Shine bright like a diamond

With better design and materials, fashion jewellery looks as good as fine—and doesn't break the bank

- Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran

In a recent trip to Goa, Michelle Wilfred, 36, ran up a bill of ₹4,000 shopping for fashion jewellery at a boutique in Anjuna.

The haul of long beaded earrings, hoops, rings and bracelets was worth the splurge, says the technical writer from Coimbatore. “The designs were unique, and with most pieces priced between ₹300 and ₹600, I couldn't resist adding them to my shopping basket,” she laughs. She vowed to not shop for any more jewellery, but her resolve faded within a week, when she spotted a new collection launch on the Joker & Witch website. This time, she spent ₹2,500 on hair accessories and pearl-studded rings and hoops.

As someone who loves making a maximalist statement with shoulder-grazing danglers, bracelet stacks and rings, Wilfred justifies the purchases. “I buy versatile pieces that I can mix, match and wear for years, so I don’t see it as excessive,” she says. Wilfred is one among millions of Indians who have made fashion jewellery part of their everyday lives.

As the name suggests, fashion jewellery refers to a relatively affordable category of jewellery made from materials such as brass, steel, copper, clay, beads and semi-precious stones. Unlike fine jewellery crafted from precious metals like gold, silver and platinum and gemstones such as diamonds, rubies and emeralds, fashion jewellery does not typically hold long-term investment value. For a long time, for this very reason, the category was dismissively referred to as “imitation” or “junk jewellery”. Twenty years ago, that description may have held true. Not anymore.