Bareilly Jhumka
This five-tier cascade jhumka, handcrafted in bright yellow 22K gold, is classic in shape and shorn of intricate detailing. Much like a crystal wedding-cake chandelier, it's the drama of the form t...
This five-tier cascade jhumka, handcrafted in bright yellow 22K gold, is classic in shape and shorn of intricate detailing. Much like a crystal wedding-cake chandelier, it's the drama of the form that makes it so compelling, so elegant and grand.There are,of course,a few touches that make it a little more special and, here, they come from what's left out rather than what's written in. For instance, the chhata of the jhumka has four polished discs instead of the regular topi and the ekka-tar is left nude ---- without the chhela-rejis normally used to fill the curls.The pashas have identical wire-work, but in the centre ; the surrounding ring-rejis are also spaced out ; only the ball border is continuous and addresses the single jhumurs on the tiers. Most of this has been done to ensure the ornament doesn't become imperious in its stature : so that it may wear eminence with elegance and not overwhelm its wearer's personality. The compact volumes needed to be made made lighter and more light-permeable (thus the use of single-ball jhumurs instead of clusters) and, as it appears now, the jhumka is still sensational, but in a gentle, graceful way.
Chandeliers in many guises will decorate the pandals during the Pujas. To that we add our own, with the disclaimer that ours is not an extraordinary ornament, merely a rather dramatic one. What will truly make it extraordinary is how it's worn, with what, when, and by whom. It's you, with your superior taste, who will calibrate your choice of jewellery to fit the occasion and help this familiar earring break the ranks and be considered among the specials. It is for you to make the ordinary extraordinary.
Now, what's Bareilly got to do with all this, one might ask. In original form this used to be a 'Convertible' earring that could be worn in single, three, and all five steps ---- the second and fourth tiers being detachable. While that might sound like a nice facility to have, it became a bit fussy with this particular design and inevitably led to parts of the jhumka falling off. The nightmare of having to crawl around looking for fragments of gold in the middle of a busy biyer bari (hapless husband included, whose dhoti came undone in the process) was brought home by an irate customer who rightfully turned the jhumkas in and demanded they be fixed. And since then, so we have ------ made them as carefully soldered fixed-tiered earrings, that is. Sadly,a few more of such incidents with other clients had already been reported and within the store the chandeliers were being jokingly called "Bareilly Jhumkas" after those that seemed to perennially get lost in the bazaars of Bareilly ------ a joyful loss as Sadhana would endearingly have us believe in the popularly re-rendered folk song, "Jhumka gira re, Bareilly ki bazaar mein...", from the film Mera Saaya. Understandably, the humour did not gain currency with our clients.
Still, if you're the daring kind, and can make an elegant sight out of searching for earring bits in a party, all the while keeping your Benarasi and high-heels intact, or if you have deep enough pockets and care not a fig for such casual lapses and are blessed with an equally generous partner who to your "Gir gaya jhumka !" might emphatically respond "Girne do !", you could try the 'Convertible' model. For everyone else, it's the secure sedan we'd recommend.
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