Jewels are the emotions of a woman, which are transmitted from one generation to the next, from one woman to another. Indian jewellers are, more often than not, identified with traditional Indian jewellery such as polkis, kundans and, the evergreen paisley. However, in the last 10 years, India has witnessed a rise of a new generation of jewellery brands, that are ready for global dominance with delicatesse, elegance and contemporary savoir-faire.
Actress Alia Bhatt wearing the Neo Hardware ring by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal.
These new wave jewels of exception are becoming the symbol of a confident, glamourous and an unapologetically powerful, independent woman. Jeweller Renu Oberoi, who creates global, red carpet friendly jewellery, shares, “Indian high jewellery has been in the spotlight now. You can see an increase in the visibility of Indian high jewellery at international fashion shows, red carpets and award shows. It is certainly a big leap for our market…Social media has definitely accelerated the outreach and the awareness for Indian high jewellery brands internationally. This has also helped in aligning the aesthetic sensibilities of the potential clientele abroad and the brands here.”
In traditional Indian culture, high jewellery is the go-to investment piece. The first financial advice a girl receives from her mother is to start investing in fine jewellery. Going beyond traditional motifs, we explored some contemporary fine jewellery trends and pieces one must invest in. And not just invest to keep in the locker, but wear them, flaunt them, and communicate yourself a bit through that piece. Here is a short and spicy list of must haves in one’s precious fine jewellery closet for everyone's taste and occasions.
Elegant, contemporary, chic
A ring from Her Story's Kaleido collection.
The first one on the list is our modest daily wear, that you can switch from a formal meeting where you are pitching your dream project in the boardroom to a casual soirée with friends and family, like the pieces from the Kaleido collection by Her Story, which carefully juxtapose lapis, turquoise and diamonds to create a mesmerizing, balanced design.
The Broadway Cuff from Amaris by Prerna Rajpal.
The Candy Crush earrings, The Broadway Cuff and The Adventure Awaits earrings are some stellar, playfully elegant pieces by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal, that can seamlessly transition from day to night, office to living room.
The Adventure Awaits earrings by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal.
Gyan Jaipur’s reversible amethyst and diamond earstuds take the game a notch ahead as they can be worn two ways! The simpler gold and diamond version can be a day accessory, while the more vibrant amethyst side can be donned for the evening.
Gyan Jaipur's Reversible Diamond and Amethyst earstuds.
Art Deco
An Art Deco style Pearl & Diamond Choker by Renu Oberoi.
Art Deco is the second must have for any jewellery cabinet. A design movement that took roots in 1920s and 30s, Art Deco is back in trend, and will continue to be. Defined by architecture inspired geometrical shapes, majestic arches, metallic gleams, pointed edges, Art Deco style of jewellery will always project that glamourous era when the world was on a high. It talks power, high fashion and audacious style.
The Art Deco Diamond & Ruby earrings by Renu Oberoi.
Renu Oberoi’s pearl and diamond choker with towering lines and dangling pearls is a perfect example of art deco style jewelry. So is her Art Deco Diamond and Ruby earrings.
The Florence Baptistery Sapphire earrings by Zoya.
Zoya’s Pezzo d’Arte collection, which is truly inspired by the architecture of some majestic monuments, is a beautiful selection of pieces that will never let you down. Notable pieces from the collection include the Florence Baptistery Sapphire earrings and the Roman Forum Ruby Ring.
Zoya's Roman Forum Ruby ring.
Modern nature
The House of Ajoomal used 250 million year old fossils from the Paleozic era for these earrings.
Nature can never disappoint. Not only is it a ceaseless source of inspiration, but wearing nature-inspired pieces brings harmony and you instantly feel connected to this living planet that has existed before humans dominated it, and will continue to exist. However, the interpretation of nature has changed. While the curvaceous peacock will always enchant, or the tiny bird will continue to flutter in our hearts, nature is being given a unique language by some jewellery designers.
This cocktail ring by House of Ajoomal has a carved Tagua nut, surrounded by diamonds, amethysts, spinels and tourmalines.
A beautiful example is the breathtaking pair of earrings with diamond baguettes guarding 250 million years old fossils from the Paleozoic era from the House of Ajoomal, or the carved vegetable ivory (Tagua Nut) cocktail ring in 18-karat yellow gold set with diamonds, and briolettes of amethysts, spinel and pink tourmaline by the same house.
The Meant to Fly 2.0 ring by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal.
The Meant To Fly 2.0 ring with Zambian emeralds set on diamond butterfly by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal is perfect for a romantic date night. The brand’s On the Hunt earrings bring dazzling panthers alive on navy blue enamel canvas.
The On the Hunt earrings by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal.
Zoya’s Jade Vine earrings – made using carved chrysoprase and turquoise – perfectly emulate the, well, jade vine plant, as the delicate petals curve and reach up.
The Jade Vine earrings by Zoya.
There is a reason behind the modern interpretation of some of the most historically traditional designs. Harshad R Ajoomal, Creative Director and Founder of House of Ajoomal, credits social media for that: “Today due to social media people have highly exposed taste & know exactly what’s happening in fashion and art trends. They like contemporary views with Indian heritage; stories mixed up for inspiration and like to flaunt such styles as it’s a creative outlet of expression of their Indian roots. Because of western exposure, finish and overall sensibility is very important. Buyers want a distinct identity of their roots but with newer sensibilities in form and styling. They want more wearability with artistic touches.”
Hardware
Renu Oberoi's Diamond Chain necklace.
Nothing speaks pure, rugged sass better than hardware. Chain links are no longer just ready to wear fashion accessories, but a part of high jewellery adorned with precious gemstones and gold, like the versatile diamond chain necklace from Renu Oberoi’s high jewellery collection that can be styled with a gown for a wedding or with a denim off-shoulder dress on a cruise ship.
The Buckle it Up ring by Amaris by Prerna Rajpal.
Or the Amaris Neo Hardware 14ct Gold Ring spotted on actress Alia Bhatt, the Buckle it Up, two finger ring, and the ironically named 2400 AD Choker for the fashion forward.
Amaris by Prerna Rajpal's hardware style 2400 AD choker.
Futuristic and otherworldly
The Concrete ring by Studio Renn.
And lastly, who doesn't want to disconnect from this world and transcend to a utopian universe, where there is no judgment and no boundaries. The futuristic style of jewellery, however, is possibly the hardest to achieve. Marrying elegant aesthetics with, literally, 'crazy' design, is not simple. Creating something that is not seen yet, defying the highest order of imagination or the traditional bounds of creativity, is arduous. A ‘futuristic’ design today will not be so tomorrow.
The Fish 3-Rib Ruby ring by Studio Renn.
But there are unique pieces today, that experiment with unconventional materials and shapes, that will last the trend chart for a long time. Studio Renn creates some of them. The brand’s On the Edge ring is made with concrete, revealing a single precious diamond. The Fish 3-Rib Ruby ring, inspired by the anatomy of a fish, could be construed to be as primitive or as futuristic as you want it to be. Studio Renn offers many such designs that go beyond the traditional.
The Flower of Life ring from Zoya.
Zoya’s Aeterna collection plays with the concept of infinite time to offer unique pieces. The Flower of Life ring shows a mysterious display within the custom cut amethyst positioned at its centre. Dazzling diamonds complete the ring. The Bond of Eternity earrings, from the same collection, has three adjacent circles that form the vesica piscis, lined with channel-set amethyst and diamond baguettes on either side. The detachable jaali offers versatility.
Zoya's Bond of Eternity earrings.
Pavan Anand, fine jeweler, known for his eclectic collections inspired from different civilisations, adorned by royal families and influential women, rightly sums up the changing fine jewellery landscape. “Indians fundamentally are an adaptive and receptive audience. Bombay reminds me a lot of LA or NY today! Everyone is a “personality” in their own right. This requires keeping up with current international trends and maybe even superseding them…The audience today is aspirational, bold, confident and very well read on fashion and luxury. Our clients come to us to get something notches above what they may see in, say, a Tiffany store. They are looking for Jewelled Art…This is a world travelled truly international person. Brands that don’t tread the typical Jadau & Jhumka sensibility are disrupters (in a great way) to the business of Indian high jewellery.”
