For young jewellery buyers, design is paramount

Radhikaraje Gaekwad, one of the authors of the Jewellery Trend Report, discusses the changing attitudes of buyers

- Pooja Singh

There's a shift in the way Indians wear jewellery. They want XXL earrings and chokers, not just for special occasions, but for everyday wear. The younger consumer is looking at ways to make heirloom jewellery part of their daily wardrobe and reflect their distinct fashion choices. These are some of the conclusions from this year's Jewellery Trend Report, recently presented by the Natural Diamond Council in India.

The overarching theme of the year, according to the report, is maximalism. The present shopper is looking for the design element rather than the cut of the stone, which wasn't the case, say, a decade ago, says Radhikaraje Gaekwad, the former maharani of the erstwhile princely state of Baroda, in Gujarat, who was one of the report's eight contributors. The others included designer Bibhu Mohapatra, journalist Sarah Royce-Greensill and producer Rhea Kapoor.

In an interview with Mint, Radhikaraje Gaekwad discusses the report, the consumer's changing jewellery tastes, and her favourite pieces of jewellery. Edited excerpts:

The report highlights the growing desire for statement jewellery pieces that are also functional...

It's important to make jewellery sustainable. We are talking so much about sustainability in other aspects of our lives and I feel much the same way about jewellery. The way that modular jewellery works, it's not something new.