Bangalore-based gemologist Chetan GR recently received an unusual request about an 800-gram gold waistband. “It was a family inheritance and it had sentimental value as it belonged to a grandmother of 11. The inheritors were very clear that each of them retain a piece as a memory rather than melt it and take home a portion of the money,” says he. It took 110 days and a team of craftsmen to put together a portfolio of jewels like earrings, neckpieces and pendants. Right now, Chetan is recreating a turban piece, or sarpech, with Burma rubies, Colombian emeralds, flat diamonds and yellow sapphires.
Wearability is the keyword as designers across India give a new definition to antique jewellery as otherwise discarded pieces like armlets are being put to use with style. This emerging trend reflects an urge to return to one’s roots: an anklet can morph into a bracelet, an odd assortment of gemstones can become a cocktail finger ring and a heavily-embellished detachable choker can complement an evening gown.
There are fabled tales of palace jewellers summoned by the ladies of the royal household to create singular pieces. Such instances have been the inspiration for jewellery makers like Ganjam Nagappa & Son of Bangalore which dates back to 1889. The Ganjam logo is inspired by the Ganda Berunda, the insignia of the Wadiyar dynasty of Mysore. It is a mystical two-headed, three-eyed bird representing Lord Vishnu in the Mahabharata. “This century-old design is now being scaled down to be worn as a pendant-cum-brooch suitable for Indian- and western-wear,” says Ganjam Nagappa & Son Chairman & Managing Director Eshwar Ganjam. Colour is the mainstay in the Ganda Berunda, reflected through a combination of polkis, rubies and diamonds.
Somewhere along the line, many households failed to recognise the heritage value and astrological significance of the gemstones that make the jewel priceless. Today, in a revival of sorts, jewellers scout pawnbrokers and villages to rediscover broken pieces of jewellery.
Ganjam has redesigned ornate braids into a pair of earrings. For the transformation, 72 workmen chiselled away gemstones till they were crafted to perfection. Earlier this year, it created the Nizam collection. “Our design team visited the Salarjung Museum (in Hyderabad) to study the intricacies of the patterns. The elaborate 18-carat open-setting jewellery has extensively used rubies, emeralds and sapphires,” says Eshwar.
An inherited piece of jewellery provides ample scope for jewellers to display their imagination and artistry. “Each of the antique collections maintains its distinct identity with the coming together of various elements such as clasping and binding, and combining and complementing. A bajuband could be worn as a choker or a bracelet, a kalgi can be a bajuband or belt brooch,” says Mumbai-based revivalist couture jeweller Roopa Vohra.
Once families rediscover the value of a vintage jewel, the path is strewn with opportunities for jewellery designers.