Across the Halls at IIJS 2018, if there was one overarching “trend” – if one can call it that -- common to virtually all displays, it was the emphasis on design, an attempt to create something different from the particular company’s usual offering. Clearly the  eye was firly on the new, younger,  consumer   market – the Millennials, as the pundits have defined. It is not something which has happened overnight – one has seen the underlying    accent on design growing over the past few years;  but this year it was in full form and more “universal” in that sense.  

P.C. Chandra Jewellers from Kolkata is a case in point. Manufacturer-retailers of traditional handmade jewellery, their displays were full of new twists on old designs  – what could be termed fusion jewellery. “From the beginning we have laid emphasis on design,”  stresses Asim Banerjee of P.C. Chandra. “But over the last five-six years we have been creating a different type of jewellery.” The push has come from consumers we are told. The latest creations include mother of pearl incorporated imaginatively in the gold jewellery, combination of   the traditional Bengal filigree work with other textures, or as part of a design. But this is one company with has steadfastly stuck with yellow gold, which has been the most consistently popular in the  Indian market.

Mamta Punjabi of Lal Gems, a Mumbai based specialist of loose coloured gemstones observed: “While emerald and ruby are the mainstay of the coloured gemstone market --  have been so and will always be so --  we find that buyers today are really open to colour, and hence a whole range of other stones are in demand  as well.”

Mehul Dhinoja of CVM, which  has been another regular participant at the IIJS, proudly tells us that it was his company which pioneered the  use of uncut diamonds in jewellery  way back in 1992. “It is  very difficult to create jewellery with uncut diamonds as each one has a different shape, and a lot of effort and man hours go in creating a piece with such stones. And, we set it in  22 carat gold.”

CVM’s neckpieces using uncut diamonds are particularly arresting, as they impart a more stylish, contemporary  look and feel to the bridal jewellery. They also use a lot of ruby and pearls to embellish their jewellery. “This type of jewellery is particularly popular for celebrity weddings,” notes Dhinoja.

At the De Beers booth in Hall 1, is a display dedicated to the colour pink, which according to one of the representatives,  is the colour of the moment.

While at a show like IIJS, where the sheer magnitude of jewellery on offer is bound  to have a lot and lots of varieties available – as we never fail to note --  there are some trend forward jewellers who are using pink gold.

“Rose gold which was there last year too, has  continued to be strong,” affirms Sudeep Sethi of the YS18 brand, particularly  known for its strong deisgns.

The windows of YS18 are not only a burst of colour – they work in coloured diamonds as well as other coloured gemstones combined with white diamonds  -- but its jewellery is marked by an exquisite  design sensibility and fluid lines; it is one brand that has created a language of its own and stuck to it.  But their jewellery is made after careful attention to technical details as well. For example, the  setting for their Celestial collection using   yellow diamonds is   fashioned in such a way that it emphasises the colour, thus enhancing the impact of the colour  of the stone by at least  two grades. “Colour is very popular, especially pastel shades,” Sethi remarks.

Nehal Shah a jewellery designer has created her own brand called Enesse, is not an exhibitor but has doing the rounds as a visitor. As an experienced designer, what is her take on the trends evident at the  show? “There is lot of use of coloured gemstones and a lot of texture work,” she remarks.

What is interesting is that now, retailers – and therefore consumers – are not limited to jewellery made in India. Kanakratna  Exim Pvt. Ltd, with roots in the jewellery business which go way back,   are today importing Italian jewellery. Though imports  from Italy have been prevalent   in the chains segment for some years -- with a limited range of finished jewellery offered --  Kanakratna’s   displays are full of the most gorgeous finished Italian jewellery in a very wide range. It is ideal for the Millennial consumer, the society woman who wants a different look. Judging by the buzz in their stall, with retailers  who have come to buy, the end consumer is in for some  exquisite special pieces.

Many of the neckpieces  displayed by Kanakratna  are long – eiher matinee or opera length, as they are defined in jewellery terms.

This was one  trend we noticed in other stalls as well. There is a definite tendency to go ling. Again, it is not as if this was not doe earlier, but this IIJS there was an accent on length where neckwear is concerned.

The Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI) which is of great importance to the  Government of India (GoI), both for skilling manpower for the gems and jewellery industry, as it moves towards exponentially increasing employment in the sector, and to revive “Designed in India” to match with the “Made in India” vision. The organisation had put up a stall, with artisans holding live demonstrations in the three traditional arts of Thewa, Tarakasi and Hupar payals.  Young desigers were to be seen keenly observing the processes, to perhaps incorporate touches of  the age-old forms with their current designs.