Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

Colours, styles with contemporary touch

With traditions taking a backseat owing to the advent of the nuclear family, the fascination for heavy jewellery is fading fast.

The younger generation is exposed to a totally different style of jewellery and hence a new culture vis-a-vis ornaments has come into existence. Now the bride-to-be surely wants to look as gorgeous as her mother did in the wedding photographs as well as make a fashion statement with the minimalist effect. And this is quite possible today as the fabric, colours, and styles that dominated the yesteryear are back with a bang, but with a touch of the contemporary.

The contemporary Indian women does not prefer that well-dolled-up model-like look but rather wants to look gorgeous as well as smart on her wedding day.

In today's fashion-crazy world, where traditional concepts are giving way to the eclectic, branded jewellery is a proclamation of the change.

Precious or semi-precious stones set in gold, antique finishes, diamonds, and Kundan chokers are some of the current trends in a bride's choice of jewellery.

The ethnic traditional jewellery of the `Devdas' style has become extremely popular especially among the upper middle class.

Motifs are mostly floral inspired by nuances of Muslim, mostly Mughal architecture.

Gleaned from family heirlooms, photographs, books and even the exotic jewellery collections of erstwhile royalty, innovative touches have transformed the diamond, ruby and emerald to suit contemporary tastes and yet retain an old world charm.

The market beckons the would-be brides with a wide array of coloured stones besides rubies, and emeralds.

Made of 22-carat gold the designs are either polished or oxidised to get a dull finish.

Diamonds

Wedding jewellery is getting hipper, chic, and younger. Glittering diamonds that dance around in finger-rings and pendants, funky fusion neckpieces in pink and white gold, little dolphin bracelets in streaks of gold and silver, and other exotic coloured stones on every conceivable part of the body.

Innovative designing and styling have brought in a new group of customers who go in for miniscule diamonds that are used in rings, ear studs and lockets.

Platinum

With more and more people around the world opting for platinum, not just for their wedding rings but other jewellery pieces as well, platinum is clearly making waves across the globe.

Wedding bands in platinum say what no other metal can. They symbolise eternity.

With its refreshing white luminous look, platinum offers a different, yet extremely elegant option that is understated and yet makes an impressive statement about the person. Diamonds set in platinum give the luminescence of the metal that truly complements the sparkle and the fire of the diamonds like none other.

Trends

As far as individual pieces of jewellery are concerned, long earrings, necklaces studded with precious or semi-precious stones, gold jewellery with antique finishes and intricately designed jewellery are the other favourites.

The latest trend is also to have `invisible setting' in the jewellery, so that the myriad stones used look like one huge stone and the gold hardly shows through.

The traditional designs have undergone a change to provide a trendy as well as classy look for that special day. Necklace is out, neck piece is in.

It needn't necessarily go round your neck and may just cling on like a crescent moon! Heavy bangles are passi, an elegant bracelet with kundan is in vogue.

Nivedita Ganguly

Nivedita Ganguly

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