In keeping with its attempt to experiment with different styles of jewellery, Gold Factory has come up with yet another range of light-weight ornaments ? this time a style that?s inherent to the erstwhile East Bengal, called thokai naksha.

While the pieces look big to the eye, they come with surprisingly small price tags. ?The speciality of the style is that it uses a thin plate of gold on which artisans carve the designs,? said Brinda Ganguly Sarkar, owner of the Rashbehari Avenue store, who has conceptualised the new line.

An intricately carved pendant studded with semi-precious stones is available for anything between Rs 2,500 and Rs 8,000. ?These are on 22 carat gold, but the prices can be kept low since the metal is used in thin sheets,? added Brinda.

Matching earrings and colourful tassels for the pendants complete the sets, with motifs like delicately carved leaves, the sun, fish and geometric shapes. Try two of the sets, both under Rs 10,000, for a pre-marriage function.

Prices of sets (necklace and earrings) begin at Rs 4,000 and end at Rs 10,000.

(From top) A model shows off a light-weight jewellery set in the thokai naksha style at Gold Factory; an exotic spread of Mongolian food at China Bistro; Dokra trinkets by Somit Das on display. Pictures by Pabitra Das, Aranya Sen and Rashbehari Das

Food fest

If you?re in the mood for food and fun at one venue, try the Mongolian treat at China Bistro this December. The multi-cuisine restaurant at 119A, MA Ahmed Street is putting together an interactive experience.

?The best thing about Mongolian cuisine is that it can be made quickly. Tourists in and around Sudder Street are bored with the regular fare, so the festival is offering a change keeping everybody?s tastes in mind,? says Suddhasatta Mitra, food and beverage manager.

Food-lovers can browse through the elaborate menu and select the noodles, vegetables, seafood, meats, sauces and condiments. Create a meal of your choice for just Rs 165.

Rice and noodles, Chicken in Black Bean Sauce, Prawns in Hot Garlic Sauce, Fish in Hubai Sauce? drool and dig in.Veggies could cook up a combination of bean sprouts, pak choi, broccoli, baby corn and tofu. The tasty treats include Vegetables in Cantonese Style, American Corn in Hot Garlic and Black Bean Sauce and Mushrooms and Baby Corn with Vegetables. The Mongolian food festival is on till December 31.

Trinket talk

Move over gold and diamonds, it?s time for new-age jewellery to shine. Denim, handmade paper, leather, cloth, brass and even buffalo horns are what you can flaunt now, thanks to the creative pursuits of designer Somit Das, who is dishing out ornaments made from off-beat materials at his Behala studio.

The designer, working out of 82, Biren Roy Road, has come up with a range of waistbands, earrings and necklaces made of denim, touched up with abstract paintings.

For a creative touch, try the earrings, neckpieces and wristbands crafted from handmade paper. Suspicious of the durability? Don?t fret. Das has taken care to fortify the stuff.

?To make sure it doesn?t wear and tear, we use a layer of fine cloth or cardboard inside and cover it with handmade paper,? he says.

Leather has been paired with cloth to make earrings, pendants and belts. A range of pendants and earrings made from brass plates boast motifs from the Ajanta caves paintings.

Experimentation aside, Das also churns out mainstream stuff like terracotta and dokra jewellery. His new collection comprises chunky pendants and earrings that look like sparkling white metal, but are dokra with silver coating. The motifs are mainly of masks and animals.

The terracotta jewellery stands out for the colourful paintings on the surface, from Jamini Roy creations to zodiac signs, animals to abstracts. Das also offers kurta buttons in funky shapes like tortoises, fish, kites and masks. Don?t miss the jewellery made of colourful Malaysian beads.

The high point, however, is the prices ? a denim or paper pendant-earring set will cost you Rs 50 and the terracotta and dokra designs range between Rs 100 and Rs 150.

Smita Roy Chowdhury