Style File
Delicate, not heavy, jewellery is the rage
Aradhika Sekhon

Gone are the days, when the bigger and heavier jewellery set was more desirable. Today, the jewellery trade is adapting itself to cater to the changing taste of the urban Indian woman who isn't looking for endorsements from her relatives (at weddings and family functions) but from her friends, fellow employees and peer group.

There are various reasons for this, the primary one being that women are now exposed to the global forces that dictate shopping trends around the world. Thus, they look for sleek, western jewellery that takes inspiration from nature and even architectural forms. They're familiar with the Italian and French designs that are available in lifestyle stores, Cartier chains and bracelets being favorites. These rub shoulders with traditional gold jewellery in the well-known jewellery stores, which means that even the traditional jewellers are adjusting to the new demands of the discerning buyers. Many stores, especially in metros, have now employed young designers, trained in jewellery designing to turn out lighter, contemporary sets.

Another reason for changing preferences is the expanding function of jewellery. Whereas earlier, women would deck themselves up in their most expensive 'sets', teamed with heavy Banarsis and brocades for weddings and special occasions, today jewellery is teamed with western and daily wear. With the change in lifestyles, young women in cities want not-too-expensive jewellery that can be worn to office or a night out .

For weddings too, tastes have changed. Because of the falling prices of gold internationally in the past 20 years, people have begun to realise that the metal is no longer as precious as it used to be, stock or property being much wiser investments. Says bride- to- be Sneha Srivastava, " I'm going in for modern, trendy designs which are easy to wear and easy to maintain. My mother is giving me some of her old jewellery. Well, I know the future of that… for the past 25 years, it's sat in my mom's locker and now it's going to sit in mine, so it makes absolutely no sense for me to buy more of the same sort."

The new trend in jewellery has been brought about by the fact that many new jewellery brands have come into the market. Instead of the typical Indian designs, solid, chunky 22 carats of gold, these brands are marketing light, affordable, contemporary designs in 18 carats. These are also the brands that are dictating fashion and experimenting with new designs all the time. One of these had launched the 'Sun Signs' collection, with a great deal of advertising. Another company, dealing with gold and diamond jewellery, even had a sale on its products recently, an unheard of event in the world of Indian jewellery. This is because the USP of these companies is fashion and accessories and they need to make fashion statements, and thus change their designs very often. This attitude is a startling change from the timeless conservatism that held Indian taste in its grip for centuries.

The attractive price range is also responsible for the changing preferences of the urban women. Take Nina Singh, a lecturer. In the older days, she'd have headed for her family jeweller in Sector 22. Now whenever she feels like it, she hops across to one of the lifestyle stores or branded jewellery boutiques to pick up a pendant or earrings for as less as Rs 500-800. " Earlier, I had to plan for years before I could buy a piece of jewellery. Now I can shop for something whenever I feel that I want a change or if there's some occasion coming up. The ads on TV make it easier to keep in touch with what's new."

It's not necessary that jewellery be bought with ' resale value' in view. People are beginning to realise that attractive designs are more important than the weight of gold, that there is timelessness in style. So they might go in for pieces of jewellery in which 18-carat gold forms the setting for precious, semi-precious or even coloured stones (diamonds, pearls, garnets, amethysts, onyx, lapis- lazuli or malachite). Says marketing executive, Monica Taneja, " When I go out to work, I usually wear formal trousers or skirt-suits. It would definitely look very strange if I were to team these clothes with traditional jewellery".

Archna Singh, editor of "Gems And Jewelry", has been quoted as saying, " Gold sets are the embarrassment of the decade… no one wants to be seen wearing one… if they are wearing gold, it should be a bracelet or chains made of mesh. These are made of tiny links, so their form is fluid". However, there are some eternally classic Indian designs that defy the seasonal trends. Among these are Indian kundan and jadau work. But sensitive to the demands of the Indian consumer, the branded jewellery stores are incorporating even these designs, albeit in a smaller measure. The other favourite styles are to team beads or tulsi beads with pendants of cut stones like amethysts, topaz or quartz. Pearls are the eternal favourites and strung with art gold beads, can create a colour-coordinated setting.

The World Gold Council and other such organisations are promoting these trends in order to lure the middle- class buyer back to the jewellery market.