PROFILE

Ever thought of buying a work of art at a jewellery store? Brinda Ganguly Sirkar, director and chief designer of A Sirkar Jewellers, has ensured that you do just that with her tempting line of jewellery that she calls Artwear. Launched this February, this premium line of gold jewellery incorporates original miniature paintings by Santiniketan artists. The miniature paintings are done on a variety of themes. While some are a commentary on urban life, others are abstract art.

Having researched deeply for three years on how to use miniatures in jewellery, 38-year old Sirkar started acquiring miniatures from a select group of painters in Santiniketan. This is how each piece is designed: each painting — acrylic on antique teak — is chemically treated (to make it durable) and then set in 22-carat gold. Artwear offers pendants and matching earrings.

Says Sirkar, whose interest in jewellery designing was kindled around 1998: “I wanted to ensure that the ornaments would have resale value since both art and gold make for good investments. We have hallmarked the collection so that there are no replicas.” Sirkar’s repertoire also includes a pocket-friendly collection called Gold Factory, in which prices of different items start at Rs 500.

Though Sirkar never studied jewellery design (she graduated in English literature from a Calcutta college), she was an avid painter as a child. After marrying into the Sirkar family in 1995, she began designing jewellery for A Sirkar Jewellers and started spending two to three hours working on new designs.

Trends

Sirkar feels that gold jewellery can be very trendy, especially with vintage patterns making a comeback. For example, the traditional chataihaar (with its solid, flat collar look) is back on the wish-list of many since it’s reversible and goes well with Indian and western outfits.

Glamorous, big cocktail rings are making a style statement and precious stones like diamonds and rubies are being used to add oomph to them. “Pair these rings with ultra-long danglers and keep the neck bare to make a style statement,” says Sirkar.

Tribal designs, with their neat geometric shapes and vibrant colours, are also in vogue. The motifs are used on gold necklaces and earrings to give them a different look.

PROducts

The Artwear collection banks on miniature paintings and trendy gold frames to make the pieces stand out. For this collection Sirkar uses the works of budding painters from Santiniketan including Gautam Pal, Baidyanath Murmu, Rudro Dev Sen, Partho Mondol, Nilanjan Banerjee, Suranjana Lahiri and Urna Konar.

Check out the blue and yellow pendant with matching earrings. A creation by Nilanjan Banerjee, the lines are bold and clean. The set is priced at Rs 52,000 (price may vary depending on the price of gold at the time of sale). Another set by Banerjee has an abstract miniature in an oval design that’s priced at Rs 42,000. The portrait of a slightly sinister face in green and red on another pendant and earrings set represents the cynicism of modern times. Painted by Rudro Dev Sen, it’s priced at Rs 42,000.

Meanwhile, textile designer and painter Urna Konar has created a semi-circular pendant with a temple-like gold frame (Rs 46,000). Another pendant by the artist has a red elephant painted on it (Rs 50,000). Baidyanath Murmu’s choker — in vibrant colours — blazes with tribal motifs and costs Rs 30,000.

Interestingly, most of the pendants can also be worn as brooches with saris and dresses and also with long chains for a different look.

Photographs by Rashbehari Das