Walk into jewellery designer Varuna D Jani’s flagship store off Turner Road, Bandra in Mumbai and you’ll be taken in by its muted simplicity. The designer, much like her creations, exudes a muted simplicity and elegance that so many others aspire to achieve but fail to.
Born in to the eminent Popley family, it seemed natural for Varuna to make a career in the field of jewellery design. She worked with her father for three years before branching out on her own. “Since I branched out, it’s been difficult because I didn’t have the family name - the tag of Popley,” she candidly admits. Yet, in less than five years of making the move from Dubai to Mumbai, she’s built on her name with a trusted and loyal clientele.
Designs on you
This year, a couple of months ago to be precise, Varuna launched her Very Own Wish - VOW -range that consists of jewellery sets that can be worn according to occasion and need. “Traditionally, jewellery is seen as a symbol of status and prestige. Mothers want to buy heavy jewellery for their daughter’s wedding, which is worn once and then kept away in lockers, never to be seen again. I wanted to change that. A beautiful piece of jewellery should be worn and seen every day. Today, women want to wear a simple piece of jewellery - whether to work, at a cocktail do or on a daily basis. VOW allows them to do just that!”
Using a simple clasp and lock, individual pieces in a set can be added on, or removed, to make a formal necklace, a necklace with a pendant, a bracelet, etc. Made in India but with a global patent, VOW gives women the choice and freedom to wear what they want, when they want without worrying that the piece is “too heavy” and “not right” for daily wear. What sets this range apart is that it is completely hand-made and women can buy a single piece (if they cannot afford an entire set) and then add on to it later.
Says Varuna, “I developed this idea completely on my own and I’m proud to say it adds a new versatility and dimension to bridal jewellery that has never been seen in India before. The VOW range has four lines starting from Rs. 1 lakh, Rs. 3 lakh, Rs. 5 lakh and going up to Rs. 2 crore. It’s a completely affordable range depending on your budget.” Made using 80% diamonds and 20% of other gemstones such as emeralds, rubies, sapphires, etc. there’s more than enough bling that you can hope for!
Passion is a must
According to Varuna, where jewellery is concerned, design is king and it is associated with her name and brand. All her collections are limited edition ones as far as designs and patterns are concerned. “My entire collection is in my hands. I have a problem with people who are trying to dilute the brand and want to make it generic,” she states.
Varuna sums up her work when she says, “Passion is important. It drives me forward in difficult times. Hard work, patience and a clear focus are also significant.”
Not surprising, she is sparkling and standing out in the business already!
2. A sling to your fun, girly side with candlicious bags
3. Latch onto pastel satchels
4. Look hot with polka dots
5. Travel bags that make you go placesSotheby’s jewellery auction New York saw sale of two thirds of the total 340 lots offered, yet the total revenues amounted to only half the pre-sale estimates. The total value of the sale was $28.4 million. The auction house was also unable to sell two of its top lots at the event. The auction offered diamonds, sapphires and other precious gemstones.
A 22-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring (pre-sale estimate -$13 million), and a 33-carat "Light of Golconda" diamond (presale estimate $7 million), were the two top lots that did not attract buyers. Unusual jewellery on the sale however met with buyer interest – including a 23.6-carat oval diamond ring. A Cartier platinum diamond necklace was bought for $1.65 million while a Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring was bought for slightly less than $1.6 million.
Thu, Jul 1 02:45 PM
IT MAY not be the biggest diamond in the world but it certainly is the biggest to be unearthed from the Panna mines in Madhya Pradesh.
"We have found the biggest ever diamond. The diamond is not only bigger in size, but it is of extremely good quality as compared to the diamond we found in 2005," C. E. Kindo, project manager at the National Mineral Development Corporation's (NMDC) said over telephone from Panna.
The 34.37-carat diamond, which was recovered from a pit during a daily blasting on Tuesday, could fetch over Rs 2 crore in an auction, NMDC officials said. "This is the biggest diamond that the NMDC has delivered in the past 65 years," he added.
The pear-shaped white gem-quality diamond has been sealed by the NMDC officials. Now, the sealed diamond will go under the hammer in an upcoming auction at Panna.
The officials said since the last NMDC diamond auction was held in Mumbai recently, the auction of the biggest ever diamond in Asia would take place in Panna itself. "We are yet to commercially value the diamond we have found," Kindo said. But, the diamond merchants in Bhopal have reacted with shock on knowing the size of the diamond.
When a Bhopal-based diamond merchant was asked if he had ever handled a 34.47 carat diamond, he queried incredulously if he was being asked about one diamond or several pieces of diamonds. The NMDC-owned Panna diamond mine in Madhya Pradesh is situated at Majhgaon.
This is the only mechanised diamond mine in Asia and is known across the world for producing top-quality gems. Panna diamonds are rated second only to South African mines, which hold the record of producing some of the largest diamonds in the world.
Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.
Kaushik S Sanghvi
Mahavir Gems, Mumbai.
