Jewel Queens

It’s that time of the year when you want to give that extra sparkle to your style with a stunning jewellery statement. This festive season, brace yourself with luxe bauble trends as we get jewellery specialists and designers to share their design expressions and upcoming trends in festive jewellery. Time to get festive ready!

Founder, Archana Aggarwal Jewellery, New Delhi

Since her early years, Archana Aggarwal has been aesthetically keen to transform jewellery into an art form, reliving the age of Mughals and Nawabs through her design skills and the taste for everything creative. She graduated in Gemology and was able to start working towards her passion right out of college. In 2003, she officially took the plunge and launched her jewellery label Archana Aggarwal – Timeless Jewellery that takes pride in being a fashionable and ethical luxury brand. Aggarwal has perfected the art of creating spectacular designs, characterised by exquisite intricacy, ensuring fabulous craftsmanship with every piece of jewel she creates. Her unique designs and quality in jewellery are her strength. She has blended traditional artefacts into contemporary designs with authentic and certified jewellery to suit the taste of the consumers.

Jewellery line The brand’s oeuvre is a coming together of luxury and wearable art. She crafts luxury jewellery treasures by blending refinement with sophistication. Within this unique savoir-faire resides her passion for fine jewellery making. She adapts royal, traditional, contemporary and chic trends in her designs, crafting exceptional collections that play with diamonds and precious gemstones which are both rare and unique, sourced from all over the world.

Festive trends “Carrying a flamboyant or a muted look this season, coloured gemstones are energising and uplifting, and add an elegant sparkle to your world. Alleviate the cold weather-wear with floral inspired jewellery that’s sure to lift-up the festive mood. Another headliner for the upcoming trends is layered necklaces. Multi-layered necklaces aren’t just the new game-changer but a quintessential accessory for the modern woman who is not shy to take the centre stage and make a statement with aplomb,” informs the designer.

The core value “The brand’s core strength lies in the strong design aesthetic drawn from a wealth of heritage. Creating something and being able to share it with people who appreciate it is so fulfilling. I am happiest at work when I am on my design desk, sketching for the next collection,” she concludes.

Founder, Neelima Jwels, Udaipur

The need to express herself drove Shikha Singhal, aged 47 years, to dream and design right from the beginning. Coming from the culturally rich state of Rajasthan, she always wanted to infuse that heritage and royalty in her designs. A jewellery designer from Udaipur, she started her journey in 2003 with the dream of changing the very idea of jewellery buying and spreading awareness through her fair business practices. She opened the town’s first designer jewellery store ‘Neelima Jwels’ with an annual turnover of R20 crore. Singhal believes that jewellery should be valued with the amount of happiness it brings to her customers. Though she runs the show on her own, her son Aryann Singhal is now planning to take a step further by expanding to other cities of India.

Jewellery line She specialises in polki and jadau jewellery as well as jewellery in diamond, gold, and precious stones to create a smooth amalgamation of contemporary art with modern innovations. The designs available in unique kundan and meenakari work exhibit the royal lifestyle of Rajasthan with creativity, class and elegance. The collections are inspired by the elements of nature, and lend an exclusive and luxurious touch to the designs.

Festive trends “In times when every jeweller is aspiring to reach up to international standards by taking inspiration from their seasonal collections, we encourage customers to change the trends of season buying to reason buying. We create every piece after a proper understanding of the customer’s likes and preferences. With the core essence to create ‘a jewel for everyone and every occasion’, every piece is customised to suit the client’s taste,” claims Singhal.

Pursuing other passions Singhal adores art and adventure and wishes to take her passion ahead by opening her own adventure park in Udaipur. She also has a huge interest in collectibles and art and pursues the same in her free time. According to her, one should never stop exploring the ways of life, which is why she loves reading ancient books and exploring the science behind everything.

Founder, Sangeeta Boochra Jewellery, Jaipur

Coming from a line of jewellery connoisseurs, Sangeeta Boochra Jewellery is named after the designer Sangeeta Boochra, who is the daughter-in-law of Seth Kistoor Chand Boochra, known as the ‘Silver King of India’. Her earliest memories are of playing with her mother’s jewellery box and accessorising her clothing. While her friends played with dolls or sports, Boochra designed jewellery as she always knew that she would be a jewellery designer or fashion designer. Formally educated in the line of fashion designing, she soon found her true calling in the art of jewellery making.

The line founded in 1994 derives its design language through a perfect blend of rustic bohemia and the luxurious elements of Indian heritage. She crafts designs that embody grace and inspire those who appreciate style, design and uncompromising quality. “When a woman wears my jewellery, I want her to feel as if she is wrapped in one of life’s greatest luxuries,” states Boochra, who runs a team of 2,000 traditional karigars and artisans handpicked from Rajasthan to give shape to her unique designs. With a turnover of R20 crore, her timeless and evocative pieces depict the culture of our country and are adorned by A-list celebrities. Recently, her son Abhineet Boochra also joined her in the business.

Jewellery line from statement necklaces to showstopper earrings and stunning bracelets, each piece reflects intricate craftsmanship. One can call it a modern renaissance in the art of fashioning ancient jewellery. “It’s about striking the balance between the elegance of a classic woman and the fashion sense of today’s modern woman,” she adds.

Festive trends “Emerald green is the colour of the season. During the festive season, chaandbalis, jhumkas and chokers work better with diamonds, emeralds and rubies. Other options in jewellery are long necklaces, bangles and bracelets with kundan work and diamonds. People are moving towards silver jewellery and opt for silver over gold for weddings and festivals. Silver jewellery is trendier and the finish is better than with gold,” states Boochra.

Syncing heritage and modern Known for bringing Indian culture and heritage on the world map, the brand designs and syncs contemporary styles with traditional motifs to exude a global appeal and advantage. “Recently, we designed our Charbagh collection which was inspired from the Mughal architecture but we synced in Roman art as well,” she sums it up.