Silver jewellery, being much cheaper than white gold or platinum, has become an obvious choice for style-conscious buyers these days. It’s a stable investment, and goes well a minimalist fashion ethos. An increasing number of young women—from professionals to students and homemakers—are now opting for silver jewellery. While silver has always been an affordable choice, the versatility of the metal and its pliability make it more suited to contemporary design.
“Jewellery trends keep changing with time. As today’s women become more fashion conscious, their preferences keep on shifting, and that leads to new innovative trends coming in,” said Nishant Tulsiani, director, Anaqa, a jewellery store in Mumbai.
He continued, “Currently, the trend which is dominating the industry is silver jewellery. Be it an antique silver finish choker, or oxidised silver earrings, this jewellery trend has touched every fashion segment. Another trend that has always worked wonders is the marriage of silver necklaces with pearls. The charm of silver and pearl combination is everlasting. It can be in the form of layered neckpiece or a delicate earring. One can never go wrong with it.”
Large, unwieldy pieces have of late become a big favourite among women these days. And in terms of jewellery design, size is never a constraint when you’re working with silver. Also, a lot of traditional jewellery and jadau work is being done in silver these days, adding to the wide range of silver jewellery that is available in the market. Vintage designs, too, are fast gaining in popularity.
When it comes to trinkets, silver nose pins and rings have found favour with the younger generations. “Whether you go with the subtlety of a small nose ring or the rebellion of the septum ring, silver nose rings are evergreen. As this trend is expected to evolve, the sizes will get bigger and designs will become more ornamental. Earlier, the nose ring was just seen as an accessory for women, but now it is expected to become gender fluid,” said Tulsiani.
Keeping up with the ever-changing jewellery trends can be exhausting, but the timeless nature of silver has made the life of millennials much simpler. Even if styles come and go, silver jewellery will continue to be a part of our fashion paradigm, given the white metal’s durability. Also, with a huge variety available in rings, earrings and necklaces, silver jewellery offers various ways to experiment and help match your look to your unique persona, thus becoming a jewellery staple for today’s women.
On why silver jewellery is in such high demand nowadays, NehaAggarwal, co-founder, Tarasvi, a handcrafted lifestyle brand, said, “Silver is an easy fit—be it in terms of money, the variety of designs, easy and quick availability or how well it goes with almost everything. Millennial women are extremely style conscious and do not compromise with their appearance and choice. They do not like to be repetitive with their jewellery or clothes in social functions or on social media as well. Silver is an easy access that way. The online markets have also added to its popularity.”
So how does the online availability of silver jewellery add to the growing love for the white metal?
Aggarwal answered, “The supply and demand have always been inter-dependent for all commodities, and it has been no different for silver. Not only the online availability but the kind of pre- and after-sales services the sellers provide has also made the whole idea of online purchase very credible and seamless. With our soon to come Gajamukta collection by Tarasvi, we intend to add a space in the online market which will cater to this growing love for silver jewellery and gemstones with their freshness and uniqueness.”
The online jewellery shopping sites in India have a variety innovative designs in silver, providing a perfect mix of traditional and contemporary styles. These pieces are especially designed for new-age women, allowing them to shop from a versatile and growing range.
Alongside the increase in local demand for cheaper jewellery options, silver is also growing as a major contributor to the export market. “There has roughly been 30% increase in silver exports in the past year. In totality, gems and jewellery constitute 15% of the exports. Even though there are many unorganised players in this segment, the organised market itself has also seen a growth of around 15% in the past year as suggested by various financial surveys,” Aggarwal told Guardian 20.
Office-goers always choose jewellery pieces that make them look cool without being over-the-top. Within this segment, the popular options include bold silver rings, delicate earrings and bracelets.
The contemporary bride also prefers to adorn silver jewellery on their big day. And while heavy gold jewellery is always considered an ideal option at weddings, the new-age bride is opting for rani haars, jadau necklaces and other traditional pieces all made in silver.
Aggarwal said, “There are brides with modern taste and brides with traditional taste and we cater to all their requirements. Our founder for Gajamukta collection by Tarasvi, Radhika Udawat, has an amazing sense of taste and years of experience in creating and curating silver jewellery and gemstones. We have chic and bold statement pieces, as well as traditional temple jewellery based in silver. With the popularity of period movies, heavy jadau and Kundan jewellery in silver with gold plating are also in huge demand. We also customise these pieces based on request.”