If style is one word then sense of fashion is one’s mind!

November 29, 2008...5:03 pm

If style is one word then sense of fashion is one’s mind!

Every piece of jewelry tells you a story.

A tale of, romance, travel, adventure, friendship, fashion, celebration, or culture, history and tradition is associated with any piece of jewelry that you own or wear. You cannot deny it.

Follow me.

Little that I thought or had in my mind when I bought a jewelry to gift to my wife on the occasion of our twenty-fifth marriage anniversary about the jewelry designs of Charulata in Satyajit Ray’s film, remembering of Rabindranath Tagore’s Thakumbari, or the ornaments of Shakuntala or Parineeta, or the awesome chunky jewelry worn by Aishwarya in the film jodha akbar or the actor Rekha in Umrao Jaan.

When I handed over the gift packet to my wife she liked the piece and accepted it. Then I understood that style is one word and the fashion has got many dimensions. How? She liked the style and not the fashion.

Fashion will change with the changing time but it is only you who will decide whether to float on the fashions temperament or to affix yourself with your own style. Perhaps, choose the best style that will portray your personality. May be my wife saw her personality in my gift?

Here, I would like to share my thoughts on the changing style and fashion of Indian jewelry landscape.

Jewelry has been an integral part of Indian fashion. In India jewelry is made practically for every part of the body. Marriages in India are synonymous to jeweleries. The story of handcrafted Indian jewelry is long and absorbing. Inspired by nature, fueled by beauty and belief; it is an eternal process of artistic imagination and fine craftsmanship.

Jewelry in India has been an unbroken tradition for over 5,000 years.

The famous Indian epics- Ramayana and the Mahabharata abound in descriptions of ornaments.

The code of Manu defines the duties of the goldsmith.

By the third century B.C., India was the leading exporter of gemstones, particularly diamonds. The craft of jewelry was given a royal patronage right from the ancient times because in India jewelry is much more than just a tool of aesthetic appeal. It is indeed the symbol of divine abundance and material blessings. Temple complexes supported many different styles of Indian jewelry. Traditionally, Indian goldsmiths are usually men and are referred to by a variety of names depending on the region-sonar, swarnakara, panchallar, or thattan.

Jewelry-making is considered an art form, passed down through generations of artisans or Kari gars. Regional themes and styles dominate the jewelry fashion industry of India.

Delhi style of jewelry was brought to India by the Mughals and never went out of fashion, extremely ornate with a focus on elaborate designs heavily inspired by nature. Common motifs include flowers, leaves, vines, ambi (mango), birds, etc.

Kundan Jadau a Rajasthan style of embossing or encrusting gemstones, usually kundan (a semi-opaque crystal) in the surrounding metal leaf.

Theva is a rare art, being revived by prominent Indian designers, in which gold is enameled onto glass. Red, blue or green foil below the glass highlights the gold for an exquisite look.

The Gheru style of Baroda is to give jewelry a beautiful dull red copper finish. A Gujarati specialty for generations, Pachchikam style involves holding together uncut semi-precious stones and glasswork by tiny metal claws (as opposed to the Kundan Jadau style of embedding or encrusting).Polki, another Gujarat jewelry made of uncut diamonds is very unique.

Also done Navrattan traditional Bengali style jewelry comprised of nine gemstones – ruby, emerald, sapphire, cat’s eye, coral, turquoise, pearl, opal and diamond.

In Assam, soft 24 carat gold is fashioned into earrings and necklaces modeled on the local flora and fauna., which replicate the orchid and the lokaparo, which consists of two birds placed back to back.

South India specializes in temple jewelry, a specialty in which elaborate chunky jewelry comprised of 22 karat gold and precious stones. This jewelry was traditionally made to adorn the idols of gods and goddesses in temples. Now, such designs are worn by Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancers.

The designs in solid gold jewelry of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are inspired by nature. The paisley motif or the ambi, rice grains, the cobra’s hood, melon and cucumber seeds are some of the common motifs.

Filigree, styles of Orissa and from Andhra Pradesh in which patterns and designs are made with twisting thin silver wires.

These days, classical Indian styles are seeing a comeback with brand names.

Jewelry houses and prominent designers are concentrating on reviving and endorsing them.

The changing role of the Indian women crossing the traditional walls of households to the professional world will definitely see the introduction of new styles suiting their wardrobe. Branding, look good, feel good aspects will dominate the fashion map of Indian jewelry.

1 Comment

Filed under Market Trend Watch, Mind Over Matter