Tribal jewellery on display at Genesis Art Gallery. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Silver seems to be the metal of the season with every designer worth his or her mettle making a dash for the nearest exhibition gallery to display the collections.

And to add more shine to silver if you have been sourcing your artefacts from the tribal belts, be ready to face a beeline of customers even before you up your shutters in the morning.

The pouring skies and the messy roads notwithstanding, if you want to check out some funky yet elegant (some even demand antique value) jewellery, dropping by at the Genesis Art Gallery won?t be a bad idea at all.

On offer is the chance to browse through the collection of Mahua Sarkar-Sen, specialising in silver jewellery creations of tribals from various parts of the country.

?I had a passion for silver but I dabbled with different career options before taking up jewellery design. Most of my work is done by the tribals from different parts of the country, according to my specifications,? says the designer admiring a piece of hasli, a necklace made of sterling silver.

Mahua, who started her career as a teacher, began procuring jewellery pieces from the tribal belts three years ago.

?Most of the time the tribals pawn their jewellery with the money lenders who in turn go to the silversmith. That is where we move in. We buy the pieces, assemble them in the correct order and sell them in the city,? explains Mahua.

The prices depend upon the weight of the piece and the rate of silver in the market.

To provide the correct ambience, there is a collection of ethnic saris from various parts of Bengal and Bangladesh and kalam kari shirts in vegetable dye from Andhra Pradesh.

Mahua Sarkar-Sen retails from her house at 188/92 Prince Anwar Shah Road.