Virtual Treats

With almost everything under the sun being available on the internet these days, its a little wonder then that fine and high-end fashion jewellery wouldn’t be too far behind. Two years ago, a number of jewellery e-commerce websites sprung up in India, offering the Indian woman on more reason to indulge in precious baubles that are high on design.

Luring you with a gamut of inventory that can be browsed in minutes and special services like free trials and delivering even in the most remote locations, the best thing about these click-and-mortar ventures is that they infuse consumer confidence by detailing the particulars of every piece of jewellery, including a good resolution photograph of the jewellery, gold karatage, total weight of the diamonds, quality of diamonds and gemstones, price and so on.

To make web-shopping even simpler, ALIYA LADHABHOY trolled the internet to cherry-pick some of the best e-sites for jewellery ranging from 3,000 to 1,50,000.

A fairly new entrant in the e-market that offers trendy, design-centric  pieces at affordable prices is BlueStone.com. It is one of the best destinations for daily wear jewellery, while www.perniaspopupshop.com is a high-end fashion jewellery pit-stop featuring established as well as up-and-coming jewellery designers. If effortless chic is your mantra, then you will be bowled over by urbane designs at www.isharya.com. Hypnotised by diamond jewellery? Then www.kamajewellery.com is where you will find your treasure trove. In love with ethnic motifs, then visit www.tribebyamrapali.com to shop for couture silver and gold tribal jewellery pieces.

On a lighter note, here’s a caveat: Enter these sites at your own risk for you may want to clean sweep their entire stock.

In terms of design, here are some motifs that are currently dominating the world of jewellery.

Geometry

Think lines, circles, triangles and hexagons, but with a twist. Jewellery is making a progression from simple shapes to complex forms using gemstones, diamonds and fine detailing to enhance clean silhouettes. Inspired by architecture and structure, these pieces are strong style statements. Pick one that resonates with your personality.

Floral Notes

Floral designs have a certain exuberance about them that allow you to connect with the energies of nature. These renditions are filled with diamonds, made vibrant with enamelling; and there are others that are crafted in plain gold but are simply stunning. The wonderful World Wide Web offers a plethora of floral designs – modern or subtle interpretations, bold fashion-forward pieces, gem-studded delights and more – just dream of what you want, and you will find it. Floral designs will never go out of style. Featured here are some precious and not-your-every day pieces.

 

 

Pearls

Pearls are no longer old-school. Once known to be grandma’s favourites, these lustrous gems are the new cool. Versatile to the tee, they can be worn as a delicate haath phool, or as an ornate kundan and pearl choker. They can be stylish like the multi-row necklace interspersed with flat silver beads, edgy like the square mother-of-pearl ring or as traditional pearl-laden jhumkis.

Tassels

Tasselled treasures – once a vintage accessory – are now a fashionista’s best friend. Tiffany & Co’s 1920s-inspired jewellery for ‘The Great Gatsby’ re-ignited the desire to own jewellery with tassels. Top jewellery houses like Van Cleef & Arpels and Faberge, too, launched their interpretations of the tassel in jewellery. Indian jewellery houses are not far behind. Be it fashion or fine jewellery, one can find earrings, necklaces and even bangles that are tasselled-up. Even diamond jewellery designs mimic these long cascading forms. Fun and flirtatious, fringe jewellery adds oodles of charm to any outfit.

  

Lace and Openwork

Lace and openwork : Sheer and lace motifs are the haute favourites – light as a feather yet bold and striking, these openwork earrings, cuffs, bracelets, pendants and maang tikkas employ various methods like laser-cut, filigree and wire work to create intricate works of art. Mimicking lace and mesh, the jewellery pieces incorporating negative spaces offer you style at an affordable price. The breezy jewels will tempt you into owning more than one of their kind.