From chandbalis to matte-finished gold, a few jewellers speak to Avril-Ann Braganza about what’s in demand this season
Apart from vibrant outfits, scrumptious food and beautiful diyas, when you think of Diwali, you can’t help but picture intricate and stunning jewellery. Silver will impress and diamonds will dazzle, but “gold has and always will remain an integral element during the festive season,” says Mili Shah, chief designer at TBZ - The Original. So, when it comes to the sparkling pieces sitting pretty around your neck or dangling from your ears, it is this bright metal that gains prominence.
Popular pieces for the festive season vary from one city to another and each city has a different style of adorning jewels, based on ethnicity, customs and traditions. At TBZ - The Original, a number of customers are opting for quintessential temple jewellery – carvings of deities in antique gold, crafted with innovative styles such as layers and tassels with precious and semi-precious stones. Tarang Arora, CEO and Director, Amrapali, sees a greater demand for temple jewellery in the south of the country. “In Chennai and Bangalore, it’s all about gods, goddesses and more intricate, smaller, but finely-made pieces,” he says. “In the north, people prefer large diamonds, polkis and rose-cuts, while Mumbai demands a mix of both.”
Cuffs from TBZ-The Original
Yellow and two-tone gold seems to be a favourite. “Dhanteras is an auspicious time to buy gold, so people generally pick yellow gold,” shares Arora. Since antique, yellow and matte-finished gold fall in with Diwali traditions and complement festive outfits, these are much sought after amongst traditional jewellery buyers. “There is also a large demand for solitaires and precious stones, as well as contemporary and lightweight diamond jewellery, which are ideal for women of all ages,” adds Shah. “When it comes to stones, red is the colour of this season and rubies are doing quite well,” says Arora.
Versatile pieces are much in demand. Two-toned jewellery as well as rose gold and white gold are quite popular, as these can be used with contemporary dresses and traditional outfits. While earrings and bracelets, which are easy to slip on, are in demand at Amrapali, Shah has “come across buyers looking to invest in jewellery – chandelier earrings, cuffs and chokers – that can be worn on different occasions. “Metropolitan city buyers choose more trendy pieces like cuffs, chokers, chandelier and chandbali earrings, as well as solitaires and precious stones, whereas people from eastern India prefer jadau and uncut diamonds,” shares Shah.
Chandbalis from Amrapali
While Diwali is all about traditional pieces, what’s important is how these pieces are being reinvented, and the new designs coming into the market. Arora tells us that people are looking for jewellery that can be worn in different ways. “One piece that can be worn as two, for example chandbalis, which have detachable tops, could be worn as one big piece or as smaller earrings”.
So get and dazzle!
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