BENGALURU : After a rather quiet 2020, Bengalureans are more than ready to deck out and flaunt the latest styles in town. Whether it’s gold, silver or fashion jewellery, city folk is picking up the latest designs to wear during the festive occasions this week.
Ahead of Dhanteras on Tuesday, there’s a gold rush, and according to C Vinod Hayagriv, managing director of C Krishniah Chetty Group Of Jewellers, there’s been at least a 70 per cent increase in sales as compared to pre-pandemic times. “We are actually unable to keep our inventory full due to more sales than production. People are willing to experiment to a larger extent these days. For instance, we also have a few designs in time for Karnataka Rajyotsava, in which we’ve used the state’s symbol.” While diamonds remain a favourite, their Deepavali collection also has different stones, including corals in various shapes. “Keeping youngsters in mind, we have increased our range for them. So you’ll find designs involving Anna, Elsa, Tiana [new-age Disney characters] and so on.”
Goes without saying that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But Prathap Kamath, managing director of Abharan Jewellers, says that men too, are looking to purchase daily wear accessories, which could include precious stones. “Temple and heritage jewellery are still very much in demand, but daily wear and light-weight jewellery are the most bought these days. We find that Bengalureans are investing heavily in jewellery with savings that have been kept aside for the last two years of the pandemic,” he says.
Speaking of diamonds, Sachin Jain, managing director of De Beers India, finds that buyers in the south opt for quality over size. “That’s a distinct difference from the north where buyers prefer larger diamonds. Here, even the modern-day bride is looking to purchase classic solitaire earrings or a simple pendant as part of her bridal trousseau,” says Jain, pointing out that pavé diamonds (a setting in which the shank of the ring is lined with small diamonds) are much sought-after.
The wearability aspect is a key factor, according to Revathi Kant, chief design officer, Titan Company. “We’ve found that people want to layer their jewellery with modern motifs. This technique of layering gives an expansive look,” she says. While on an average, people are purchasing jewellery for anywhere between R 2 and 3 lakh this festive season, some are keeping it simpler and veering towards heritage-styled designs in silver.
“It’s affordable as you can get silver jewellery within R 20,000. It gives clients the option to change jewellery as often as they want depending on the trend,” says Kamath, adding that jhumkas and bracelets for festive occasions are flying off the shelves. Fashion jewellery, like lightweight chokers and modular sets, are also hot these days. Prices for these range between R 2,000 and R 17,000. Showcasing their latest festive collection, Modern Maharani III, was luxury jewellery brand Isharya, at UB City recently.
According to co-founder Gauri Tandon, everything is designed with a contemporary twist. “Polki mirror designs are quite popular. 18K gold-plated jewellery with coloured semi-precious stones like lapis, moonstone, pink quartz, rose quartz and green onyx is what’s popular now. There’s an assortment of shimmering necklaces, earrings, rings and glamorous bracelets that people are opting to purchase now.”