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A cascade of brilliance
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Ganjam's Cascada line is a tribute to the waterfall
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The collection is a celebration of water in the wilderness
CLASSY TAKE Each piece of jewellery rippled around Sheetal Mallar's sinuous form, demonstrating the elemental soul of water PHOTO: V. SREENIVASA MURTHY
It's tough to imitate the sheer poetry of nature. Whether in painting or lyrics, movement or music. Or even the sheer craftsmanship of jewellery.
Ganjam's Cascada in platinum and diamonds, the first ever Indian handcrafted collection in the rare metal by a private jewellery house, is a tribute to the waterfall.With this path-breaking experiment, the jewellery house reiterates its reputation as a trendsetter since it launched its first Bangalore store in 1889.
Such jewellery is normally machine-crafted to standards set by the Platinum Guild International, except in the case of leading international labels such as Cartier, Van Cleef and Bulgari. Joining their ranks, Ganjam now offers the Cascada line, which is fluid, sparkling and breathtaking, with prices ranging from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 10 lakh.
Cascada was showcased at a Ganjam by Design store media preview at the Leela Palace hotel on by dusky Indian supermodel Sheetal Mallar, in a 20-minute polished show cobbled together over four days by ace couturier Wendell Rodricks.
It proved to be a celebration of water in the wilderness. Of its untamed stream. Of the unbearable lightness of droplets in motion. Of the splash. The cascade. The torrent. The flow.
It took 11 months for the local Ganjam Design Studio to realise the pendants, wrist wear, rings, necklaces and earrings unveiled. Its designer Tara Premsingh was inspired by nature's flights of fancy. That's in keeping with Water as the 2006 international jewellery theme.
The result, highlighted brilliantly against the flowing white fabric and fluid lines of Rodricks couture, is the timeless classicism of nature melded into contemporary notes quite seamlessly. By using prong, bezel and pave set `f' diamonds to create a liquid flow of white metal, Ganjam's sinuous earrings call attention to the golden tan of Sheetal's skin, the groomed tangle of her curls. Just as the rippling tassellated back of her Rodricks gown counterpoints the dazzling stream of diamond briolettes that accentuate her neckline. Just as magnificent is the tiered ring she sports. And another radiant, delicate necklace that evokes moonbeams flowing free down rapids.
Speaking between classy audio-visuals that spotlight Ganjam's reputation as jewellers to the royalty of Mysore or Nepal, or a house whose bejewelled creations have won awards at Vincenza and New York, Tokyo and Basel, Rodricks notes: "This is a brand that has found Indian jewellery a global platform. The Cascada collection is crafted to create a movement of diamonds and platinum that sits beautifully on the human form."
True. Each piece ripples around Mallar's sinuous form, complete with a butterfly tattoo at the waist, demonstrating the elemental soul of water. "These pieces are intended as platinum heirlooms. They are made for the international woman of today, who can use them as everyday wear, then to a cocktail party," observes Rodricks of the collection "guaranteed to enchant forever.".
Lisa Mukhedkar, strategic planner for the Platinum Guild India Pvt. Ltd., says of the handcrafted initiative: "With Ganjam, we were sure our quality standards would be respected with regard to the purity of metal and finish. They were ready to invest whatever was needed in terms of technology and karigars. In India, it's not that common for a jeweller to put so much into design and manufacture."
The last word belongs to G.S. Eswar, chairman and managing director of Ganjam: "We took permission from the Platinum Guild before we started on this initiative with our mainly Bengali in-house karigars. I think we've achieved what we set out to do in terms of design."
It's time for Ganjam to take another bow for excellence. Against the backdrop of its fabulous realisations in alliance with Japanese designer Kazuo Ogawa.
Cascada is undoubtedly an extraordinary collection in terms of both handcrafting and design. As rare as the only metal thought precious enough for the Kohinoor to nestle in.
ADITI DE
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