After gaining key city approvals earlier this year, the process of giving locally-owned Karats Jewelers a new home officially began last week.
The Anand family, owners of the jewelry store, celebrated the groundbreaking of what will be their new headquarters in Overland Park on Friday.
The store will serve as Karats Jewelers’ new headquarters, replacing the jewelry store’s current location further south at 8651 W. 135th St.
Karats Jewelers will be at 12260 Blue Valley Parkway
- The roughly 20,000-square-foot retail building will occupy the northwest corner of 123rd Street and Blue Valley Parkway, near Target.
- At Friday’s groundbreaking event, Anand said he expects construction to wrap up on the new store by June.
- Once it opens, the relocated store will operate under the same hours as the original location did — from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Karats offers “extraordinary” jewelry in various forms
Karats Jewelers is primarily known for its extensive range of wrist watches — and for being a “top engagement ring destination”, as Anand puts it, with a wide range of shapes and sizes.
Customers can also design their own engagement rings, in addition to the store’s existing inventory.
Beyond those standout items, the store offers other jewelry items like wedding bands, diamond necklaces, gemstone bracelets and hoop earrings.
Anand said the new store’s size upgrade from its original location will allow Karats to expand its inventory and customer base, particularly by widening the price scope.
“Our focus is to carry the largest selection at every single price point,” he said. “Someone can come and shop for $50, $5,000 or $50,000. We want to be able to cater to people at all prices.”
The new store will be larger than the original
The Anand family has been in the jewelry industry for six generations, founding Karats Jewelers in India in the 1940s.
Akshay Anand opened Karats Jewelers at its current location at 8651 W. 135th St. in 2005. Since then, he said, building relationships with the Overland Park community has continued to be one of the best parts of bringing his family’s business abroad.
“The Johnson County community has supported us, and we have been very fortunate,” he said. “Expanding the business, it’s truly an example of what people can achieve in a great country like this. I think it’s very exciting to continue building onto the family heritage but in a different part of the world.”
Kristina Anand, wife of Akshay Anand and chief operating officer at Karats Jewelers, agreed that the brand’s new chapter means exciting things for their family and for the community.
“It’s been a dream,” she said. “It’s just a lot of excitement, and I think it’s going to be a wonderful addition to Johnson County.”
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