A golden art form

IT'S SO ostentatiously Indian. Deep reds, blues and greens in combinations with a lot of bright orange-yellow that we call gold. Intricate designs to go with a rich finish.

Thewa is a 400-year-old jewel art recently revived. It comes with a strong Mughal history, fuses 23 karat gold with stained glass, and till recently, was practised by just one family in Rajasthan. It's rare and in Chennai now.

That about describes `Jewels 2001', an exhibition of the best jewellery in India at the ITC Park Sheraton from August 24 to 27.

``It's for those who think beyond the ordinary,'' says an organiser. ``People come here not just to see the kind of jewellery available at any showroom.'' So what you get is ``great'', if not an exclusive.

Take the multi-colour sapphire necklace set. The stone, which has always had a claim on blue, is now contesting with emerald for a little green, and comes in nine ``original'' colours in this particular set.

``This is the first time the sapphire necklace is being displayed in Chennai,'' says a representative of the Frontline Jewellery, Mumbai. Then there's the 113-year old B.C.Sen Jewellers from Calcutta with its exquisite bridal range, straying in the Rs.one to two lakh bracket. And white gold necklaces, again a few lakhs.

But nothing quite like the neat-looking bracelet, prim and elegant. The kind that will sparkle in a crowd and definitely get you noticed. It's tiny with 37-karat diamond and costs just about Rs.25 lakh. Solitaire Expressions by Orma is the exclusive diamond range from Quality Diamond Jewellery, Mumbai. And there's Rajmal Lakhichand, jewellers from Jalgaon who have been in the business since 1954. Obviously, they specialise in antiques.

The organisers said the exhibition gives customers what they want at affordable prizes, and ``affordable'' could range anywhere from Rs.5,000 to Rs.50 lakh. ``A brooch could easily cost Rs.three lakh.'' But then, the exhibition is meant for the upper, middle-class. Which means, the right ambience has to be provided, in this case a five-star hotel, so they can feel comfortable, compare and make choices.

The 36 manufacturers are the pick from all over India with their latest designs. But here's the best part about the exhibition - it comes with an invisible tag that says: Come bargain.

By Feroze Ahmed

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