural diamond, you might pay around Rs 3 crore. In lab-grown, that could be around Rs 30 lakh.”
The brand has built its customer base through a mix of influencer marketing and flexible consumer policies, such as a 90% cash-back and lifetime exchange offer. According to Vasandani, the brand’s success lies in helping consumers feel more confident experimenting with jewellery styles and sizes without being locked into long-term costs.
From a business standpoint, even limited conversions from an event like Deltin’s can be valuable. “For a jewellery brand like ours, even a handful of serious customers from a platform like Deltin covers the investment,” said Vasandani. “It’s not just about visibility; it’s about targeted reach.”
The two brands may operate in different sectors, but the collaboration highlights a common strategy: using curated experiences to shape brand perceptions and access niche, affluent audiences. Whether such tie-ups become more regular remains to be seen, but both companies are clearly betting on the long-term value of lifestyle-led engagement