Jewelry: Indian Designer Jewellery

Indian Designer Jewellery

What would you pair your meenakari necklaces and kundan earrings with? If your answer is a sari or a lehenga, you need an update of 2010’s hottest new trend: Indian jewellery with western outfits. Check out Julia Roberts’ Van Cleef & Arpels necklace set against her black YSL dress or Lara Dutta’s gold and pearl jhumkas paired with her golden dress.

Julia Roberts’ Van Cleef & Arpels necklace set against her black YSL dress or Lara Dutta’s gold and pearl jhumkas paired with her golden dress.
Julia Roberts’ Van Cleef & Arpels necklace and Lara Dutta’s gold and pearl jhumkas

Gold accessories are a huge trend as seen on the runways of Rakesh Agarwal, Lanvin and Dolce and Gabbana. Remember how Paheli (2005) and Jodha Akbar (2008) changed Bridal jewellery trends and brides all over India chose colourful precious stones in kundan and polki? These movies also generated interest in new jewellery pieces such as Bhor, Haathphool and Kamarbandh.

Then came Alexander Mcqueen’s 2008 fall collection “The Girl Who Lived In The Tree” and the world feel in love with Filigree, Kundan, Minakree and Polki. This collection was heavily based on the British Empire, The Queen of England, and The Duke of Wellington. “A fashion fairy tale,” as McQueen called it.

Alexander Mcqueen’s 2008 fall collection
Alexander Mcqueen’s 2008 fall collection
Alexander Mcqueen’s 2008 fall collection
Alexander Mcqueen’s 2008 fall collection

Christian Dior’s Fall 2009 collection also took note of the trend and we saw intricate designs of neck pieces in gold on the ramp.

Christian Dior’s Fall 2009 collection
Christian Dior’s Fall 2009 collection

Back home, showing us how to wear this trend on casual occasions is our very own fashionista Sonam Kapoor.

Sonam Kapoor
Sonam Kapoor

Deepika Padukone and Shruthi Hassan were also seen sporting this trend:

 

Deepika Padukone and Shruthi Hassan

 

We treasure our elaborate designer jewellery pieces so much that we keep them locked in banks and they don’t get to see the light of the day. That’s precisely why designer today woos women with traditional designs in modern avtars for everyday adaptability. All jewellery lovers enchanted by the traditional intricate craftsmanship of Indian jewellery now have a reason to buy Kundun in platinum, colourful Meeenakari in bracelets and intricate Filigree in cocktail rings. These can either be simple, classy and delicate; or elaborate and huge gleaming with grandeur of traditional Indian jewellery, for which it is unparalleled.

Indian Jewllery
Indian Jewllery

Large Polki diamond pendants, ruby and emerald ‘jhumkaas’, yellow gold and pearl kamarbandhs.. The options are limitless.

A fool proof way to wear this trend is to team up intricate traditional jewellery with outfits of a sharp single- colour silhouette. Also if you are wearing a big chunky piece like Sonam Kapoor (above) make sure your make up is not too loud. Let the designer jewellery speak.

Other ways of incorporating traditional Indian, yet modern jewellery in your outfits are:

  • Add a gold ‘Kada’ or cuff with your LBD for parties. Check out Halle Berry’s Amrapali cuff and ring for inspiration
Halle Berry’s Amrapali cuff and ring for inspiration
Halle Berry’s Amrapali cuff and ring for inspiration
  • If you are more comfortable in subtle pieces of designer jewellery, choose diamonds. Have a look at Miley Cyrus’ Amrapali diamond earrings.
Miley Cyrus’ Amrapali diamond earrings
Miley Cyrus’ Amrapali diamond earrings
  • If your style statement is funky and colourful, you can go for semi- precious stones. Look at Catt Sadler’s precious stones neck piece that she wore at Golden Globes.
Catt Sadler’s precious stones neck piece
Catt Sadler’s precious stones neck piece

Or if you can carry it, wear elaborate designer neck pieces with your dresses taking a cue from stylist Anamika Khanna

  • Wear Kundan or other elaborate rings with jeans and tops or dresses. These are the new cocktail rings.
Anamika Khanna
Anamika Khanna

The kind of Indian designer jewellery to look out for:

Kundan: The art of carefully cutting, shaping and polishing diamonds or multicoloured precious stones, and setting them into a designed base made of pure gold or any other metal.
Minakari/ Meenakari: A combination of gems and precious stones with enamel work of traditional motifs of leaves, flowers and creepers. Indian artisans from Orrisa are famous for their minakari work.

Filigree: A piece of designer jewellery created out of ‘wire work’ where thin threads of gold and silver and twisted and turned to create something delicate.
Jadau: An Indian jewellery craft form of Rajasthan and Gujarat where precious stones, crystals, beads etc are embedded in gold.

The trick to rock this trend is to go adventurous while mixing outfits and designer jewellery and do it with panache. For inspiration check out our very own Sridevi walking on the ramp for Queenie Dhody at HDIL Indian Couture Week in a deep blue dress with Indian diamond jewellery.

Sridevi walking on the ramp for Queenie Dhody
Sridevi walking on the ramp for Queenie Dhody

All pictures from google.

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21 thoughts on “Jewelry: Indian Designer Jewellery

  1. Hi Aashima,

    I love reading your posts. There is so much I learn from them. I was never a gold jewelery fan but of late I have started to wear a little golden / gold jewelery and I am just loving it.

    I loved what Anamika Khanna is wearing. However I think her neck piece is too heavy.

    And ALexander Mcqueen is :worship: :worship: :worship:

  2. I love jewellery……especially diamonds & kundan & can’t get enough of them……..for everyday waer, I keep it quite simple…..am loving the trend of traditional jewellery with modern clothes…:)

  3. have a huge collection of victorian sets and kundan jewellery …… GOOD TO HEAR NOW I CAN WEAR THEM WITH ALMOST NYTHIN 🙂
    Wonderful post aashima 🙂

  4. hehehehe debasree…. we head to rajasthan every year … thats where i pick up kundaan and victorian and silver jewellery FOR DIRT CHEAP PRICES. . . hahahahaha … NOW U KNOW HOW TO INCREASE UR COLLECTION…..hahahahaha 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

  5. Hi Aashima,

    I very loved reading your postset . Your mail and Ur thotes There is so beautifully :hypnotized: & I learn from them every time. I am really Fan of U Aashima…
    & Plz Tack Care… BY.. :beauty: … @L@..

    Yours Fans :bunny:
    Sujal :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose: :rose:

  6. i love this kind of jewelry soooo muchh.. i always pester my rajghasthani frnds to take me to their hometown, so dat i can shop for thee… 😛 maybe il go this summer hehe 😉

    i love sonams and anamikas piece!! animakias toh I WANNNTTT!!!

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