Family jewels by Asha and Sangeeta

You can be sure you’ve arrived as a jeweller when the bride at the wedding you attend borrows a pen and paper to take down your address simply because she ‘absolutely loved’ what you were wearing.

Especially if the wedding happens to ‘the biggest event of the year’ – the Sahara wedding. Asha Kamal Modi remembers it as the oddest compliment she received for her eclectic jewellery designs for Art Karat.

The store has opened a signature outlet at Atria where Asha along with Sangeeta Kilachand will showcase individual pieces. “When I started this concept of combining silver with semi precious stones 20 years ago, people weren’t sold to it at all. An old world view of family heirlooms being made of gold and precious stones was hard to fight against,” explains Asha.

Today she plans to open 25 Art Karat stores nationally and internationally even as their online retails enlarges.

The store boasts unique offers along with unique pieces.  You can exchange old pieces for new discount prices as well as avail of free repair services. All this in a bid to turn around the way Indians look at jewellery – it’s no longer banished to lockers only to be brought out on special occasions.

“It’s handcrafted jewellery – traditional designs fused along contemporary motifs. It engages everyone – across age groups and price ranges.”

Art Karat counts Rekha and Aishwarya Rai among its clients. “Rekha really embodies the best way an Indian woman can carry off jewellery,” both Asha and Sangeeta exclaim.

The store also clocks up ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘Devdas’ among some of the movies they have provided jewellery for.  “In fact there was such a craze for ‘Devdas’ jewellery after the movie,” laughs Asha recollecting an ironic moment when she wandered into a jewellery store to find it advertising ‘Devdas’ jewellery.

“I think imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” she says. “I don’t have a problem with people copying my designs. I don’t mind more and more similar stores opening up – it’s just better for my business,” she says.
s_rituparna@dnaindia.net