Some think it?s auspicious, others think it?s the best bargain to be had. Whatever be the reason, this is the season when the whole of Calcutta goes on a jewellery-buying spree.

Dhanteras, the day before Diwali when ornaments are bought to please the goddess of bounty, is a fad today, cutting across lines of language and lineage. From Bowbazar to Gariahat, all that glitters is up for grabs. And for those who don?t need an excuse to grab that choker or dangler, here?s a look at the hottest designs to dress up in this Diwali.

Shining bright

?The demand for gold ornaments usually peaks during this time, with Bengalis, too, buying gold during Diwali, instead of Durga Puja. For the past two to three years, we have been receiving a lot of Gujarati customers as Pushya Nakshatra (the festival when they buy jewellery) also falls in November. We are expecting a greater footfall this year,? said Dwaipayan Sen, regional business manager, east, Tanishq.

With a four-pronged celebration strategy starting with Karwa Chawth, Pushya Nakshatra, Dhanteras and Diwali, the Kankurgachhi outlet of Tanishq has unveiled its festive collection of dazzling diamonds and 22 karat gold (model Sheena Chauhan flaunts some designs in the picture below by Pabitra Das).

What catches the eye here are heavy neckpieces, specially the intricately-designed chokers, teamed up with jhumkas and traditional bangles.

A blend of the tradition and the trendy is the buzzword at Syndicate Jewellers which has gathered a team of 300 craftsmen from across the country to create a range of ethnic designs especially for Diwali. While gold jewellery starts from Rs 2,000, the sparkling solitaires are priced Rs 3,000 upwards.

Myriad hues

If the plain yellow doesn?t lure you any more, move over to a riot of colours with semi-precious stones. The Jadau Festival at Diagold, Metro Plaza, has stocked the best of Northwest India in emeralds, sapphires, rubies, pearls and diamonds.

This form of jewellery is inspired by the technique used by Awadhi artisans and aimed at the modern woman wanting to experiment with Indo-western clothes. Try the emerald or ruby earrings and neckpieces set in traditional gold designs.

The Cascades Collection, which is the festive season special, features neckpieces with cascading pendants, chandelier earrings, chokers, cocktail rings, chunky bracelets and coloured stones. The prices are Rs 4,000-plus.

Style statement

Costume jewellery could be the other option for those ghagras and lehngas and what better spread than that at Moksh, 22 Camac Street (picture above by Rashbehari Das). Seven Jewels, under Vandana Tantia and Priyanka Chowdhury, has laid out an array of trendy and ethnic designs between Rs 500 and 5,000. Their multi-purpose pieces can be worn as bracelets as well as pendants.

For those with a fascination for both past and present, the Proroyal Gems and Jewellery (Prorita) store is the place to pick some bracelets, earrings and necklaces from.

?Our main strength is the fact that we have trendy designs which are given an antique finish. Most of these are based on silver and are rather high-end, but we have a lovely range of gemstones, some uncut, like sapphires, rubies, emeralds and diamonds. The mother-of-pearl pieces are the biggest sellers right now,? says director Pratik Lakhotia.

So, stock while it sparkles.

Brew stops: new look, fresh feel

The Pujas are over and following a new menu launch during the festive days, it?s time for Barista to don a new look and explore more store options in town.

Come November and at least three Barista outlets would look and feel different, while two new spots will sport the coffee shops. On the first makeover menu are the outlets on Park Street, Gurusaday Road and AJC Bose Road.

?Keeping in line with the changes being made at our stores across the country, we are trying to come up with a fresh d?cor for the stores in Calcutta,? said Brotin Banerjee, vice-president, marketing and strategy.

Changes at the coffee chain range from signage to uniforms and in-store collateral (the coffee-related messages and posters) to the wallpaper. ?The look would be more jazzy and young,? promised Banerjee, with an eye on the less-than-20-year-olds who comprise around 45 per cent of the footfall. But considering the familiarity factor of Barista customers, there won?t be ?too much playing around with colours and themes?.

The coffee chain is also exploring properties at Gariahat and New Market for stores to come up by December. ?We are considering both marquee (1,500-2,000 sq ft) and espresso bar (800-1,000 sq ft) store options.? Though competitors like Coffee Day Xpress have already started bringing in other models like kiosks, Barista doesn?t have any immediate plans to do so in Calcutta, Banerjee confirmed.

The Corner Bookstore, occupying space on the mezzanine floor of the Park Street store was recently inaugurated. The other add-on comes in the form of Wi-Fi (wireless fidelity), a method of accessing the Internet wirelessly.

?Nearly 35 outlets around the country have Wi-Fi,? revealed Banerjee, ?including Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore and Pune.? Calcutta would have it by the beginning of November. ?Customers will be able to browse the Net using a laptop stationed in the caf?. They can also bring in their own laptops.?

The chain?s revenue figure for the last financial year was around Rs 60 crore, with a 17 per cent revenue growth on per-store basis. Though Calcutta?s contribution was a mere six to seven per cent in the total revenue figure, ?with more stores coming up, we are certainly looking at increasing that percentage?, hoped Banerjee.