In some Indian families, jewellery shopping closely mimics a Sooraj Barjatya film, especially before a wedding. “In Coimbatore, I once saw an entire family of 15 come to the store to purchase their jewellery! There was theatre-style seating at the store and a party happening…” recalls Seema Mehta, the creative director of her family jewellery business, the Coimbatore-based Kirtilals. What struck the Mumbai-based designer, who returned to India after living abroad for many years, was the sight of “the bride seated in the front row and selecting her own jewellery”.

As younger women today have a greater say in jewellery choices, compared to even a decade ago, the jewellery industry is re-orienting itself to cater to this segment of buyers. That includes keeping pace with the latest fashion trends — Seema points to Kirtilals’ collaboration with designer Rohit Bal for one of its collections.

So even as families continue to shop together for gold during weddings, Diwali or Dhanteras, the rising number of urban working women are also making spontaneous and independent shopping decisions. There is also a visible shift towards subtle and minimalistic designs.

“There is definitely a demand for smaller, everyday, minimal pieces. You cannot wear chunky jewellery or huge, long earrings to work,” says Seema, who recently worked on the re-launch of the company’s Chennai store. Besides new collections of diamond jewellery, the store now offers personalised bridal services. Seema interacts with brides to understand their budgets and sensibilities, and designs a collection suited to that.

She finds her designs constantly evolving to meet the aspirations of the modern Indian woman. That includes innovating the way jewellery is made and used. “We make these interesting interchangeable pieces that you can wear as a ring which, in turn, opens into a pendant or choker from which you remove a couple of links to wear as a bracelet,” she explains.

The economic slowdown too is fuelling innovation. According to CeoSpeak, nearly half the industry leaders it surveyed recently described the business sentiment as “resigned” during the Diwali season — traditionally a peak period for jewellery purchases. Soaring gold prices are a major dampener. Echoing this sentiment, Seema says: “I might like massive pieces, but right now, in this economy, this is not what people prefer to buy. We can’t just make chunky jewellery like in the 1980s and 1990s.”

At the same time, diamonds continue to be seen as a great investment. “Diamonds are something people don’t think too hard about before buying, and it is something that will always go up in price. It is like buying property, but in a different way.”

The young designer’s own sojourn in the world of jewellery designing has been a delicate balance between the desire to explore new frontiers and staying true to roots. An artist at heart, Seema initially decided to pursue painting and sculpture in California instead of joining the family business. But it was in the US that she discovered her love for kathak, and her dance guru convinced her to direct her artistic energies to add value to the family business.

After returning to India, she went to Coimbatore. “I absolutely loved working there during the three months when I was training. I learnt so much that I ended up staying for five years,” she says. Besides working with the design team, she spent a great deal of time at the manufacturing facility. She has infused a European sensibility into the designs and, in the process, given the legacy brand a hip, new face. But she is quick to acknowledge that “classic jewellery never quite goes out of style, ever, and it shouldn’t either”.

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