Designing 'Babies'

Creativity knows no bounds. It is fluid. It is seamless. It has the intensity to flow from one realm to another with innate ease. What better way to describe {{Alpana Gujral}}. Today she is a distinguished jewellery designer though she started as an interior designer with special focus on furniture. She had no formal training in jewellery designing but coming from such a talented and artistic background she had it ingrained. 'When you are raised in a creative environment you see things differently. You tend to perceive beauty in everything,' reveals Alpana to Diamond World. Creativity goes hand in hand with the Gujral tag.%% FROM watching her mother design, to taking upon herself designing jewellery for friends and family she hasn't failed to make her mark in the designer world. Her journey as a jewellery designer has been a rewarding and enriching experience. "This experience has taught me a great deal and I keep learning more with every ongoing foray. In fact, the key is to stay open and willing to absorb and learn, so each creation has a freshness of approach," Alpana explains.

Wearer's Happiness & Joy Aimed at:

Customers and concepts, both inspire her work. "Principally, there is always a theme that plays in my head. However, the piece is conceived acknowledging the idea that a person wearing it should derive happiness on owning it and joy in wearing it." Her pieces, inspired by old Mughal forms, speak for her. Her customers are definitely discerning and have an eye for something other than the easily available designs or the ubiquitous pieces available at most jewellery stores. "Usually it takes time for people to like my work. It's so unusual that people take time to fall in love with it," Alpana frankly speaks about her unique designs.

Her 'Babies':

She has a way with words too. Speaking about her designs she calls them her 'babies'. "Each piece is like a baby with a personality of its own. It's a marriage of many things - the stones, the metal, the conception, the execution, the scale, and the colors. When it is customized, it reaches further to incorporate each individual's coloring and other assets." Wearing Alpana's creation is an experience.

Uniqueness of Each Piece:

She is very careful to preserve the uniqueness of each crafted piece; "My customer veers towards the artistic with an affinity for pieces that are purely one of a kind. The pleasure lies in knowing that you are the only person wearing that particular creation." Her best experience is designing each piece according to the individual's personality. She loves the challenge that goes with the job. "The most challenging part of my job is to come up with intricate yet elegant designs. You will find craftsman anywhere but the real challenge lies in bending the metal to bring out your designs," she claims. %% She feels that the most appealing aspect in metals and gemstones used in a jewellery piece are the stones set in gold, running the entire gamut. "Therein lies a cornucopia of colors, with a special emphasis on the delicacy that is involved at setting a perfect polki," she elaborates. More than 90% of her jewellery is in gold. She experiments with white gold and platinum but yellow gold is making a bold statement this season, she believes.%% Her creation is a survivor of all trends that hit the fashion jewellery market. Her clients are steering from mass produced jewellery preferring to own and enjoy individualistic pieces, where there is a fusion between their personality and the creation. In India, the wedding and festival seasons raise the jewellery shopping graph. "The Indian jewellery market is thriving and will reach further heights as weddings become more elaborate. There is a renewed interest among the young to collect pieces of value with unusual blending, which make them truly eye catching, while lasting through their life times, further ensuring they can be enjoyed by the next generation," comments Alpana.

Alpana uses the traditional Jadau craft with Victorian and French forms. Her signature work is dedicated to remixing the traditional Jadau jewellery from Rajasthan to contemporary tastes. "Jewellery isn't meant to make you look rich, it's meant to adorn you." Her collection is fusion of traditional polkis, kundan and uncut stones assembled into a more linear and modern design. "A piece has to have intrinsic value, which is always reassuring. The designs then enhance the creation making it a pleasure to wear and a joy to own," she concludes.