The 60-year-old company, Atul Jewellers is synonymous to the rich tradition of johris of Delhi. The brand is deemed credible by connoisseurs and collectors of exotic gemstones and masterpieces of artistic jewellery. But what made Atul Jain, the owner of Atul Jewellers, to open a showroom last year in Delhi, was to voice his disappointment at the fact that the youth are no longer interested in heritage jewellery. The store hence celebrates this intricacy of this painstaking craft.
“Earlier times marked the taking forward of traditional jewellery, which is now shunned by the youth. We get so many requests of transforming heirlooms into modern wear. This really pains me because we are not just losing our rich culture, but also the ability to sustain our craftsmen. So, we opened up a showroom which celebrated the grandeur of our traditional handmade jewellery from across India.
When Sabyasachi came up with a line entirely based on traditional jewellery, the young generation started to look out for heirloom pieces,” says Jain, who is very specific about the pieces that he collects – either the gemstones used are one in a million or the piece is of historical relevance. “I have a belt buckle of Maharaja of Baroda in blue enamel with diamonds studded, which makes it unique. So, there are various elements that need to be kept in account while collecting these pieces,” he adds.
For long, the establishment has been trading in heritage jewellery but this gives the clients to view these pieces. And in this process, gives them the option of redesigning their very own heritage jewellery without damaging the structure of the piece, but adding elements to contemporise it. With a lot of designers and fashion houses coming up with jewellery line, Jain has onboard in-house jewellery stylists. “Jewellery is a very complex field and even if designers who venture into it need the help of a jeweller, who cater to their needs. It’s just the styling part is seen by the designer. So, on the back of every designer, there is a jeweller,” says Jain, who has been working with designers wherein they design the pieces and he manufactures them.
On a lighter note, Jain calls the youth who believe in being socially responsible to consider buying heritage jewellery as supporting an artisan. “I don’t uproot the artisans from their native places and bring them to a workhouse. I support their work in their native place and give them the much-needed exposure.”