JJS BACK WITH A BANG

After a one-year hiatus, the much-awaited 14th edition of the Jaipur Jewellery Show (JJS) opened on December 21 riding on great expectations. The four-day show turned out to be an indicator that the industry was back on its feet. The show generated a lot of positivity with exhibitors going full throttle in presenting their best collections specially prepared for the coming season. This time, JJS had a design-centric focus with the introduction of Jaipur Jewellery Design Festival, which will now be a permanent feature of the show. SHANOO BIJLANI reports.

The Jaipur Jewellery Show ( JJS), in its 14th year, attracted nearly 37,000 visitors from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Agra, Lucknow, Meerut, Surat, Aligarh, Akola, Ratlam, Dhorimanna, Patiala, Kota and Bikaner during the four-day event at the Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre ( JECC) in Sitapura. The show that ran from Dec 21-24 was inaugurated by chief guest Sumedha Durlabhji, wife of the late Rashmikant Durlabhji, along with the guest of honour Nitin Khandelwal, chairman of the All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF).

JJS secretary Rajiv Jain noted that the gusto and enthusiasm seen among the business visitors this year, right from day one was indeed encouraging. “The GJF also had its board meeting during the JJS, with its board members consisting of top retailers taking earnest interest in the event. JJS has always been a judicious mix of artistic Jaipur jewellery and various other coloured gemstones.”

Ajay Kala, joint secretary and spokesperson of JJS, informed that despite a gap of one year, the fervour among participants had not waned, and the show had put up 800+ booths at the Jaipur Exhibition & Convention Centre ( JECC) in Sitapura.

The JJS theme of ‘Red, Rare and Royal’ revolved around rubies, which, in turn, generated a lot of interest in these ravishing gemstones. Demand was also seen for fusion jewellery and kundan-meena lines among others.

This year, JJS unveiled a unique platform to celebrate design, arts and crafts that was inaugurated on day one of the show (see page 58). The Jaipur Jewellery Design Festival ( JJDF) showcased the eclectic works of various designers and designer brands from India and abroad and held a lot of interactive activities.

Trends

Jaipur Jewellery Show is a major indicator of trend directions in terms of jewellery and colour for the coming year. One of the major trends that emerged is the use of pastel shaded enamelling contrasted with dark hues in some pieces. Many of the collections were dressed in shades ranging from light parrot green, baby pink, powdery cobalt blue (known as fakta) to light violet and dark and light blue. The focus was also on pocket-friendly, small pieces like bold earrings and statement necklaces.

Coloured gemstone jewellery was also quite popular this year. The new brides showed keen interest in matha pattis, naths and chokers. Gemstones such as polished or rough turquoise, black onyx, blue topaz, kyanite and tanzanite were popular. Charu Sarawgi, a jewellery designer who specialises in prêt and party wear kundan jewellery, noted that she has been using a lot of these unusual gemstones in combination with emeralds, rubies and enamelling.

Among the family of pearls, Japanese Akoya, freshwater pearls, South Sea and Basra are going strong. Antique style pearl-laden jewellery with slightly radical elements is the hallmark of Umrao Jewels, Jaipur. One of the partners of the firm Shashwat Shah revealed, “We specialise in unconventional jadau jewellery and use turquoise, black onyx and different enamels so that the jewellery gets a classic yet contemporary look. As for pearls, we are seeing a great demand for Basra in smaller sizes as they add value to the piece.”

Navratna jewellery is seeing a resurgence in contemporary formats. Large ear studs, pearl necklaces with navratna gem drops, cocktail rings with nine gems are moving briskly.

Parina Jain of Parina International, who was participating for the first time at the Jaipur Jewellery Show, was attracting a lot of clients. Her family company is into wholesaling and exporting, but they began retailing last year. With a lot of attention to detail, quality of gemstones and superior finish, any product can stand out, said Parina. She, too, reiterated that French enamelled jewellery is gaining popularity

Parina also mentioned that necklaces that can be worn either way, mid-length to long malas strung with pearls and other gem beads with jadau work, large ear studs, and jewellery with open setting without lac were the fastest moving pieces.

Rakesh Soni, partner, Jodhas, Jaipur, informed that 22-karat gold necklaces set with fine quality Zambian emeralds, pearls and diamonds without lac highlighted with naqashi and partash work priced between R6 and R10 lakh were in demand.

A jewellery trend that is gradually gaining ground is the revival of geometric and Art Deco patterns. Abhishek Haritwal of Haritsons Designs Pvt. Ltd. stated that larger, symmetrical patterns with less gold weight were the order of the day.

Tasselled sautoirs composed of coloured gemstones with Art Deco motifs and distinctive black enamel usage were found in the booth of Exquisite Fine Jewellery.

This time there was a huge demand for men’s jewellery as well. Quirky cuff links featuring bicycle and horse motifs or navratna kurta buttons were in demand. Chunky unisex bracelets at Haritsons with hand-painted scenes from the pink city found many takers.

Abhishek Sand, co-founder of Savio Jewellery, declared that JJS was one of the brand’s favourite shows. The show, according to him, not only helps them meet serious NRI and foreign buyers but also helps them get new retail and business-to-business customers. At the seventh year at the JJS, Savio Jewellery launched its new Fantasia collection with FBB Femina Miss India Aditi Hundia at the show.

Charu Sarawgi
Haritsons Designs Pvt. Ltd.

Show activities

JJS secretary Rajiv Jain also announced that the Rajasthan ILD Skill University (RISU) had presented the provisional affiliation to Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery Jaipur (IIGJ) to commence Bachelors’ and Masters’ degree programmes. The courses will begin from the year 2018-19 at IIGJ Jaipur. The document was presented by the Vice Chancellor of the RISU, Dr. Lalit K. Panwar to Rajiv Jain.

On the sidelines of the show, Rajiv Jain said that for the first time, JJS had provided three stalls free of cost to the budding designers of Jaipur. “This will give a platform to the young designers to connect with customers and big jewellers,” he said. The students displayed modern and traditional concept jewellery such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, hairpins and much more. The walls of the stalls showcased design sketches and inspiration sources for the jewellery. Also on display were wax castings used in the manufacturing of the final designs. The exhibited merchandise was also available for sale.

At the show, Ashok Lahoti, mayor of Jaipur, and Siddharth Singh, former commerce secretary announced the winners of the best designer booths in jewellery and gemstones sections. The first and second Best Booth in Jewellery Section up to 18 sq. mtr. category were: Haritsons Designs P. Ltd. and Adore respectively. The first and second Best Booth in Jewellery Section more than 18 sq. mtr. category were: Ghatiwala Jewellers and Bhuramal Rajmal Surana Jewels, respectively. The first and second Best Booth in Gemstones Section were: MB Exports and Green Bell. JJS 2018 will be held from December 21-24.

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