Jewellery is no longer about regular beads, precious stones and metal. Even coconut, bael shells and betel nuts are being used as quirky alternatives. By Swati Sinha
They were like regular danglers with small stones of vibrant colours — red, turquoise blue, emerald green and brown. But what attracted Chandni Nayak was the outer shell which, the shopkeeper explained, was made out of the hard shell of the bael fruit. There was also a comb but it was not made of plastic, wood or any other material. “It is made from the horns of bulls and buffaloes,” explained Karan Singh, owner of Crafts Overseas.
These were two of the many queer and interesting jewellery items that were exhibited at the eighth Indian Fashion Jewellery and Accessories Show.
Feeling Fruity
Nothing can be greater than coconut water or aegle marmelos (bael) juice on the harsh sunny days of June and July. While the fruit juice provides you with a rich source of fiber and vitamins like A and B, coconut water on the other hand gives one a refreshing feel. While consuming the pulp and water of these fruits, no one ever give a second thought about it’s outer shell which protected these tasty fruit pulps for our consumption. When most of us just throw these parts in our dustbins, Sourav Coir Product, a company of West Bengal dealing in ornaments and home decor materials discovered a unique technique of making ornaments with the help of the outer shells of fruits like coconut, bael and even areca nut.
“People are aware of ornaments that are made up of colourful beads and different metals, but this is something new and unique that we are offering. I am sure you will not find these in the markets of Delhi,” expressed Bibekananda Samanta, the curator of the stall while showing a set of bangles made from coconut shell.
“We have a large number of skilled craftsmen who are very skilled and adept at painting. There is no second opinion in the fact that it is indeed the hardwork of our men, that people are getting attracted towards these,” said Samanta.
While looking through the items offered by the stall, a tortoise with a wobbling neck and smooth shell grabbed our attention. “We are also trying our hand with at producing home décor items. This one is made up of the outer shell of bael fruit,” he added.
There were other musical instruments like ektaras which were made up of coconut and aegle marmelo’s shells, which attracted numerous customers, with its melodious tunes.
Old is Gold
There used to be a time when majority of people used to get attracted towards modern designs and light weight jewellery. But now it seems that retro designs of ornaments from ancient times seems to be in fashion. It is as if such designs are attracting attention from all quarters and have become, in the process, the latest fad to possess. “We are selling gold plated silver jewellery. It’s like a reproduction of the antiques and we have also reduced its weight so that it can become more user friendly,” said Prem Maheshwari, curator of Jaipur Jewels and Arts. The ethnic designs also managed to attract a large number of foreign customers.
“Jaipuri ornaments have always been my first preference. It is something that we don’t find everywhere and their designs make them totally different from regular jewellery,” expressed Kate, one of the customer at the stall who was busy selecting finger rings for herself.
Stepping towards seven sisters
While we have been living here, most of us have never explored India that much and that is the reason why we are unaware of the metaphorical gold that lies hidden in the North Eastern regions of our nation. But in the show, stalls from different North East regions proved to be a great hit and attracted numerous customers with their ornaments and handcrafted clothes.
“People don’t have much knowledge about our jewellery or dresses. There is great creativity and skill, which is hidden in the heart of our region and we want to showcase it to the people of other states. We want to bring them closer to our State,” said Kevi Nakhro, who was curated the stall of Nagaland. The ornaments were made up of either white or red small stones or with Naga glass beads with little brass metal trumpets in between. The black and red color Naga shawls and handmade jackets with designs of spears and shields attracted onlookers. The shawl is made up of cashmelon material and provides great warmth to the wearer. Mekhla, was among those few things which were liked by the crowd. Indeed, it was something new to the people who were visiting the stall.
“Shawls and mekhla grabbed my attention at first sight — especially the designs that are carved on them. The North East is definitely providing us with some novelties which are not available in in our daily markets,” said Rupali.
It's all in the horns
There used to be a time when ivory bangles were one of the most famous things that could be found in this country. But ever since it was banned and people could not poach to procure ivory, there has been a steady search for alternatives to bring something new to customers.
It seems that Crafts Overseas has managed to come up with such a new discovery in ornament making. The company has tried their hand at making jewellery and other common grooming accessories like combs, hair clips, et al from the horns of bulls and buffaloes. “We use the horns of animals when they die to make such items. And the best part is we rarely use any colour on them so that they don’t lose their natural beauty,” said Karan Singh, owner of the company. These ornaments are attracting the youth because it is something new and also are very light weight. The company is also preparing various bibelots from the bones of dead animals with a layer of enamel over them.
photos Swati Sinha