The two-day second edition of Saffronart’s biennial jewellery conference, ‘Mapping a Legacy of Indian Jewels’, ended with an overwhelming response from nearly 200 participants – including some who travelled especially for the event from locations as far as Italy, the US and Russia. The event, which is part of Saffronart’s ongoing Dialogues in Art series, took place on October 11 – 12, 2019 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai. The conference was curated by renowned jewellery historian Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan. The distinguished panel of speakers included India’s foremost contemporary jewellery designer Viren Bhagat; international jewellery specialists Lisa Hubbard and Joanna Hardy; fashion designer and author Wendell Rodricks; jewellery historian Jack Ogden; art historian and author Hugo Miguel Crespo; GIA’s chief quality officer John King, an expert on coloured diamonds; chief advisor to the Maharaja of Kapurthala, Cynthia Meera Frederick; journalist and author, Manu Pillai; and director of Eka Archiving Services, Deepthi Sasidharan. The conference was co-sponsored by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), partnered by the Diamond Producers Association (DPA) and the World Diamond Museum, and supported by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).
Saffronart’s president and cofounder Minal Vazirani said, “Saffronart’s succession of jewellery conferences have created a unique global conversation around jewels that is centred in India, one of the most important origin points of jewels in the world. We are delighted to have spearheaded this pioneering effort that traces the dialogue between tradition and modernity, history and myth, and charts a contemporary Indian aesthetic in jewellery design. This second edition of the conference has gained a great deal of momentum, as it was a platform for information and learning which is not in the public forum. As a result, we have doubled participation and we will plan to host this as a biennial event. We look forward to continuing this journey and organising the third edition of the Saffronart Dialogues in Art jewellery conference in 2021.”
Dr. Usha R Balakrishnan said, “The conference was a success beyond all expectations, and truly mapped the legacy of Indian jewels and looked at jewellery as art. It is my firm belief that it has served as a catalyst for the further study and documentation of this incredible heritage. Chinua Achebe, the Nigerian novelist and poet, famously said, ‘Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.’ Since gemstones and jewels can never reveal their journeys and stories, we have to be that historian, to share scholarship, make discoveries and introduce the art of jewels to collectors, connoisseurs, and enthusiasts.”
On day one, the conference opened to a packed room with a talk by international jewellery specialist Lisa Hubbard, a veteran auctioneer who was formerly jewellery chairman of the Americas for Sotheby’s, and is currently an advisor to Christie’s. Hubbard shared the anatomy of the recent auction ‘Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence’, which featured jewels from the Al-Thani collection. She said that the collection provided “an understanding and appreciation of how much Western jewellery design at all levels owes India.”
“For us, design leads everything.” This philosophy guides renowned jewellery designer Viren Bhagat, who was the keynote speaker for the evening in conversation with Dr. Balakrishnan and Vazirani. The audience sat riveted as Bhagat shared his creative process and design philosophy. Describing how his designs are inspired by Mughal architecture, nature and the everyday, Bhagat explained that they are a stylisation rather than an imitation of his surroundings. Expressing his desire to move beyond the “baggage” of history and his attempt to bring Indian jewels into the present day, he explained why he doesn’t make designs on commission, never creates the same piece twice, and believes that when it comes to design, “there are no rules”.
On day two, two eminent personalities delved deep into the history of Goa – art historian and author Hugo Miguel Crespo and international fashion designer and author Wendell Rodricks. Crespo shared some details from his research that he completed just weeks ago, for the first time on a public platform. He showed extensive examples of jewelled objects that demonstrate the interaction between Indian and European design and techniques, citing testimonies that proved to be an important resource in the near absence of archives.
Rodricks wove stories about the hybridity and exchange between Konkan jewellery and fashion and other countries and cultures, such as the pano bhaju – “a garment that came out of thin air” and borrowed from a Peranakan Chinese costume; and bangles called ananas kankana inspired by pineapples that were brought to India from Portugal. Next were two illuminating talks on diamonds. Jewellery historian Jack Ogden spoke about the early history of diamonds, which were initially utilitarian and used for cutting, drilling and scratching; as well as the diamond trade spanning more than 2500 years, with India at its centre for centuries. GIA’s John King shared hallmarks of some of the most fascinating coloured diamonds that he has come across, including some from India, and factors such as innovations in cutting, grading systems and marketing strategies that brought these diamonds into the spotlight. Later, in conversation with Alexander Popov, founder and CEO of the World Diamond Museum, Ogden and King discussed the intrinsic value, rarity and pricing of these precious stones.
International jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy shared stories of her travels in pursuit of fine jewels, specifically emeralds and rubies during her research for her books, as well as from her experience over the last 12 years of being a specialist on the BBC Antiques Roadshow. Director of Eka Archiving Services Deepthi Sasidharan’s presentation portrayed the significance of the photographic archives of 19th century India in obtaining knowledge about the attire and adornment of women of the time. Cynthia Meera Frederick, chief advisor to the Maharaja of Kapurthala, added a royal touch with her talk about the jewels favoured by Maharaja Jagatjit Singh – “one of the truly global Indians” – right from his childhood. She added that “Jewellery, gems… are never static. The moment they are mined, they are cut, polished, they change ownership, almost like the pieces have a life of their own.”
In the closing session, author Manu Pillai and jewellery historian Dr. Balakrishnan took the audience on a journey into the rich jewelled legacy of South India. Pillai discussed the rise and fall of the Travancore Empire, which retained only the Padmanabhaswamy temple after the collapse of the old order. Dr. Balakrishnan shared examples of the meticulousness of ancient inscriptions that provided clues to the names of ornaments, among others; reiterated the importance of documentation; and described the thrill for the historian of identifying and researching pieces and traditions. She remarked that it was all about “the hunt. The hunt is exciting, the hunt is challenging… never boring.”
The conference, in traversing across the subcontinent, provided a platform for discussion, research and exchange about the rare body of jewels and gemstones that define our cultural legacy, and how deeply it has influenced the rest of the world for centuries.