Fine jewellery maven Varuna D Jani makes a case for timeless designs while Mrinalini Chandra roots for fun, costume jewellery
Fine jewellery
Varuna D Jani
For me, timeless sophistication is of paramount importance and fine jewellery is meant to be cherished everyday. 'Diamonds are forever' is more pertaining to something I can carry off from the age of 20 to 60. Today jewellery has become more personalised and according to me, it has to be about enhancing and adorning one's style and personality. Fine jewellery is a badge of style and status and also your personal expression. And the ultimate value will come when you can use it to your advantage. Costume jewellery looks good before your're married. On the other hand, fine jewellery is about pieces, which not just complement your outfit, but also your lifestyle and personality.
Weddings are all about dreams and I am not happy when people buy designer clothes and later look for jewellery to match it. It's not about money but style. What fine jewellery can do to one's personality is very different from costume jewellery. You also showcase your family and culture through it. I believes that pieces under 1.5 lakhs should only be for the purpose for fun. One should project one's style through one's diamonds. Fine jewellery should be limited edition and exclusive and not something run-of-the-mill. The definition of 'value for money' needs to change and it's not just passing it to next generation. Fashion and jewellery need to complement each other. Also, when it comes to the fine art of adorning jewellery, no stylist coordinates as beautifully as they should do. We need to nurture a fine jewellery curriculum.
Costume jewellery
Mrinalini Chandra
Over the last decade, fashion enthusiasts have warmed up to the idea of accessorising. While real jewellery was always attached to an age, for example, at a certain age, you are given a gold piece, costume jewellery gives you the freedom to experiment. You can travel with it, not worrying about too much. As a crafts-based label, it also gives potential to a wide range of artisans to innovate and also helps a lot of crafts from fading away. Street style is a fun aspect of costume jewellery. There was a time when chunky pieces, say like a chunk of bangles were associated with tribals. Today even regular girls can embrace it with great gusto. It's always attractive and accessible. It's not just copying a magazine shoot but making it your own. Besides, one can buy so many pieces - it's pocket-friendly and has a lot of memories associated with it. Today girls are strong and like to have a sense of expression. They want to have fun with rings, knuckle clusters and kaliras, which add movement to their ensembles. In fact, one of my recent brides danced at her wedding. The versatility and fun appeal associated with costume jewellery is helping them take that style plunge and push the boundaries. I did a unicorn kalira for a client and she loved it. It's amazing how costume pieces enable jewellery lovers to create their fantasy and experience pure joy. It's a growing industry. I feel like a craft Ninja and hope that costume jewellery stays original and unique and hope their is no mass factory production diluting its uniqueness.
(As told to Manish D Mishra)
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 "Varuna-Mrinalini")
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