Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
All things antique
|
Exquisite old-world pieces are the cynosure of all eyes at Prince Jewellery
|
Photo: S. Thanthoni
Dazzling creations Actress Shobhana at the launch
Like most things ancient, antique jewellery, too, has a certain charm about it. If you’ve admired your great grandmother and ancestors wearing them, while flipping through old family albums, and haven’t been lucky enough to be handed down a few, fret not.
Check out the 1,300 pieces at ‘Ancient Secrets,’ an exhibition and sale of antique Indian jewellery at Prince Jewellery’s Cathedral Road showroom. An annual event, this is the seventh edition of the show, and it coincides with the silver jubilee of Prince Jewellery.
The collection comprises original antique ornaments as well as recreated antiques. Some have been collected by the Prince family on their sojourns across India.
“Collecting antique ornaments is a hectic task, and we do it every year. Only limited pieces are available. The craftsmanship and detailing are very important,” says Princeson Jose, Managing Director, Prince Jewellery.
The jewellery store is to soon branch out to Bangalore, Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram and Trichy.
Actress-danseuse Shobhana inaugurated Ancient Secrets. Talking about the jewellery on display, she says: “This is trendy ancient jewellery, and it’s not like you have to be old to wear them. Prince Jewellery has taken the effort to make designs that youngsters would like to wear.”
The pieces on display range from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 25 lakh, and comprises everything from everyday jewels to those taken out for grand ceremonies. Vying for attention are thalis, addigais and maanga malais from Tamil Nadu, ear ornaments from the Malabar coast, necklaces that bear trademark of Maharashtra and Kolhapur, Thewa work from the ateliers of Rajasthan and lots more. When asked what she liked the most in the collection, she said: “What I am wearing,” referring to her ear piece set in ruby with the motifs of a fish, peacock and yaali on it. Her other favourites include the rakkodi, a pearl set and a nath, with kundan and ruby. The 15-piece rakkodi set with rubies caught many eyeballs. Another interesting piece is the Nature motif pendant from Kerala. It has a large emerald stone in the centre and a network of rubies, emeralds and diamonds around it, and costs Rs. 2.99 lakh.
Most of these antique ornaments are made of ruby, emerald, uncut diamond and plain gold, and the most in demand today is the rakkodi necklace. The oldest pieces of jewellery on display date back 85 years. The exhibition is on till July 20.
PRIYADARSHINI PAITANDY
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
