It’s a happy marriage of the bracelet and the ring — and it’s become one of the season’s smoking hot fashion statements. Hand harnesses accentuate the taper of your fingers, the delicacy of the wrist and the smooth curve of the palm. Wear it casually or to a high-octane party and let your hands do all the talking.

Jewellery designer Vasundhara Mantri, says that the hand harness is not restrictive as ornaments go. “Even traditional hand harnesses can be worn with Westernwear,” says the designer who studied at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in New York.

The designer’s romance with the hand harness started with the traditional Indian haath phool. “From the five-finger haath phool, I started designing the one-finger hand harness which connects the middle finger and the wrist,” she says.

Amrapali too offers glamorous hand harnesses that are stone-encrusted or enamelled. The Balco hand harness is a bold, gold-plated, enamelled and Swarovski-studded ornament. The other popular style is the Gazelle hand harness which is a modern take on the traditional haath phool, in which a sculptural gazelle motif takes centre-stage along with fine chains embellished with ghungroos. A multi-chain bracelet secures the haath phool to the hand. Akanksha Arora, designer and CEO of Amrapali, says that the hand harness adds an edgy note to any outfit. “It’s currently a big trend and has been spotted on top stars,” she says.

Conceptual accessory designer Eina Ahluwalia is adding a new spin on the spunky ornament by designing pieces with underlying social messages. The designer’s latest hand harness, called the Dewdrop Shackles, is part of a collection called Forgotten Jewel. Available in single finger, double finger and cross designs (it forms a cross design at the back of the palm), Dew Drops Shackles is a statement piece which Ahluwalia says is meant to remind women to look for inner strength.

Ahluwalia has taken the traditional haath phool and given it arrowheads on top of the three finger rings. “It blends the allure of a wedding jewel with the power of a knuckleduster,” she says. Another standout piece from her portfolio is Golden Shackles which has delicate, flat chains running down the back of the hand that come together as an elegant bracelet tied at the wrist.

Kaabia and Sasha Grewal, the names behind jewellery brand Outhouse, believe that jewellery needs to be playful and must evolve over time. Outhouse’s latest line, Column, was launched last August inspired by Greece and Rome featuring couture pieces like the Atlas hand harness. The piece is embellished with a coin that’s stamped with the face of Zeus, the ruler of the Olympian gods, and is flanked by two shield-like motifs. In addition, the harness flaunts spikes, Outhouse’s signature design element.

Many precious metals and stones are lending a sparkle to the hand harness. While Amrapali is embellishing its hand harnesses with black-and-white gold along with diamonds and sapphires, it has also unveiled a Tribal Pop line, that’s designed in silver and neon-coloured enamel. The silver pieces from Amrapali start at Rs 11,000 while the ones in gold start at Rs 2 lakh.

Ahluwalia’s line of hand-crafted, gold-plated harnesses is fashioned in silver or brass. Some pieces have been given black rhodium plating if clients request it.

Experimentation is the name of the game for Outhouse as well. The label’s creations are fashioned out of base metal (an alloy of copper and a tiny amount of silver) but celebrate different varieties of pearls. Swarovski crystals along with semi-precious stones like malachite, lapis lazuli and peanut wood jasper (a rare stone from Arizona in the US) add lustre to the designs. Prices go from Rs 9,000 to Rs 16,000.

Mantri’s contemporary pieces constitute delicate chains while one of her statement pieces flaunts bullet motifs. The prices start at Rs 2,500 and go up to Rs 5,000.

So, go right ahead and pick up these stylish accessories from designer collections that will give your fingers a chic makeover.