To Indians, gold has always been and continues to be, much more than just a precious metal, come celebrate this auspicious symbol with MMTC this festive season
With the festive season upon us, when the country transforms into a wonderland of vibrant traditions and golden aspirations, what better way to explore and experience the fusion of ancient arts and contemporary couture than at the Festival of Gold, India’s biggest jewellery event. MMTC Limited (a Govt. of India Enterprise) once again brings its flagship event to dazzle the city with handpicked collections in plain gold and studded jewellery from 10 states of India, where jhumkas depict the intricate carvings of Vaikunthanathan’s ornate headgear, where bangles are inspired by the traditional alpana art from Bengal, where bracelets reflect Mumbai’s architectural heritage, where necklace collections flaunt royal Jaipur connections, where uniquely crafted neckpieces breathe the essence of Lakhnavi mehendi…where indeed every piece of jewellery is a reflection of India’s culture and heritage.
To speak of India’s golden heritage in exclusion of its fascination with gold itself would be only short of sacrilegious. India’s love affair with gold is an everlasting one; it transcends space and time and reverberates with cultural and religious connotations. To Indians, gold has always been and continues to be, much more than just a precious metal. Our festivals are incomplete without a little bit of gold and love is not considered serious unless expressed with a gift of jewellery.
Indian customs necessitate buying gold for special occasions, like weddings and births; the explanation being that gold is a pure element, having passed through fire during its creation. Across ages, cultures, regions, and religions, gold has thus become an intrinsic part of the Indian society and psyche, which makes gold and gold jewellery a prized form of art by itself in this country. This art is moulded and perfected by a gamut of influences emerging from these different ages, cultures, regions and religions.
The designs popular in southern India are mostly inspired by nature; paisley motif of the mango, rice grains, melon seeds, or derived from temple motifs. In western and northern India, the dominant styles are meenakari (enamelling) and kundan (setting of stones in gold), which can be traced back to the Mughal period. In fact, every region of the subcontinent has a style and form of gold-work and design unique to itself. As if this expansive array of design influences and choices wasn’t sufficient enough, India is home to various other kinds of jewellery arts as well, ranging from jadau to lac to ratlam. And an amalgamation of these diverse design influences and cultures is what MMTC upholds in its Festival of Gold exhibitions.
This festival, MMTC also presents Sanchi, its exclusive brand of gold, diamond, and silver jewellery, fabricated by young designers with a passion and zeal for keeping the golden art of jewellery craftsmanship in sync with modern times. Contemporary designs that are lightweight and wearable without compromising on the inherent ethnic aspects of traditional India will be the USP of brand Sanchi.
Glimpses of Regional Jewellery at the Festival of Gold
Andhra Pradesh prides itself on stunning designs based on palace styles. Nizam jewellery stands out from the rest of the delicate regional jewellery crafted in plain gold or studded with pearls. The Addigai neckpiece made of uncut rubies set in gold is one of the finest here.
Karnataka boasts of a unique signature art – that of reversible jewellery, studded with ruby or emeralds, which can be worn from both sides and thus makes for great value-for-money.
Rajasthan prides itself on gorgeous antique meenakari and kundan jewellery that dates back its origin to the grand Mughal era. Fine workmanship in pure gold studded with real diamonds, polki, yellow sapphires and other precious stones, available mainly in green, red and blue hues, is a must-have for every Indian bride.
Jewellery from Delhi offers a mix of traditional and contemporary designs, which evolve and adapt to the changing taste of the population while retaining touches of a Mughal inheritance at the same time. Increasingly, popular choice is leaning towards diamond and gem studded gold jewellery in both light and heavy ornate look to match the inimitable functions that mark a typical Indian wedding.
Maharashtra’s diamond jewellery range dazzles with its array of stone-studded pieces in contemporary and chic designs. Mangalsutras in gold and diamond or in gold and pearl and lightweight coloured gold jewellery with Italian-finish also form part of the stunning ensemble that reflects the essence of the Maximum City itself, a charming convergence of the new and the old.
Jewellery from the sea-side state of Goa comes studded with semi-precious coloured stones that are sometimes obtained directly from the sea. Small stones, such as crystalline marcasite or green malachite, are set in fresh designs that cater to the taste of the modern connoisseur.
The exquisite handcrafted gold jewellery of Bengal is includes irresistible items like the ‘gulbanda’ necklace. The region is also known for heavy, ornamental gold jewellery laced with Persian influence. All-time favourites continue to be the ‘shankha-pola’ (conchshell and coral) bangles set in gold, and thick gold kangans with filigreed decorations and auspicious animal motifs.
With the festive season upon us, when the country transforms into a wonderland of vibrant traditions and golden aspirations, what better way to explore and experience the fusion of ancient arts and contemporary couture than at the Festival of Gold, India’s biggest jewellery event. MMTC Limited (a Govt. of India Enterprise) once again brings its flagship event to dazzle the city with handpicked collections in plain gold and studded jewellery from 10 states of India, where jhumkas depict the intricate carvings of Vaikunthanathan’s ornate headgear, where bangles are inspired by the traditional alpana art from Bengal, where bracelets reflect Mumbai’s architectural heritage, where necklace collections flaunt royal Jaipur connections, where uniquely crafted neckpieces breathe the essence of Lakhnavi mehendi…where indeed every piece of jewellery is a reflection of India’s culture and heritage.
To speak of India’s golden heritage in exclusion of its fascination with gold itself would be only short of sacrilegious. India’s love affair with gold is an everlasting one; it transcends space and time and reverberates with cultural and religious connotations. To Indians, gold has always been and continues to be, much more than just a precious metal. Our festivals are incomplete without a little bit of gold and love is not considered serious unless expressed with a gift of jewellery.
Indian customs necessitate buying gold for special occasions, like weddings and births; the explanation being that gold is a pure element, having passed through fire during its creation. Across ages, cultures, regions, and religions, gold has thus become an intrinsic part of the Indian society and psyche, which makes gold and gold jewellery a prized form of art by itself in this country. This art is moulded and perfected by a gamut of influences emerging from these different ages, cultures, regions and religions.
The designs popular in southern India are mostly inspired by nature; paisley motif of the mango, rice grains, melon seeds, or derived from temple motifs. In western and northern India, the dominant styles are meenakari (enamelling) and kundan (setting of stones in gold), which can be traced back to the Mughal period. In fact, every region of the subcontinent has a style and form of gold-work and design unique to itself. As if this expansive array of design influences and choices wasn’t sufficient enough, India is home to various other kinds of jewellery arts as well, ranging from jadau to lac to ratlam. And an amalgamation of these diverse design influences and cultures is what MMTC upholds in its Festival of Gold exhibitions.
This festival, MMTC also presents Sanchi, its exclusive brand of gold, diamond, and silver jewellery, fabricated by young designers with a passion and zeal for keeping the golden art of jewellery craftsmanship in sync with modern times. Contemporary designs that are lightweight and wearable without compromising on the inherent ethnic aspects of traditional India will be the USP of brand Sanchi.
Glimpses of Regional Jewellery at the Festival of Gold
Andhra Pradesh prides itself on stunning designs based on palace styles. Nizam jewellery stands out from the rest of the delicate regional jewellery crafted in plain gold or studded with pearls. The Addigai neckpiece made of uncut rubies set in gold is one of the finest here.
Karnataka boasts of a unique signature art – that of reversible jewellery, studded with ruby or emeralds, which can be worn from both sides and thus makes for great value-for-money.
Rajasthan prides itself on gorgeous antique meenakari and kundan jewellery that dates back its origin to the grand Mughal era. Fine workmanship in pure gold studded with real diamonds, polki, yellow sapphires and other precious stones, available mainly in green, red and blue hues, is a must-have for every Indian bride.
Jewellery from Delhi offers a mix of traditional and contemporary designs, which evolve and adapt to the changing taste of the population while retaining touches of a Mughal inheritance at the same time. Increasingly, popular choice is leaning towards diamond and gem studded gold jewellery in both light and heavy ornate look to match the inimitable functions that mark a typical Indian wedding.
Maharashtra’s diamond jewellery range dazzles with its array of stone-studded pieces in contemporary and chic designs. Mangalsutras in gold and diamond or in gold and pearl and lightweight coloured gold jewellery with Italian-finish also form part of the stunning ensemble that reflects the essence of the Maximum City itself, a charming convergence of the new and the old.
Jewellery from the sea-side state of Goa comes studded with semi-precious coloured stones that are sometimes obtained directly from the sea. Small stones, such as crystalline marcasite or green malachite, are set in fresh designs that cater to the taste of the modern connoisseur.
The exquisite handcrafted gold jewellery of Bengal is includes irresistible items like the ‘gulbanda’ necklace. The region is also known for heavy, ornamental gold jewellery laced with Persian influence. All-time favourites continue to be the ‘shankha-pola’ (conchshell and coral) bangles set in gold, and thick gold kangans with filigreed decorations and auspicious animal motifs.
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