Heirloom jewellery: A statement of legacy and forgotten craftsmanship

Ornaments in this domain are fast catching the imagination of young Indians, not only for their monetary value, but also for their traditional, very 'Indian-like' appeal

It's just the kind of the thing that would give the present generation a glimpse into the past and reconnect them to their roots. Heirloom jewellery is fast catching the imagination of young Indians, not only for its monetary value, but also for its traditional, very 'Indian-like' appeal. 

Bollywood celebrity such as Sonam Kapoor, Deep Veer and Priyanka Chopra, who recently tied the knot, all wore traditional heirloom pieces and contributed to rekindling interest in this timeless art. From satladas to raani har, karamphools to haslis, armlets, choker, mathapatti, kamarband- all seem to be back, and how.  

These inherited pieces are not just items of jewellery – they are a reservoir of sentimental attachment, cherished memories, know-how and forgotten craftsmanship. Says Himani Grover, principal designer and founder of Chicory Chai, a Gurgaon-based jewellery design studio, “I make a conscious effort not to disturb the original structure or craftsmanship of the piece as it exists and respect its original creators. That is the only way to retain the spirit of the piece.” Often designers spend a lot of time with their clients trying to understand what they actually want. Says Grover, “The process begins with a thorough understanding of the piece as well as what the client wants. Then it's a mutual decision to either just restore it or make it more suitable to the person owning it. I try to reinvent the old piece and contemporarise it while retaining its original essence.” But no matter what is done with the heirloom piece, it is treated as the 'hero' of the process around which everything else is planned.

Heirloom jewellery is in demand not only with brides but with other members of the family who bring their old traditional pieces and want them revamped, says jewellery designer Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Creative head for ‘R’ Jewelry’ and daughter of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor. She personally owns a mathapatti that was passed on to her by her mother on her wedding day. "And a choker passed on to me by my mother-in-law, which in turn were gifted by her in-laws,” she says.

Jadau vintage gold hathphool (hand ornament) by Amrapali Jewels

How old can heirlooms be?

Most jewellers in town say they receive pieces that are generally 50-150 years old and are mostly estate items with old cut diamonds and precious emeralds. At times they also get a few Polki Jadau pieces once worn be the royals of the country. Old pieces could be damaged in various ways and resurrecting them is a meticulous process. Informs RK jewellers, based in South Extension, New Delhi, “Gemstones are sometimes broken or missing. Joints are loose. At times even the metal alloy is weak. So the first step is to fix the alloy related problems by polishing and buffing. Second is to set the missing gemstones and replace the broken ones with new ones. And finally re-solder the piece at the joints followed by overall polishing of the piece.”

Heirlooms could be as old as 200 years old, as is the case with Grover’s Maharashtrian Nath (nose pin) belonging to her father's family. The piece has remained with the lineage and is now the property of the fifth generation. The nosepin, made of precious stones and pearls is strung on thin gold wire, had a peculiar form that had deformed over time. Grover was faced with a challenge - how to restore the classic shape while maintaining the structure? This was finally achieved by re-stringing the pearls and precious beads in 22-carat gold wire and gently shaping the wire to create the iconic nath shape. 

Luckily modern tools today and machinery allow one to make changes in a precise manner, says Tarang Arora, CEO, Amrapali Jewels, “As against erstwhile method of heating that pretty much destroyed the entire piece.” But now with laser soldering, you can add finer modern nuances or traditional ones, as you like it, without disrupting the major design.

Apart from restoration, there is another market in which the jeweller is commissioned to craft special heirloom pieces that will stay in the family. Arora talks about a family of seven brothers in which the patriarch commissioned a piece that would be worn by all the brides and stay within the family as signature legacy. “This is so special, and hopefully next gen will get talking and remember how a certain uncle got the heirloom signature piece made from a certain jeweller. Creating this is a deeply engaging and creative process, and involves many discussions between the client and jeweller.” They encourage clients to come up with personal stories and tales close to their heart to see if they can create family emblems. Arora shares how one family had a strong association with the eagle and the bird was designed on each piece of jewellery. Besides, there are anecdotes of Amrapali making everything from bal gopals to Ram Durbar, sometimes even buttons on sherwani of all men with family monograms in diamond or kataar for Sikh families as family heirlooms. 

What does it cost?

The cost of restoration of heirloom jewellery depends on the amount of labour involved, metal technique used, extra material, nature of precious stones involved (if any), reinvention which includes design and new detailing. For instance a Satlada with minimal restoration may cost Rs 50,000, while a Karamphool that have lost bigger diamonds and needs to be reset will cost Rs 5 lakh. An ornate gold piece with precious stones or polki could cross Rs 2 lakh, while the budget for making smaller pieces like rings and earrings could be Rs 1-1.50 lakh. However creating a brand new heirloom is a different ballgame. Since this is done in precious stones and precious metals only, the cost is upward of Rs 50 lakh. 

What are favourite heirloom pieces for modern brides? Chaand balis are finding favour with the present generation, says Sunil Datwani, founder at Gehna Jewellers, who adds that a lot of people from the older generations want to buy heirloom jewellery for their children, so that the piece can be passed on from one generation to the next, as was done in historical times. And also, people prefer heirloom jewellery when they are not sure what the next generation exactly wants. They go for classic pieces such as Polkis are royalty gems. 

Weddings remain the biggest driver of heirlooms. Most Indian brides still prefer the quintessential traditional look. The trend is to wear one stunning piece of accessory, like a hair ornament or an oversized diamond nose ring or a haath phool, which becomes the highlight of the look. Chokers and mathapatti are very much in. Like they say, timeless pieces will never go out of style or demand.