ADORNING THE EVOLVING WOMAN – Jewellery as an extension of self

LANKA WOMAN     Volume 11, December 2017 

The evolving woman- constantly in search of purpose, strong willed and confident, yet feminine, nurturing and spiritual. Not only is she able and strong, but is also caring, conscious of her well being and confident about the unique traits that make her, ‘her’.

Jewellery today then, not only becomes an ornament of embellishment , but serves different and new purposes to its wearer. There may be two broad reasons for the purchase of jewellery today:

–        First, Jewellery could be used to reflect personal traits and likes- almost as an extension of the wearers personality. Buying jewellery for oneself to define new life ‘moments’ such as a promotion at work, personal achievements and to celebrate success has also become popular.

–        Second, women’s increased earnings are also contributing to more purchase of jewellery as a fashion accessory as well as for an investment.

While buying jewellery for the more traditional reasons like for a wedding, the birth of a child, as a gift for a loved one or as an investment are still popular, a new market is emerging for those who seek out individuality.  This need for custom made pieces that are one of a kind and completely personal has led to the evolution of Lalitha Jewellers, with Crafted Bespoke Designs becoming an obvious move forward for the brand.

The Bespoke process typically begins with a brief from the customer who may have an idea as to what they want. A qualified designer discusses details with the client thereafter, covering what colour of metal they would like used, the type of finish, what kind of stones, if any, are to be used. Decoding a clients’ needs well enough to translate them into sketches for a piece of jewellery is key. Most often, a scale drawing and 3D rendition of the piece is shown before the actual piece is produced. The process involves time, effort and superior craftsmanship from the jeweller to really produce a work of art that reflects its wearer perfectly.

Many new pieces produced by Lalitha are fluid pieces of jewellery- meaning that they can be worn in multiple ways for multiple occasions. They are designed to be detachable, and work well to suit the needs of the wearer for specific occasions. An example would be designing the traditional Thali Kodi with a movable clasp, so that the wearer can add to the kodi or remove the thali when needed, which could not be done before by themselves.

Lalitha has carved out a niche for itself because of the attention to detail that goes into every piece and the commitment to put customer satisfaction above profit in certain situations.  Those that have been Lalitha connoisseurs understand and appreciate the amount of time that is put into even the smallest piece that is designed. The investment in technology and skill sets gives them the ability to craft pieces in a varied spectrum of styles and finishes- from traditional to contemporary, heavy to extremely lightweight. The younger generation requires more daily wear pieces, or pieces that can be combined with a variety of clothing styles, and in the newer forms of gold such as rose gold or different textures of traditional yellow gold.

Because of personal involvement in the crafting process, they are able to add a contemporary spin even on the most traditional of designs, making it more appealing to a younger audience. An example is the traditional Sri Lankan Hansa Pootuwa .Many different interpretations of the hansa pootuwa have been made, redefining the two swans/lotus structure, the way it is set, adding filigree work, using brushed gold etc.

Artistry is the basis on which Lalitha is built. The brand is constantly working towards bringing out the best in every piece both from an aesthetic sense and also functionality, like a necklace that takes the contour of the wearer’s neck perfectly. A finished bespoke piece from Lalitha, is a true reflection of the style and taste of its’ wearer- an aficionado of artistry and culture, someone who values artisanship and has a keen eye for intricacies.