Jewellery trends don’t change frequently: Maheep Kapoor

Jewellery designer and star wife Maheep Kapoor tells us what to look out for this summer in terms of jewellery.

What new trends in jewellery can we expect this summer?
For starters, the wedding season has just ended and summer has just set in. With the blistering heat, we can say goodbye to heavy pieces of jewellery for a while. Subtle statement pieces have been and will always remain favourites for summers, the key is not to over load yourself.

Will there be any particular stone that will be dominant this summer?
Jewellery trends don’t change so much so often, a lot of it can be attributed to the amount of money that is spent on it. Of course diamonds, solitaire, Columbian emeralds etc., will be seen like they have been for years now. It makes sense to stick to the classics, so that even if you’ve had the piece for more than a year, you will not get fed up with it. You could even consider it as an heirloom which you would want to save for your future generation. The quality of the stones used in jewellery is very important; it should be vibrant.

Do you have a target audience?
Honestly, I don’t stick to any age group as such. I feel that what I make should be what I would like to own. A lot of thought and detailing goes into making each piece. Having said that, I do believe that my jewellery is represented by the modern glamorous independent woman.

What is the basic difference between Indian jewellery and that of the West?
Indian women have so many options when it comes to jewellery. We have ornate heavy pieces; even our domestic helps wear different kinds of jewellery. You can notice the difference when you compare film award ceremonies here and abroad, women there wear only one statement piece, while we have multiple pieces. Also, we carry off jewellery better than them, thanks to our darker hair and skin colour. 

Do Indians spend more on jewellery than clothes?
It’s a little difficult to answer that. Going back to the fact that Indian women are more flamboyant, we like to have entire range of clothes in our wardrobe — western formals and dresses as well as churidars and saris. Same applies to jewellery as well. We want the full range here too and so I guess they give equal importance to both

Do you face challenges in designing jewellery for people?
I do have my share of challenges. For instance, brides show me their outfit and ask for jewellery to be designed around it. I advice people to choose bridal jewellery first and then pick their clothes. That’s because wedding outfits are used only once, whereas, jewellery can go on to become heirloom pieces. However, it is also fun to take up such challenges.