Bold and elegant, could broadly describe Divvya Bhasin’s Spring-Summer jewellery display at Evoluzione, Nungambakkam. Admiring the bright colours and subtle tones of summer, enhanced with gold and perhaps a dash of sparkle, one can only begin to imagine the workings in the mind of a designer.
Divvya says that she loves to go on treks at least once a year. “When you reach different altitudes, the flora and fauna changes and it is so beautiful to observe the patterns in these flowers.” She is quick to add that travel is another big influence in her work. She refers to the extensive use of coir in South India and let’s not forget, coconut shells that make for an cultural touch to a piece.
In her collection, there are quite a few pieces with a story to tell. Like the cuff and cocktail ring, set with an adorable owl that catches one’s attention immediately, or the delicate snowflake earrings set in white gold. Bhasin does elaborate on a pair of earrings that, in terms of origin, stood out a great deal from the rest. “I was abroad, just looking around and I happened to notice a natural fossil that looked very beautiful. So I decided to set it in a pair of earrings with some gold lining, and I think it came together very well,”
she says.
Divvya has worked with a tremendous range of stones and not only knows how to use them, but also their impressions on her clientele. “Many people are superstitious about precious stones. The blue sapphire, for instance, is often considered ‘a killer stone’. So I use it sparingly.”
On the other hand, she uses pearls in abundance as their versatility and understated class makes them suitable for just about any woman, age irrelevant. On a parting note, she says, “I wish men would wear jewellery again, the way our Maharajas did back in the day. Not jhumkas of course! But practically everything else.”