Demi Fine Jewellery: Affordable Luxury's Sustainable Chapter
Affordability, quality, or a bit of both? A consumer's options are now open and varied in the jewellery market. As expressionistic, sustainable demi fine jewellery with a quality close to fine jewellery is on the rise, a customer never has to look too far for exactly what they want.
Between the affordability and sourcing concerns of fine jewellery and quality and sustainability concerns of costume jewellery lies a bridge called demi fine jewellery. Made with sterling silver, lab-grown diamonds, precious or semi-precious stones and recycled gold, it makes you look fine without breaking the bank. Only a step away from fine jewellery, demi fine jewellery is high quality, comes with lesser implications for the environment, is minimalistic and allows younger consumers and luxury shoppers alike to discover something they truly love. Now, brands would definitely not pass up on this opportunity to weave sustainable classy jewellery into their audience's wardrobe and create everlasting brand narratives.
Rise In The Luxury Market
Demi fine jewellery makes it easier to take the design first and fashion-forward approach, an increasingly alluring factor for luxury shoppers. Palmonas, India’s first demi fine jewellery brand based out of Pune crafts jewellery out of 18ct gold and sterling silver, making both chunky and light designs possible without putting a burgeoning price tag on anything. The brand is also systematically designed to appeal to millennial and GenZ consumers as it’s a loved choice among celebrities and influencers alike, a key source of style inspiration among young consumers.
Apart from precise attention to detail and product experience first systems, demi fine jewellery also fits squarely to the demands of the new era. From Gung’s Verity and Mystic charm jewellery designed to get you through the week with its vibrant glow or Tanzire’s demi fine jewellery platform that works with independent women artisans from around the world, demi fine jewellery brands come with more than just jewellery.
Ananya Pandey in Palmonas
Image Courtesy: Palmonas
Though trendy in look and feel, demi fine jewellery surpasses all trends and has sustainability and unrepeatable style at its core. Take Studio Metallurgy’s designs for instance. With bold and handcrafted jewels this brand aims to create jewels that are functional pieces of art. The jewellery centrally takes inspiration from the ocean, sustainable innovation and Frida Kahlo’s groundbreaking style. Or take Anatina, another handcrafted jewellery brand inspired by the pure, raw, resilient and beautiful form of love.
Frida Kahlo Earrings
Picture Courtesy: Studio Metallurgy
Either stack them or wear them as a standalone statement, demi fine jewellery brings a touch of freshness to your outfits. Also, being in tune with luxury, demi fine jewellery has a strong brand story woven into every piece. This pushes consumers to invest in narratives and values imbibed in a piece more than the piece itself. These aren’t pieces chiefly designed to have a resale value (they do have a resale value as well) but to become an adornment that is worn, cherished and passed down to generations as an embodiment of shared values.
Marking The Ground Between High Street And High End
A fine jewellery piece is forever, but the ethical and environmental concerns caused by mining are tremendous, coupled with the accessibility concerns, fine jewellery isn’t for everyone and despite its accessibility neither is costume jewellery that comes in much lower quality. The middle ground was pretty much missing in the market until demi-fine jewellery came into the picture. Affordable and sustainable, demi fine jewellery is the perfect couture-centric and eco-conscious category in luxury. Demi fine jewellery brands also pay a lot more attention to building brand voice. The piece is much more individualistic and the brands interact a lot more with their audience. From the right way to clean a jewellery piece to styling tips, with these brands a user's journey does not end at the buying phase.
An Ode To Versatility
As sartorial choices evolve, so do jewellery picks. Jewellery in India is no longer something that goes just with ethnic wear or is just a subtle chain or studs. Jewellery that heightens the appeal of a sheer white dress or accentuates a powerful leather dress is needed and demanded. Especially, in the the age of zoom calls where there is a need to highlight the face to make a style statement, jewels like bold rings, stackable pendants and bracelets or Jazzy earrings that work for both minimal and maximal outfits are in vogue. Each piece is distinctive yet versatile and fits perfectly in a fashion-savvy consumer's jewellery box.
Designed For A Generation That Loves Value Based Creative Control
Inspired by nature, cultural expression, artistic movements, or the need for self-expression while also keeping sustainability at the forefront, demi fine jewellery is ideal for a generation of people who seek a deeper meaning in jewellery and invest in each piece to look more personal and unique. Made with a unique combination of materials, demi fine jewellery allows more room for experimentation and customisation.
Studio Love Letter’s seven seas ring is a maximalist coloured stone lovers' dream, while its Gaia amethyst amulet is perfect for someone looking for a jewel to charge their aura and make them feel better. Or look into Lunaya, a brand with a wide range of sustainable and bright enamel jewellery handcrafted by artisans in Rajasthan to help you escape the ordinary. Cute but elegant, contemporary but rooted in traditional practices, Lunaya has received the nod of approval from the likes of Alia Bhatt. Demi fine jewellery is also in line with rising eCom and social media use, it allows people to browse and find styles they like, an important facet of buying jewellery in the post-pandemic world.
For instance, Le Mill, a multi-brand luxury fashion house based out of Mumbai features a host of local and global demi fine jewellery brands, easily accessible to the new-age consumer. The best part, each featured brand has a strong individual identity and each piece of jewellery is accompanied by a description that lays down the idea behind the product design, a feature slow fashion and luxury enthusiasts are increasingly interested in. Moreover, these products also have an element of the local culture and a tinge of fun to them. Zayn by Sunena, one of Le Mill’s featured jewellery brand has demi fine earrings by the name of Kharbuza drop earrings. Kharbuza is the Urdu word for melon and the Moonstone and polki in gold plated earrings shaped like a melon are equal parts cool and elegant. These earrings as per the website are designed to ‘make an effortless statement with a decadent edge.’
The best part is, that these jewels are not all just light and minimalistic, people with a gorgeously flamboyant style and find something too. Deepa Gurnani, Le Mill’s other featured brand crafts handmade earrings from glass beads and cotton, studded with semi-precious stones. These garden party accessories that take their design from flowers in full bloom go by the name of cleome earrings and are great to add a pop of colour to your jewellery box.
Image Courtesy: Lunaya Jewellery and Studio Love Letter
With the need for climate action, a luxury that cuts through the noise while also looking elegant is always on the charts in today’s jewellery market. How brands utilise it to create unique legacy pieces is up to them.
