June 2022 | 1493 words | 6-minute read
Thinking of pushing the gloom of Covid-19 restrictions behind by dressing up again! Adding to your excitement of snapping out of your pyjamas and athleisure into chic office wear, dresses and high heels is Tanishq’s new cocktail jewellery collection, Color Me Joy.
A showstopper, this collection promises to evoke a colourful oomph to your ensemble.
The collection
Think whimsical geometric shapes and bold colour combinations — Tanishq’s Color Me Joy collection is designed to elevate your mood and look through a contrast of colours put together in a magical way. The passionately crafted jewellery pieces unearth the vibrant colours of natural gemstones like amethysts, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, peridots, citrines, tanzanites and tourmalines — all embellished with the brilliance of diamonds in statement-detailing forms.
Each of the 42 pieces of contemporary earrings, rings, pendants and cuff bangles set in 18-karat gold tell a unique story. As I admire the exquisite collection at Tanishq’s imposing 25,000 square feet flagship store in Andheri, a Mumbai suburb, my curiosity to unravel these stories gets the better of me.
My hostess Sneha lines the dainty yet bold jewellery pieces before me, and the vividness of colours sparks an instant joy in me, leaving me wanting to add them to my story. I could relate to the words of the designer of this collection, Abhishek Rastogi, head of Design, Jewellery Division, Titan Company: “Colours have a therapeutic effect, and bring a certain degree of joy and calmness. We wanted to create a range of products that could work like an antidote to the gloom and uncertainty in the post-pandemic world. We looked at nature for answers and chose natural gemstones in different hues to paint our canvas.”
Three colour palettes stand out in the collection. The blue and green colour contrast created through bringing together deep-hued sapphires and emeralds; the rainbow-hued line, a colour burst created by amalgamating many of nature’s wonders; and, last but not least, pink sapphires and red rubies with square, marquise and baguette-cut diamonds. The collection for sure will steal your heart with an elegance that is difficult to define. The craftsmanship of these alluring pieces has the Tanishq stamp of perfection with a finishing that is sure to satisfy you beyond doubt. To make you experience colour in their most natural tones, the stunning creations are carefully crafted with a jali pattern on the back to allow light to pass through for the gemstones to shine in their natural hue.
If you are thinking of who should wear what, the collection promises something for everyone. “Where the collection has the power to add a splash of fun to formal outfits, it can add vibrancy to evening dresses be it a shimmery saree or a pant suit. It will help you dress up just enough for a brunch date as much as for a cocktail evening,” says Mr Rastogi. The jaw-dropping creations are designed to be versatile, effortless and wearable, to complement all age groups, outfits and occasions.
The showstopper
Spoilt for choice, as I look through the breathtaking marvels of jewellery, the one that is clearly the showstopper is the rainbow-hued earrings crafted with round and oval shaped pink, orange and blue sapphires, yellow citrines, green emeralds, lavender amethysts, dangling with a crown made of pear and marquise-set diamonds. You name the colour and it’s there! Wearable with both traditional and modern attire, this pair of earrings is sure to brighten up your look. Go maximum by pairing these with the matching rainbow-hued diamond cuff bangle and cocktail ring set in rose gold, and you are ready to turn some heads.
If you thought you have made your choice, think again! The collection’s blue line encrusted with tanzanites, blue topaz, sapphires and emeralds gives stiff competition to the rainbow-hued aces. The dark hues of blue emanate a boldness that’s sure to enhance your charm on your special day be it a casual girl’s night out, or a celebratory award night, or your much-awaited bachelorette. If you choose a minimalistic look, the oval drops — with tanzanites, blue topaz, sapphires and emeralds along with a top of shimmering marquise and pear-cut diamonds — is sure to make you the star of the night. Add more punch to your look by adorning your wrist with the cuff bangle from the same colour line, encircled with brilliant round diamonds and cuffed with rows of emerald-cut diamonds.
Trendsetting colour as the dominant trend of the season, Tanishq with Color Me Joy has yet again broken through the clutter to make its customers find their panache and a reason to celebrate!
Fact file
- Pricing: Rs 1.5-5 lakh
- Setting: 18-karat gold
- Sales outlets: At select Tanishq stores and on www.tanishq.co.in/colormejoy
The creative genius behind Color Me Joy
His love for jewellery started with his fascination for his grandmother’s jewellery box, and gemstones have been his long-time muse. Award-winning jewellery designer Abhishek Rastogi talks about his latest work of art and what unlocks his creativity.
What inspires you?
A multitude of experiences constantly fuel my creativity. The desire to innovate is integral to me, and it motivates me to design and create freshness.
What is your jewellery style?
I like to design modern heirlooms for the women of today. Keeping in mind current sensibilities, along with long-term relevance, I like to add a hint of modernity and innovation even to the most traditional jewellery pieces. My style is typically clean and clutter free, with an element of understated elegance that makes the piece timeless. Every design has a deep design narrative which adds a soul and meaning to the creation.
What’s your connect with gemstones?
Gemstones are my long-time muse, and I am completely in awe of them. They have this mysterious life-like quality in them; many a times I feel they talk to me. When I look closely at a beautiful stone, I see another world inside it. Layers of stories hidden beneath its face — stories of its origin, about how it was carried by a meteor from a faraway world, only to be discovered by me someday to carve it into a masterpiece and give it a new meaning and a new journey. Maybe it’s my way of connecting to the materials that I use to create my art.
What keeps you ahead of the market?
We invest a lot of time in design research, observing customer moods, megatrends, socio-economic shifts, etc and infuse this knowledge into our collections. We bring the science of research into the art of creativity, which enables us to innovate continuously.
Your journey with Color Me Joy.
The journey of creating Color Me Joy was like creating a masterpiece of art.
One word to describe the collection.
Symphony.
What sets this collection apart?
The designs are bold yet pleasantly surprising, unusual yet comforting, modern yet timeless, distinct yet versatile. The beauty and balance of contrast that we have brought together in this collection is exceptionally remarkable. It’s about creating a symphony from the colour palette of precious and semi-precious gems which makes this collection unique.
How do you want your customers to feel when they adorn this collection?
We have designed the jewellery to be bold, and this is how we desire our customers to feel when they adorn this collection. Its minimalistic quality is aimed at enhancing the beauty of the wearer, by adding a splash of colour to her beautiful self.
What’s the response from the market?
It’s been phenomenal, and we had a near stock-out situation in several markets within a few days of the launch. This reflects the changing relationship between today’s women and her jewels. For her jewellery is not just an investment but a thing of joy to be worn and celebrated, not forgotten inside lockers.
Your personal favourite and why?
The rainbow-hued earrings with pink and orange sapphires, yellow citrines, green emeralds, lavender amethyst and blue sapphires, all coming in together. Every colour palette came with its own challenge; with so many different tones, this creation was complex, but the end result made it worth the while.
What’s the message to your target customers?
Color Me Joy is a fresh breath of air in the largely traditional Indian jewellery market. Crafted with a lot of passion and love, the collection brings out the beauty and colour in life. You will find a piece from the collection that complements your personality, and we hope it brings a smile to your face.
What’s your greatest accomplishment?
Bringing strategy to the business of design and in the process being able to contribute significantly to the company’s balance sheet gives me immense satisfaction. Every design I create is for a reason. I believe in the transformational power of design where consumer centricity is the key. It is about having the vision to realise new opportunities, understand latent consumer needs and the passion to drive excellence through pathbreaking innovations.
Your favourite stone.
The timeless emerald.
What can we expect next from you?
Creativity and more creativity!
—Arushi Agrawal
