Neo-punk jewellery meets desi grandeur

In a country that loves traditional jewellery, indie designers are crafting statement pieces like nail talons and teeth grillz

- Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran

Hyderabad-based jewellery designer Kavya Potluri, 31, remembers a childhood spent tagging along with her mother as she went jewellery shopping. "She was a passionate jewellery collector and she'd regularly pick up these beautiful pieces. Even as a child I mostly remember thinking to myself that 'the piece is good but it could have been better'."

Potluri, an alumni of Raffles Design Institute, Singapore, and the Gemological Institute of America, started her eponymous label in November 2020. The intent right from the start, she says, was to make jewellery her way without conforming to trends or traditional templates. "I kept an open mind about what I wanted to do, but I have evolved along the way. My thought process is that I don't want to create based on what society expects from me. Instead, it's when I work free from expectations that I have the most fun," says Potluri.

That free-flowing attitude reflects in Potluri's extravagant pieces made by melding silver, brass and copper. Whether it's her intricately detailed headpieces, filigreed nail talons, ear cuffs or whimsical sunglasses, Potluri's designs have graced magazines, music videos and fashion shows; her head and hair bun ornaments and hand harness were part of Miss Universe India 2023 contestant Divita Rai's national costume. She's also sought out by brides looking for statement-making jewellery. "I have NRI brides making Zoom calls to discuss what they want," says Potluri, whose creations range from ₹3,280 for rings to 4-5 lakh for custom wedding jewellery.