The Top Lakme Fashion Week Designers for Summer-Resort 2015

The Lakme Summer/Resort fashion show 2015 was held from March 18th to March 21st, at the Palladium, Mumbai. The highlight of the show was that, the most of the attention grabbing shows from the seasoned Lakme Fashion week designers, were held off site from the venue. The success of any fashion show lies with the power designers’ showcase and the promise that the young talent displays. The Lakme fashion week designers put up an avant garde display at the event.

The young Lakme Fashion week designers gave a lot of fresh perspective. Among them there are few notable ones. Anushree Reddy who is already popular with the bride in her 20’s presented her bridal wear with pastels combined with vintage floral prints, chevrons and stripes with a hint of bling. Mandira Bedi commenced the last day of the Lakme fashion week with her saree collection. She used a lot of colours with trendy cholis using banaras art on cotton and silk sarees.

Neha Agarwal’s ‘From Russia, with Love’ collection showed Indo-Soviet outfits. The Russian prints and babushka doll imprint were seen on most of the skirts and tops. The showstopper Karisma Kapoor’s pink bodice with sheer embroidered cape and printed skirt was outstanding. Ken Ferns theme ‘the eternal sleep’ saw red poppy flowers sprinkled on all his black and white outfits. They even had a hint of blue and mostly were printed modern wear. Karleo also presented a very western line with skirts, modern sarees and gowns. The young Lakme Fashion week designers did garner attention amidst the veteran glitz. There will definitely be an increase in the new Lakme fashion week designers every year from this year’s 39 new designers.

Anushree Reddy design

Neha Agarwal design

Ken Ferns design

From the veteran Lakme fashion week designers; there was some amazing work to watch out for. Sabyasachi commenced the grand show at the Richardson & Cruddas rundown mill with 120 dazzling looks. It portrayed the 70’s with bling, stripes, floral prints, solids and monochromes. Manish Malhotra’s show ‘the Blue runway’ was presented in association with WEvolve. This opening night show was again off site at the old world ‘Great Eastern Home’. As per his theme his outfits were mostly bound by the colour blue and were traditional with contemporary approach. Suneet Varma presented ‘the decorative arts of India’ bringing forth the traditional techniques of different parts of India. He used a lot of mirror work and embroidery on shades and tints of reds and magentas. His mirror work shorts and pants stood out in the show, as did the gorgeous lehenga with crystals. 

Satya Paul by Gauri Khan saw contemporary sarees and flowy attires with tropical leaf motifs and modern prints. Tarun Taliani’s work was funky, blending in the cool and warm shades. The multicoloured prints used on kaftans, jackets and dhotis with turbans, made a lively presentation. The showstopper Chitrangada Singh said it all about Tahiliani’s show with her bohemian blue printed top with pink layered skirt. Wendell Rodericks’s ‘Popology’ took inspiration from pop art and used young bright colours in geometric patterns.

Manish Malhotra design

Tarun Tahiliani design

Satya Paul by Gauri Khan design

Of all the Lakme fashion week designers, Anamika Khanna’s show was a memorable one. She brought the curtains down with her ‘Sculpt’ line. The show was held at Bhau Daji Lad Museum using a grand staircase as the runway. Justifying the theme the collection showed sculpted outfits with modern cuts and Indian aesthetics. The show presented lot of gold, gunmetal and silver with ivory and black. Kareena Kapoor who is the face of Lakme did the final walk down the staircase in amazing silver and black attire.

Anamika Khanna design

The show ended on a grand note and the Lakme fashion week designers made the event happen with lot of originality, which will see us through this season.
 
Image Source: Lakme Fashion Week facebook page

Trends for Indian Bridal Make-up 2015

Those eyes kill me quietly. As your face, your devilish lips

Take my breath away; like it was sucked out of my soul.

It leaves me completely breathless,utterly speechless.

-Alexander Bentley

A ravishing, radiant bride is the focal point of any wedding. As mostly the Indian bridal attires are in bold colours with lot of gold and glitter, the Indian bridal make-up has to be at par, so that more than her dress, it is she who takes everyone’s breath away.

Let’s cover the trends of Indian bridal make-up for each specific feature that is highlighted:

Tress Talk:

This season the hair can be tied up using any hairstyle with accents of flowers or a jewel hair accessory. The South Indian bride displays an amazing braid hairdo with flowers and ornaments. For a modern look the bride can let the hair down with soft curls. Hair extensions and a hint of colour in hair with an emphatic mangtikka are also popular.

The flawless skin:

The base foundation for the face, which is like creating canvas for art, has to be perfect. It has to look flawless and natural at the same time. It is important to choose the tone as per your complexion, sometimes a shade darker does more justice than ending up like ghost bride. Brides are going in for airbrush foundations that are applied through misty spray and they let your skin breathe. One trend in Indian bridal make-up is using a bronzer instead of blush as it gives definition and contour on the face with a more natural look and this in turn results in amazing wedding day pictures!

The eyes say it all:

Smokey eyes are big now as they go well with this season’s more bejeweled and opulent classic wedding attires. This year rust and copper brown shadows are favourites, as is the addition of shimmer to the eyes. There is also a trend of adding a hint of the attire colour to the eyes like blues, teals, greens,etc. whatever the bride is wearing. This season for the Indian bridal make-up, the focus is on the eyes. The younger brides prefer a minimalistic look with no huge fake eye lashes.  Kajals will always be popular with Indian brides and full eyebrows are also very in for the Indian bridal make-up.  

Lips don’t lie:

Indian bridal make-up this season is all for natural berry stained lips or underplayed nude lips to match the brides’s smokey highlighted eyes. Instead of the sharp edge of the lip liners, the stains give a more natural look. Orange-browns and plums also go well with Indian complexion and most of the conventional Indian bridal-wear colours. Before choosing the lip colour the bride should consider her dress colour and skin tone too. The brides can go for bolder colours like reds or fuchsias with lightly done eyes.

Brides are also going in for permanent make-up these days. Permanent make-up helps you have well done eyebrows, eyeliners, lip colours and you can also add a beauty spot that will stay for a long time.

When we talk of an Indian bride we cannot ignore culture and tradition. So apart from the general elements of Indian bridal make-up, the Indian bride has some unique additions. The Bengali bride goes for a big red bindi and red and white motifs on her forehead accentuating the eyes. The red bindi is a common element for most of the Indian brides (except the Catholic or Islamic bride). The Maharashtrian bride sports a crescent moon shaped bindi.

The Bengali bride

The wedding pictures of Bollywood celebrities like Aishwarya Rai and Kareena Kapoor, shows them with lots of jewellery or regal dresses with subtle make-up, so I guess that sums up the make-up trend. You can go heavy on your attire but ‘au naturale’ is the Indian bridal make-up mantra for 2015.

Image Source: newtrendsinfashion.com, shaadisaga.com, stylecraze.com

Popular Indian Casual Wear for Summer 2015

The Indian casual wear has gone through huge transformation. The picture of Indian wear today will be very different from what people used to wear a hundred years ago. Today’s Indian casual wear has borrowed from western fashion heavily and what we see are attires which have Indian embroidery, techniques and cuts, but they give you the flexibility of western wear. When you walk down any street in a city in India, and observe people, you will see them in ethnic casual wear or western casual wear.

Let’s first have a look at the ladies’ Indian casual wear. The ethnic casual wear for ladies includes casual cotton and synthetic sarees or salwaar kameez. You can never go wrong with a saree because a saree is the most versatile piece of attire in India. You can wear it casually, formally or to a red carpet event as well. It is a very common casual wear for women in India especially the elderly prefer it. Saree is also more popular in the southern states and the East. Traditionally people in the north used to wear salwaar kameez.

However, nowadays it has found acceptance across different regions, cultures and age groups due to the ease of movement that it offers. Western casuals are more popular with the younger crowd. In colleges of the major metropolises in India, we can see the latest western trends. The western casual wear will include skirts, summery dresses, jeans, tops and tunics. These days we can see women donning very Indian tunics with western stretchable leggings and skin tight jeans.

Purple hand-woven saree

Sea green Tunic 

Red Checks top 

Orange pleated skirt and top

From the days of dhoti/ lungi the Indian casual wear for men has evolved a lot. Today his casual ethnic attire will be mostly a kurta with churidar or cotton trousers/ jeans pants. The kurta itself has lot of modifications; it can be long or short. If the kurta is knee length, has pockets across chest and is worn with salwaar, it is called a ‘pathani’.

The Indian Islamic men are commonly seen in Pathanis but others in general are also open to adopting it as casual wear or as an outfit for semi-formal events. The modern Indian man is mostly seen in western wear, which includes a shirt with a pair of trousers or a T-shirt with denims. Lot of international brands are entering the Indian market due to the huge demand of casual as well as formal western wear. We can see Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Arrow, Polo, Marks and Spencer and many more in the men’s fashion segment.

Source: projectfashion

Source: Jabong

Casual Kurta

Pathani Source: Lakme fashion week facebook

When we move away from the metropolis, to the interior rural India, we still see more traditional outfits worn by men, women and kids. The rural Indian casual wear has still kept our roots alive by using lot of traditional weaves and crafts, which find its way into our modern wardrobe. The modern day Indian designers also take a lot of inspiration from the village casual attire like mirror work, etc.


Today’s Indian casual wear is a perfect blend of old ethnic charm and modern day versatility in carrying out our daily activities. The cottony Indian casual wear cools you off in the tropical summer heat of the country. Maybe this comfort factor makes our Bollywood shake a leg on a whim!

Virtual Bling: Indian Jewellery Online

In 2007 the launch of Flipkart, which was a huge success, showed that Indians are open to buying things online. The Bansals of Flipkart had paved the path for the booming Indian e-commerce market.  Among the needs of the Indian consumer, jewellery has an around $55 billion worth market. However, do Indians buy jewellery online? Here’s a look at Indian jewellery online.

Diamond and emarald necklace set

Diamond and Pearls necklace set

The Indian jewellery online market has both pros and cons to it. Looking at the cons, compared to the mammoth Indian jewellery market, which is one of the largest in the world, the online sales account for a very small percentage. This can be attributed to different factors, few of which are: 

• See, touch and feel: Jewellery is an item with very high average selling price. So consumers are vary about buying jewellery without getting a good look at the diamonds, the quality of craftsmanship and assurance about gold used. 

• Tradition: Most families have their trusted jeweller over generations, so for occasions like weddings, etc ., they would like to have a personal interaction with their trusted jeweller and get a unique custom experience.

• Customer Service: India lacks high standards of customer service (especially it stands true for some small businesses) and also due to the lack of high security standards online, customers are sometimes not willing to pay huge amounts online. However things are changing as far as security and customer service is concerned so in future maybe the trust factor online would be better. 

The Indian jewellery online market enjoys pros as well:

• Upward trend: Due to the burgeoning e-commerce in India people are becoming open to buying big ticket items online, especially if it comes from a trusted source. So when you hear Ratan Tata has invested in Bangalore based Blue stone and US hedge fund Tiger Global has put its money into Caratlane, it gives you an assurance about these online portals.

• Delivery system: With the success of deliveries from Flipkart and Amazon, people have started trusting sources which have a good delivery system set up. Many jewellers are also tying up with these online giants to ensure delivery success.

• Lower investment:  Online portals reduce the need of having a plush high end store in a good locale with optimum display. They can transfer these savings to have a higher number of varied collections of jewellery. Due to the low set –up cost we have seen an upward trend in lot of jewellery start-ups online.

• Technology: Using advanced computer technology today we have better display of jewellery online, showing the minutest detail, so the customers can order exactly what they want. 

• Better customer service: Caratlane was the first to come up with a try at home option for jewellery. The Indian jewellery online set-ups do not have to deal with high volume sales instead they enjoy higher returns on each item sold. So they can focus more into making each sale an amazing service experience, which will lead to consumers willing to spend more online.

The fashion imitation Indian jewellery online market has huge potential and people are very open to buying such jewellery online as they see minimal risk in terms of cost.

Experts have estimated the Indian jewellery online market to grow at a rate of 30%. The big Indian jewellery online players like Caratlane, Bluestone and Gitanjali are being very specific in their target audience. They are focusing on the working girl, who is open to buy jewellery online and prefers light accessories, she can carry to work. So most of the sales happen in the ‘affordable jewellery’ segment. The high value purchases for weddings still happen offline but with the younger generation being more savvy and open to the virtual bling, I do not think that day is far when buying an expensive Indian jewellery online is as simple as buying a T-shirt online.

Image Source: Strand of Silk

The Indian Runway Bride: Different Indian Bridal Looks

The coy Indian bride has come a long way and what we see today is a confidant woman who dresses according to her taste, individual style and culture for her big day. She is more of East meets West and the fusion can be seen in today’s bridal wear. The different Indian bridal looks have a more global approach nowadays.

In India mainly the bridal wear comprises of a saree, lehenga, salwaar kameez or an anarkali suit. The events associated with the Indian weddings like the Sangeet, Mehendi, Haldi and the cocktail party have also opened doors for different Indian bridal looks to suit the event. Adding to it the cultural diversity brings out more Indian bridal looks like the South Indian, Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Bengali or the North Indian bride. 

When we consider the saree, it is no longer the age old attire. The blouse worn with the saree has undergone a huge transformation. Sometimes it is the show stealer from the saree, and gives that edge to the outfit. The sarees also portray a look with jackets and sometimes instead of the unstitched drape brides also go for a fitted saree.

Here are some of the modern Indian bridal looks:

Applique and zari saree

Pre-draped Saree

Crystal blouse

Culturally in India the saree is more popular as bridal wear in Maharashtra, Bengal, Orissa and down South. We can see the brides from there decked in Kanjivaram, Banarasi or Paithani style silk sarees.

Bengali bride in red and white banarasi saree

The South Indian Kanjeevaram

Maharashtrian Paithani saree (Source: Pinterest)

The lehenga originated from the north of India but has gained popularity across regions as bridal wear. It has a heavily embroidered skirt teamed with a blouse and stole. The lehengas can be paired with a Gujarati style shorter blouse with bare midriff or the Northern style longer fitted jacket type blouse. The elaborately done lehenga with a big flare gives a royal princess look because of which it has become popular with the girls today.

Opulent red lehenga

Four piece lehenga

Traditional Gujarati inspired Lehenga

The Anarkali suit again due to its flare and volume like the lehenga is a great bridal choice. The difference is that in an Anarkali suit the top is one piece almost reaching the ankles and it is generally worn with churidar pants below. The look is completed with an embroidered stole, or the new trend, a jacket.

Anarkali jacket set

Red embroidered anarkali

The salwaar kameez bride can generally be seen in Punjab region of India. This outfit is preferred by the Indian ladies as daily wear or office formals due to the comfort factor. This outfit however will offer a subtle bridal look as compared to the sarees and lehengas.

Beige Salwar suit

In the cocktail parties of the modern day Indian bride, the gowns have also found a place. The Indian bridal looks with gowns can be traditionally inspired or can have a complete modern feel to it.

Corset Gown with traditional embroidery

Modern gown

A bride can mix and match from the plethora of the different Indian bridal looks for her big event. She can wear the traditionally relevant (depending upon her family’s lineage) saree or lehenga for her wedding day and opt for contemporary bridal wear for other events.

A wedding is a once in a lifetime affair, so brides, show all your Indian bridal looks with all the show stopping attires. The wedding runway is all yours!

A Sneak Peek into Lakme Fashion Week 2015

Excitement and anticipation are the innate feelings of every fashion enthusiast especially at the time of unveiling of a new fashion week. The trends, silhouettes, fabrics, colour palette of the season, accessories and make-up are indeed the major areas of interest for true fashionistas at heart. So, if you are also craving to know what’s in store for you in this year’s Lakme Fashion Week 2015, let’s gather the details without any further delay-

Hair and Make-up
Last year, we observed the no-make-up look ruled the ramp. This year too, it marked its presence with a twist. The subtle no-make-up look got a new definition with the hint of illuminator for the much required glow and radiance. Models sported matte textured make-up with just the little highlight. And the feature which grabbed the entire attention was the lips. Yes, it was the lips which did all the talking in Lakme Fashion Week 2015.The sculpted and well-defined lips with eye-popping shades of deep red, plums and dark burgundy were very evident. It made the perfect contrast with the understated make-up look. Eye make-up was minimalistic with the focus on natural skin tone by using the shades of basic browns along with lots of mascara. How can we forget the elaborate hair-dos to beat the heat? The structured up-dos, top knots, pony tails, slick glossy centre-parted hair were a treat to eyes.

Trends to look out for
Lakme Fashion Week 2015 laid down some of the most extravagant and ravishing trends which are perfect for the summers. These were wearable and have the power to revolutionise your wardrobe for good.

Monochrome Mania
Monochrome is one trend that never lets you down. Lakme Fashion week 2015 was high on monochromes with the striking balance between the fifty shades of black and white. The stunning embroideries and floral patterns in the monochromes were all over the place.

Pave the way for Pastels
Pep up your style with the hues of pale pinks, mint green, blush blue, pristine peaches as Lakme Fashion Week 2015 endorsed the nature inspired candy colour palette for the upcoming season. Gorgeous motifs and floral prints with the touch of sequins brought the whiff of fresh air to the runway. Lehangas, crop tops, box tops and skirts in pastel colours made the onlookers go wow!

Peculiar Prints
Prints were another highlight of Lakme Fashion Week 2015. The out-of-the-box quirky prints added the much-required zing to the event. Apart from the usual prints, the bold and colourful designs portraying animals like owl, fish made a statement.

Bring the Bling
Lakme Fashion Week 2015 gave big thumbs up to the bling. Sequin dresses, metallic hues and shimmering fabrics are definitely the flavor of the season. So, fashionistas bring on the bling and set the party mood.

Block that Colour
Colour blocking is one trend which has emerged and evolved over the years. The bold and bright colour blocking trend made its mark in this year’s Lakme Fashion Week 2015 too. Whether it is ombre dyed tunics or dresses, colour blocking trend made a striking comeback. Play with colours and be a head turner!

Boho chic
What could be better than wearing a Bohemian inspired silhouette this year? Yes the boho look took the centre stage as we witnessed a lot of flowy garments like kaftans, capes and fusion outfits embellished with rich embroideries and mirror work. Throw yourself in an easy breezy boho silhouette and be the fashion connoisseur that you are.

Flower Power
What really mesmerised us to the core was the sight of full bloom floral inspired outfits. Big, bold, beautiful, blue floral motifs and embroideries added a new dimension to the event. Designer Manish Malhotra presented the ‘Blue Runway’ collection that included floral bloom in hues of blue and yellow. Everything from flowy gowns to jacket saris was adorned in the variations of blue colour.

Designers and their Show-stoppers
Fashion world and Bollywood go hand in hand. Many Bollywood actors walk the ramp for their favourite designers. This year too, many celebrities dazzled the runway sporting the designer wear with oomph and grace. While Nargis Fakri walked for renowned designer Masaba, Aditi Rao Hydri looked stunning in Archana Rao’s creation. Newbie Shraddha Kapoor wore Miss Bennett London and emerged as the reigning ramp queen.

The actress par excellence, Vidya Balan carried her signature sari style by walking for Gaurang Shah. Raghavendra Rathore pitched in Ritesh Deshmukh to present his iconic traditional collection. Also veteran actress Karishma Kapoor, gorgeous Tamanna Bhatia and sizzling Chitrangada Singh graced the ramp. For the grand finale, the queen of drapes designer Anamika Khanna, showcased her impeccable collection and Kareena Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Sonakshi Sinha and Jacqueline Fernandez were the showstoppers.

Lakme Fashion Week 2015 was high on design and creativity. It truly deserved the appreciation and applause!

See also The Top Lakme Fashion Week Designers for Summer-Resort 2015!

Punjabi Wedding Bangles - A Quintessential Piece of Jewelry for a Punjabi Bride!

A wedding affair is a beautiful amalgamation of rituals and religion. This auspicious occasion is the most awaited moment for both bride and groom. Marriage holds a prominent place in a person’s life; Indian weddings especially are an event to remember. It is a perfect blend of celebration, love, laughter, joy and sacred ceremonies. And when it comes to the bride, the jewelry, make-up and her bridal outfit becomes talk of the town.

An Indian bride oozes glamour, dolled up in her bridal attire and bedecked and bejewelled on her wedding day. North Indian weddings, particularly Punjabi weddings are celebrated with great pomp and show. The prominence of jewelry is very evident in a Punjabi matrimony. Apart from manglasutra, Punjabi wedding bangles also called as chura is the most significant accessory for the bride. This piece of jewelry is compulsory for the bride to wear as per the tradition.

Chura or Punjabi wedding bangles are not just an ornament that prettifies a bride but also have traditional relevance. Let’s contemplate on how and why chura is crucial for a Punjabi bride.

What is Chura?

It is a set of 21 studded stack-able wedding bangles. Traditionally, these are in red and white colour but with the changing times, girls love to experiment it with the shades of pink, maroon, pearl white, ivory and orange. These gorgeous Punjabi wedding bangles come in different striking designs studded with jarkans and crystals. Also, various patterns like a design of peacock or a swirled flower enhances its beauty. Usually, the bangles are 21 in number but nowadays people adjust the number according to their belief. But it has to be an odd number as it is considered lucky for the bride.

Why a bride needs to wear it?
A bride is supposed to wear the chura as it symbolises the transition of a girl into a married woman. Also, it is believed that chura brings fortune and fertility to the bride. A bride is required to wear these Punjabi wedding bangles for a period of 40 days to one year. If a bride gets pregnant during the first year, she has to take it off and replace with either glass, metal or gold bangles.

How is chura ceremony performed?
Chura ceremony is performed on the morning of wedding day. The girl’s maternal uncle performs the rituals related to these Punjabi wedding bangles. First of all, the chura is dipped in a bowl full of milk and rose petals. It is believed that it purifies the chura and ward off the evil eye. Then, the relatives put the bangles on the bride’s wrist and bestow blessings on her. They wish for her happy married life and her husband’s well-being. The girl is not supposed to see her chura till she is completely ready in her bridal attire. After one year, in-laws arrange a ceremony to take off the chura and replace it with glass bangles.

Punjabi weddings are known for their customs and rituals. These are not just fascinating but also crucial from the tradition point of view. And no Punjabi wedding is complete without the Punjabi wedding bangles!

BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 is Ready To Start

The seventh edition of BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 will start on July 15. This huge event promises to be spectacular. This year, people will travel to seven different cities of India, it will be the first time that the show will extend across cities of India. Obviously, for the first day, it will begin in the capital to then showcase in Mumbai, Chandigarth, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

This BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015 will last for five days. We have already all the dates of the event: July 15 for Delhi, August 13 for Mumbai, September 2 for Hyderabad, September 23 for Chandigarth, October 7 for Ahmedabad, October 28 for Bangalore, November 18 for Chennai.

This year, it will be the BMW 6 series Gran Coupe as the new car model for the title sponsor. Besides, there is also the brand Swarovski that will be a fashion partner of this event.

The Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha has been announced to be the brand ambassador of this BMW India Bridal Fashion Week 2015. We learned this news during the gathering for the event, there were also present all the designers that will showcase on this edition.

Sonakshi Sinha shared her association “Dabangg” with the event. She told to IANS that she think that designers has prepared amazing creations and she might want to be part of this year’s event. She always thought that all these designers are nowadays so well-known in this area, they are on the top of Indian fashion that she wanted one day to be part of this, and showcase some of their creations. For the actress the dream came true, the day will arrive soon when this event will begin.

We have all the names of the designers that will participate to another season in bridal couture this year. The fashion gala includes big Indian fashion names such as Anita Dongre, Falguni Shane Peacock, JJ Valaya, Rina Dhaka, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla, Gauri Nainika, Suneet Varma, Ashima Leena, Shantanu Nikhil and Tarun Tahiliani. 

We know that Tarun Tahiliani’s collection for this edition will focus on light clothes. He thought that having bridal clothes too much ceremonial and heavy is not cool. For him, the generation of today prefers wearing fine and light clothes.

The founder and managing director of India Bridal Fashion Week, Vijay Singh, said that this year the event would be better and bigger with great and talented designers, and in different parts of India.

The Important Types of Indian Jewellery

Jewellery has been an integral part of Indian culture. Owing to the rich heritage, there are different types of Indian jewellery to decorate each and every body part. There are hair ornaments, earrings, nose pins, necklaces, waistbands, armlets, bracelets, finger rings, anklets, toe rings and many more. Furthermore, due to India’s diverse culture each piece has a lot of variation in terms of craftsmanship and style. The following is a quick preview of the important types of Indian jewellery based on traditional craftsmanship.

• Meenakari Jewellery – These types of Indian jewellery use brightly coloured enamel pigments fused with gold or silver in intricate patterns derived from nature like flowers, vines or animal forms. Invented in Iran, the Mongols spread the craft to India and other countries. The craft is practised more in Jaipur, Udaipur, Delhi and Banaras.

Source: www.bhagwatijeweller.in

• Kundan Jewellery - In this type a gold foil is used to set gem stones on the base mounting piece of gold. This art originated in the royal courts of Rajasthan and Gujarat and was highly patronised during the Mughal era. Kundan is known for very elaborate and heavy necklace sets in gold. The royal appearance of Kundan makes it an important part of the types of Indian jewellery. The art is practised in Rajasthan.

Source: www.strandofsilk.com

• Jadau/ Jadtar Jewellery – This jewellery has uncut diamonds (polki), gems, crystals or beads embedded in gold which is first lightly melted. The embellishments on gold are attached without any adhesives or carvings. Jadau work has Mughal descent and is practised in Rajasthan and Gujarat since Mughal era.

Source: www.mumbaigloss.in

• Pachchikam Jewellery - This type of jewellery has a crude execution in which its beauty lies. It generally uses silver as the base metal and uncut semiprecious stones and glass work are pressed onto the metal. It originated in Rajasthan and Kutch region of India.

Source: www.utsavpedia.com

• Thewa Jewellery - Taking an important place in the types of Indian jewellery, this is an art where intricately designed gold sheets are embossed on molten glass. It originated in Rajasthan under the Mughal influence. The designer, Roopa Vohra, has popularised it through her work.

Source: www.jaipurblog.in

• Temple Jewellery - This jewellery was used to adorn the Hindu idols of gods and goddesses in temples. It was later worn by the temple dancers and then it found its way into the bridal trousseau. The stones used in the jewellery are called kemp stones. It originated in the South of India during the reign of Chola dynasty.

Source: www.onlinejewelryclass.biz

• Filigree jewellery - In this art silver is made into thin wires and then the thin wires are fused together and bent to create intricate patterns. It originated in Egypt and Mesopotamia and the Indian filigree work is Greek inspired. In India fine filigree work can be seen in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

Source: www.polyvore.com

Looking at the types of Indian jewellery, from the time of the Maharajahs till today the Indian adornment has undergone a lot of transformation. Taking inspiration from the crafts of India the contemporary fashion jewellery has branched out.

Contemporary fashion jewellery

Indians love gold but due to heavy nature of the metal, the modern girl looks for something more contemporary that suits her lifestyle. Today’s designers have answered her quest by marrying ancient crafts with modern materials. The results are lightweight, uniquely designed amazing pieces to go with contemporary attire. Contemporary fashion jewellery takes an important place in the types of Indian jewellery and the creations of some renowned designers can be found on Strand of Silk, the website for contemporary designer wear. 

Meenakari drop bead earrings by Sannam Chopra

Antique finish kundan earrings by Shillpa Purii

Gold jadau cuff by Diagold

Temple inspired jewellery by Roopa Vohra

Roopa Vohra’s blue peacock thewa inspired cuff on lacquer

Filigree earrings by Roopa Vohra

Orange filigree clutch by Meera Mahadevia

The other types of Indian jewellery are the flamboyant bridal jewellery using gold and gem stones, and the new age subtle jewellery using other metals like platinum and sterling silver, with diamonds. One important member of the types of Indian jewellery is antique jewellery which is generally passed on as heirloom through families and has a dull, old world charm to it. So if you are looking to buy Indian jewellery, you will have trouble shopping, as sky is the limit!