The pandemic has impressed most of us to look inside our closet and discover methods to infuse a brand new lease of life into items, particularly jewelry, that maintain a particular emotional worth however solely come out on selective events. Within the post-lockdown world, extra individuals are discovering methods to reconfigure heritage heirlooms and recontextualise them to swimsuit right now’s model sensibilities.

As an illustration, jewelry homes are witnessing a rising demand from clients to show a pair of vintage pajeb, or anklet, into a stylish neck choker, or rearrange valuable stones in a necklace to imagine a brand new up to date form that doesn’t compromise on the unique design.

Additionally learn: The altering definition of heirloom jewelry

“I feel greater than a pattern it’s a traditional outdated observe to revive Indian artwork and current it in new methods as design sensibilities proceed to evolve,” says Tarang Arora, the chief govt officer and inventive director of Amrapali Jewels. Having stated that, he provides, the pandemic “did give everybody meals for thought and that’s how upcycling and repurposing grew to become a factor.” Conserving this demand in thoughts, Amrapali gives a variety of versatile items which can be reversible, modular or multifunctional, and might seamlessly transition from daywear to nightwear.

Another excuse, says Yash Agarwal, the artistic director of Birdhichand Ghanshyamdas Jewellers, is that in lockdowns, folks began realising extra the significance of their tradition, household and heirlooms. “One very fascinating factor that got here up through the lockdown was my grandmother’s bejewelled veil, which was damaged,” says Agarwal. “So, we recomposed it and made heritage jewelry out of it.”

Repurposing heritage jewelry can be a acutely aware step in direction of sustainable shopping for, believes Abhishek Raniwala, the co-founder and inventive director of Jaipur-based jewelry home Raniwala 1881. “The shoppers are wanting inwards and shifting in direction of worth moderately than erratic consumerism. So sure, we do see that purchasers are choosing variability in their very own closets to repurpose a few of these traditional heritage jewelry items,” he says.

Maybe that’s why it’s not unusual to see brides-to-be now bringing their heirloom items for redesigning. “They wish to maintain the unique craft and custom alive but make it fashionable,” Arora says. “When it comes to design, we often get requests to make the piece extra versatile so it may be used even after the marriage.”

A novel eye

It’s largely girls of their late 20s or 30s who wish to give a classy makeover to outdated items, says Umang Gupta, a seventh-generation proprietor and gemologist at Shri Ram Hari Ram in Previous Delhi’s Dariba Kalan.

“They wish to convert these items into one thing that they might put on extra usually. Everybody has a personalised style so there’s no basic model actually,” he explains. “They very a lot need the piece to nonetheless maintain the classic feel and appear. These items maintain excessive sentimental worth so that they must be dealt with with a whole lot of care. Most heritage items are outdated and it’s onerous to supply their key parts… for example, the Burmese rubies. Additionally the form of craftsmanship that went into the piece…. We attempt to maintain it as near the unique design and parts utilized in it.”

Whereas this jewelry mixology sounds enjoyable, it’s crucial to maintain the design integrity intact, agree jewelry designers.

“You need to rigorously redesign the piece and protect the massive and important components and motifs,” pinpoints Arora. “Jewellers mustn’t compromise on the standard of gold and shouldn’t ignore the smaller components like beads, pearls and different stones, as they add the crowning glory to the piece. If it’s a customized piece, then it’s at all times higher to know the emotions of the shopper earlier than modifying so that you don’t miss out on the finer particulars.

On the styling facet

Gallerist Bhavna Kakar of Latitude 28 gallery owns a set of pre-Partition jewelry given by her grandmother.

“My mom wished to soften a few of our heirloom jewelry a number of years in the past and get one thing new, however I used to be extraordinarily hooked up to my nani, and I wished to carry on to them although I by no means wore them. After protecting them within the locker for years, I made a decision to remould the standard setting into one thing extra versatile and purposeful,” she says. “I additionally had an outdated diamond and gold set. Its setting was moderately common however I couldn’t bear to half with it..”

Finally, Kakar turned them right into a pendant, as she likes to put on stringy lengthy necklaces, and a band. She’s additionally remodelled some vintage silver put on that she had purchased within the early 2000s.

Designer Pranay Baidya, then again, likes repurposing classic rings and bracelets into pendants and neck chains.

“I’ve accomplished so with a number of of my heirloom items and actually get pleasure from styling them,” Baidya says. “As a part of my on a regular basis model, I put on an entire bunch of printed cotton shirts or spherical neck cotton T-shirts paired with over-shirts or jackets. These pendants or neck chains work nicely with them as a result of they’re so versatile. I discover myself sporting them throughout a workday in addition to after I’m out for a cocktail social gathering.”

Baidya means that whereas “it’s fantastic if you will get away with styling heirloom items with minimal remodelling, but when you must utterly redesign them, one mustn’t really feel responsible. At the very least that manner you’ll put on them and and maintain its journey alive,” he says, including. “A chunk of magnificence is supposed to be worn and adorned.”

Additionally learn: The appeal of breast milk jewelry to rejoice mom-child bond

Write to us at [email protected]