New-age designers are scaling down jadau jewellery and giving it a super contemporary slant to better suit modern aesthetics.
The mention of jadau evokes images of opulence — the jewellery known for its expansive formats is lavishly set with uncut diamonds or polkis and fine gemstones. Jadau has always found its place of pride at weddings and special occasions.
They say, reference the past to build a new future – and this holds true for jewellery as well. India is a storehouse of arts and crafts and while the allure for upholding the venerable traditional styles keeps us rooted to our heritage, designers today have gradually moved on to democratising creations making them affordable. There has been a rising demand for fine jewellery accessories that can be worn on a daily basis.
We spoke to some brands who are championing the cause of polki and jadau as a contemporary accessory for women in India and abroad.
Art Deco Meets Jadau
RTW by Raniwala 1881
RTW by Raniwala 1881
Co-founders of Raniwala 1881, Abhishek and Abhiyant Raniwala realised that there was a growing demand for daily wear polki & jadau jewellery. The jewellers decided to capitalise on it and collaborated with Nisha Jhangiani, Brand Invigorator (Fashion Consulting & Creative Strategy), to launch their first Ready To Wear (RTW) collection in October 2019.
Rooted in traditional motifs, the collection is juxtaposed with Art Deco influences. Raniwala 1881 received a great response for the collection and launched a dedicated e-store in January 2020.
“Our endeavour is to take polki as a diamond cut to maximum people and for them to use it daily,” shares Abhishek Raniwala. They decided to use 14-karat gold for the collection to keep price points at an affordable level without going into the fashion or silver jewellery space. Their next collection will be launched in two-three months.
“Apart from appealing to millennials and working women, the collection also found its niche in the marriage gifting segment, much to our surprise. Pendants and bracelets, especially those featuring chand and tara (the moon and star) motifs are doing well. Jewellery between Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 1,00,000 are most accepted,” notes Raniwala.
Everyday Luxury
Uncut by Aditi Amin
Uncut by Aditi Amin
A former investment banker, Aditi Amin launched her brand of contemporary polki jewellery in August 2019 with an occasion wear line. In January 2020, she launched a daily wear collection priced under Rs.1 lakh. Amin’s jewellery consists of traditional motifs like the crescent moon, stars and fish as well as unconventional, asymmetrical patterns.
“Globally, the pandemic has affected businesses. As the world recovers from it, we have seen a surge in clients who are looking to buy everyday luxury, affordable fine jewellery pieces,” shares Amin.
Delicate Designs
Vandana Chawla, a headmistress of a school in Delhi, decided to turn her long-standing passion for tweaking polki jewellery into more wearable jewels into a side business. In 2017, she founded Vintage Intentions. Her first edit of 15 polki jewellery pieces in 18/24- karat and 22/24-karat was lapped up by Jaypore.com, the popular e-store for all Indian arts and crafts. Since then, she has done several collections for them. Just a few months ago, Chawla started an Instagram account for her brand. She prefers to stick to Indian silhouettes but innovates with forms, structure and gemstones.
“While jewellery between Rs.20,000 and Rs.35,000, especially delicate polki pieces move quickly, I have seen a greater demand for pieces over Rs.1 lakh in the last three months,” shares Chawla, illustrating the popularity of the new segment and the fact that customers are getting comfortable with buying jewellery online.
Playful Vibes
Moi Vibe
Puja and Kunal Shah of Ahmedabad-based Aurus Jewels wanted to fill the gap of playful, handcrafted Indian jewels available on e-commerce platforms. They launched Moi Vibe in October 2019 with a collection of practical, wardrobe essentials, which include minimalistic polki tops and rings as well as more elaborate fringe necklaces with varied elements.
“We started Moi Vibe to create and showcase contemporary designs using Indian techniques that would appeal to women worldwide,” shares Kunal Shah. “We have customers from India, USA, UK, Australia and Canada buying polki jewellery on our website. The most popular price bracket is Rs.80,000 to Rs.1 lakh,” adds Shah.