Jamila and Seema Malhotra hosted a viewing of a new line of jewellery by Shweta and Nitesh Gupta at their boutique, Shimmer, recently. Titled ‘A hint of Gold’, this line showcases beautiful pieces created using semi precious stones set in lacquer and gold foil.

Glittering earrings of all varieties — hoops, danglers, and chandeliers — hung on little hooks. Women tried on the necklaces while bangles clamoured for attention. Thankfully there were enough reflective surfaces aid preening. Girls conferred with mothers about budgetary restrictions and tried tentative negotiations as friends sought each others approval. Everybody it seemed wanted everything. The moment a piece was laid down by one it was picked up by another. The hoops merited a special mention. They were exquisite.

Shamsah Pradhan, an art consultant and a psychoanalyst, said, “They are creative and colourful. There are pieces that cost only Rs two thousand. There’s something for everyone. Very rarely do you see something where everything is so well put together.”

There was unanimous agreement on the fact that these pieces were pocket friendly. “As recession spread nobody wanted to spend huge amounts on jewellery. So we thought we’d offer something that gives you the same quality of workmanship for much less,” said Shweta.

Nitesh, her husband and design partner, added to this saying, “If these pieces were in gold and had precious stones then it would be close to a lakh. The entire range here is between Rs two thousand and Rs 20 thousand.”

 The jewelleries were in the Meenakari and the Jadaau styles. While these pieces were reminiscent of the Mughal era yet they were contemporary and modern. There was a good blend of chunky pieces and delicate ones. They promised of easy versatility and could be teamed with a variety of clothes. Seconding this opinion was Beena Patre who said, “They are very unique. They are very different from the regular pieces. They are contemporary and wearable.”

Kundan, coral, Burmese turquoise, rubies and other such stones sparkled in their gold foil setting.