JOIN USAgeless beauty Silver is a metal that defies the concept of ageing. Timeless
silver creations can lend its wearer a sensitive, stylish, sexy, spirited and elegant look, says Ahalya S
On a recent trip back home, I overheard a conversation between three middle-aged women. The conversation revolved around classic urban concerns – stress, weight loss and greying hair.
Two among them vociferously campaigned the cause of hair colour, while the third loved the idea of grey taking over her mane at a slow, steady pace. The other two found that idea ridiculous.
I have nothing against the two women who swore by hair colour, but it was the conviction of the lone grey-loving woman, who accepted her body and the natural process of ageing, that caught my attention. It was her ability to be able to let go, combined with a sense of graceful acceptance, that got me thinking about the interrelations between a piece of metal and its wearer, and the timeless appeal of the relationship.
One of the reputed dancers in Chennai, Chandralekha was a fiery yet feminine woman. But more than her personality, I loved her classic beauty that spoke through a bright red bindi and a thick silver bracelet. The silver on her wrists complemented the silver in her hair beautifully. Even Zohra Sehgal, the elegant beauty with eyes that sparkled and a smile that touched many hearts, can be considered as the poster girl for silver.
Women look at jewellery as an extension of themselves and their personalities. When it comes to the shining artworks, both the wearer and the context are
integral; those two words are the starting points for creation, creativity, and the final piece of expression is an articulation of that idea, conversation and collaboration. Silver and its wearer are, especially, like that. They are like that streak of grey in your hair that you will show off with dignity and elan; like that hair colour you will
reject merely to not look like someone you are not as time and life catch you by; like that sparkle of intelligence you will show through your words and your work. Silver is about ageing, but it is also ageless; it’s a sign of maturity.
Even from a political point of view, silver is very secular. Gold is all about value,
status and economics. You do well, you buy gold. But silver is the exact opposite. It has, perhaps, got to do with the fact that silver has always been associated with
ethnic, tribal jewellery. Having journeyed its way into contemporary urban contexts, silver has found patrons aplenty, who
command an audience not merely for what they wear, but also for who they are.
Made for each other
As much as silver represents a sense of
individuality, it is also a fine team player – blending, meshing, combining and
coupling with other metals, lending it a charm of its own. I, especially, love the way silver and gold combine. Both metals are warm and the resultant contrast is almost always outstanding.
Together, these two metals lend themselves to a multitude of possibilities in meanings and manifestations. In my own personal jewel box, I have an emerald ring, set in gold; the shank of the ring is silver with an edging in gold. It’s simple but effective; always demanding a second look and always making the right impression.
I remember a bespoke story from four years ago.
A fairly well-known woman, with a respectable standing and reputation in society, was headed off for a trekking holiday with a group of friends to Brazil. She wanted to co-create a look that was “inconspicuous but at no point, insignificant.” Silver was our mutual choice! In its ability to straddle many looks, silver is also versatile, eclectic, multi-varied and multi-faceted.
Two years later, a young, hip air-hostess, spent an afternoon with me, sharing her need to wear a bracelet – in white metal – that was a part of the airline’s uniform. Her colleagues had quickly mustered up funky bracelets in steel, but this young girl preferred being different.
Our conversations lead to the creation of a silver bracelet that she wore not only with her uniform but also, when she took it off! I remember her vividly telling me, a few months later, the feeling of wearing that bracelet, was, for her, “liberating.”
Wearing silver can be like that!
There is a sense of letting go, a sense of having
arrived, having bloomed into your own. Silver, let’s agree, is a state-of-mind.
Celebrate your silver, celebrate the spirit of individuality. Oh, and before I forget, the best way to keep your silver well is, well, to wear it.
(The author is founder and creative director of Ahalya Alchemy, Ahalya Bespoke and Kanakavalli Kanjivarams)