Art factor

Topaz, pearls, emeralds, rubies, sapphire, corals and other precious and semi-precious stones glisten in one of the halls of hotel Trident.  With gold prices touching the sky and becoming out of bounds for common populace, owning trendy-yet-affordable jewellery is what everyone looks out for. Art Karat brings in this rare combination.Around 700 pieces of jewellery, mainly traditional kundan, have been brought in by Art Karat for its five-day exhibition in the city. Asha Kamal Modi’s new spring collection, titled ‘Eternal by Asha’ features a range of earrings, necklaces, tikas, brooches, bangles and bracelets.The exhibition opened on Wednesday with a model showcasing a beautiful kundan set, complete with earrings, a necklace and a bracelet. Made of gold-plated silver and studded with pearls, this ensemble is best suited for dressy occasions and is priced at `1,45,000.Designers Asha Kamal and Saket Modi’s collections have featured in movies such as Devdas, Monsoon Wedding and Zubeidaa. Craftsmen from Kolkata, Bikaner, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad work on these collections.Some of the necklaces are inspired by traditional kundan designs such as the Pankha (Rajasthan) and the Champakalli (Western Uttar Pradesh). The long ruby, emerald and sapphire-studded necklace finished with a pendant also impresses. The pendant features a frame with a hand-painted portrait of Radha and Krishna.Large pendants rule this collection. As for the chains, they come in all sizes. There are tiny beaded chains of smoky topaz and amethyst ending with pendants in melanite as well as thin gold-plated chains with ruby and emerald pendants. Suiting contemporary tastes are Saket Modi’s designs in coral and mother of pearl. Teaming traditional kundan designs of leaves and flowers with mother-of-pearl beads, these chunky necklaces are different.Earrings are aplenty too. An elegant seven-inch dangler with nine strings in jade and khambhati (Indian ruby from Rajasthan) is priced at `18,000. Chunky bracelets decorated with precious stones, delicate tikas with ruby and emerald drops are also available.“The exhibition is based on three ideas. Firstly, the use of silver-based metals and natural stones like zircon instead of highly expensive metals like gold and diamonds, cuts down the cost of these pieces eight to ten times. For instance, an ornament crafted in gold may cost `82,000 to one lakh, whereas the same ornament crafted in silver and semi-precious stones may cost only around `10,000. Secondly, these ornaments are more affordable as young people these days prefer different sets for different outfits. Thirdly, wearing inexpensive jewellery allows one to travel without any tension,” said Sushil Kumar, production manager of Art Karat.The collection on display is priced between `5,000 and `1,50,000. The Art Karat exhibition is on at hotel Trident till February 12.