Elegant pearl jewellery for glamorous June birthdays

The pearl is the only ‘gem’ in the world produced by a living creature; rising from the sea as opposed to originating from the depths of the earth. Up until the 19th century, pearls were predominantly worn by nobility, be they Kings, Queens, Maharajahs or Chinese Emperors, set into crowns or sewn onto clothes, to symbolise power and wealth. La Peregrina (meaning ‘The Wanderer’) is the most legendary pearl of all; 55 carats and renowned for its perfect symmetry. It was discovered in the Gulf of Panama in the 16th century and first owned by a succession of Spanish monarchs, and later gifted to Queen Mary I of England, who can be seen wearing it in historical portraits. It was bought at auction in 1969 by Richard Burton, as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor, who had Cartier design a necklace of pearls and rubies around it, based on a portrait of Mary Tudor. And in 2011, after Elizabeth’s death, La Peregrina was sold by Christie’s, fetching $11.8 million.

Coco Chanel declared, ‘a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls’, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis famously dubbed them ‘always appropriate’, and Grace Kelly favoured ‘pearls on screen and in my private life’. Pearls are of course, a mainstay of our own Royal Family; the Queen is seldom without her favourite three strand pearl necklace, a gift from her beloved father King George V1, and across the pond earlier this year, we witnessed Kamala Harris become the Vice President of the US, wearing a pearl necklace by Wilfredo Rosado.

If you’d like more details on your pearl choker, then perhaps add a brooch or a charm on it. You can add a classy vintage or an edgy modern piece to the pearls since the combination of those two different styles is also trending.

The pearl obsession is here to stay for a while. So if you’re thinking about whether to invest in your pearly jewellery, clothes, and accessories, you should. You must have at least a few pearl pieces if you consider yourself a fashionista. You won’t have a problem finding what to match with your pieces to pull the right look since there is nothing you can’t find without pearls on it. And the colourful pearls now give you more options when styling your look, than the classic white ones.

Gemstones: Fashion statements and a new hotspot for investment

The traditional engagement rings are slowly being replaced by gorgeous gemstones such as Sapphires, Ruby, Emerald, Turquoise, and Amethyst. Most brides today prefer rings with pop-up colours instead of all-white or all-yellow. Celebrities from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to Blake Lively wear coloured gemstones not only to serve sentimental and astrological purposes but as a luxury style statement too.

Gemstones, Royals and sentiments

In the past, Napoleon bought an elegant sapphire ring for Empress Josephine. Even today, Royals have not shied away from expressing their love for gemstones. Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton wears the same Sapphire studded engagement ring that once decorated late Princess Diana’s hands. The ring is well above half a million dollars today, but no one can put a price tag on the sentimental value it holds for Prince William and his family.

Gemstones as style statements

The growing popularity of gemstones can be witnessed clearly as many celebrities now use gemstone jewellery as style statements. This clearly indicates that gemstones have found their niche in the lifestyle and fashion market. Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone was seen wearing a Rubies necklace during fashion weeks. Rubies are known for their lovely colour and astrological benefits. Similarly, Kareena Kapoor can be seen wearing a Coral and a Pearl ring. Her ring has been captured in many movies, clearly indicating that she keeps them even on sets.

The legendary tale of the resurgence of Amitabh Bachchan’s acting career is a household story. Still, even today, Big B can be seen wearing his trusted Neelam ring along with a Columbian Emerald (Panna ring), suffice to say that his career and fashion game is still on point.

Growth of gemstones market

With more and more youngsters ditching the traditional diamond rings and opting for brighter or deep coloured stones, the demand for gemstones has increased exponentially in the last few years. Wedding seasons or not, the gemstones market is growing at a rapid pace. The growing demand for gemstones has effectively revolutionized the market, so much so that from traditional jewellers to global brands have started investing in gemstones.

The Indian Gems and Jewellery sector contributes 7 per cent of the country’s GDP. The ongoing global pandemic has affected almost every business, and the gemstones market is no different. From April to June last year, there was a drastic decline of 70 per cent in the exports market, but with the economy reopening in the United States, Europe and China, revival and recovery seem a lot more plausible than before.

Gemstones — A successful investment

The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council has proposed reducing import duties on cut and polished diamonds and other gemstones to 2.5 from 7.5 per cent to double the export of gems and jewellery pieces to $70 billion by 2025. People have started buying gemstones as an investment as gemstones are scarce stones, so they do not depreciate and thus remain a sound investment throughout.

The simple demand and supply method is working for the growing gemstone market. Since more and more people are preferring gemstones, the market is currently offering vast growth opportunities. To become successful in investing in this volatile market, one must have an excellent eye to choose the authentic ones. It is also highly advisable to always go for brands that provide certificates from verified sources.

Jewellery Makers Gain On Mandatory Hallmarking Of Gold Jewellery

Shares of jewellery makers rose after the government reiterated its move for mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery but extended its deadline to June 15 given the lockdowns in th various parts of the country to deal with Covid-19 pandemic.

Kalyan Jewellers rose 5 per cent, Titan Company advanced rose as much as 3 per cent, Thangamayil Jewellery rose 2 per cent, PC Jeweller advanced 3.13 per cent, Rajesh Exports climbed 1.7 per cent and Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri advanced 1.5 per cent.

Analysts say that listed jewellery retailers and makers will benefit from government’s move for mandatorily hallmarking gold jewellery.

Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the precious metal and is voluntary in nature at present.

According to World Gold Council, India has around 4 lakh jewellers, out of which only 35,879 have been certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).

In November 2019, the government had announced that hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts would be made mandatory across the country from January 15, 2021. However, the deadline was extended for four months till June 1 after jewellers sought more time in view of the pandemic.

A committee, headed by BIS Director General Pramod Tewari, has been formed to ensure proper coordination and resolve the implementation issues. The committee would also comprise Nidhi Khare, additional secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs and representatives of jewellers associations, trade and hallmarking bodies, among others.