FOR OVER A decade now Vasundhara Fine Jewellery has made a mark in the jewellery sector. Known for their bespoke jadau jewellery that stands out for its fine craftsmanship, the 17-year-old brand has rolled out its festive collection recently.
Started by family friends-turned-business partners, Neelam Sonthalia and Prabha Bajoria in August 2002, Vasundhara Fine Jewellery is passionately steered by a nine-women team, belonging to the same family. Talking about her big family of talented women, Sonthalia says, “Prabha di was already into diamond jewellery and I had a keen interest in the same field so we became business partners and launched Vasundhara in mid-August back in 2002. We gradually shifted to jadau and created a niche for ourselves. Our patrons multiplied so did our team, as the demand grew.” In 2014, the team opened another store in Alipore that deals with diamond and more affordable jewellery. Apart from the two boutiques in the city, they also have a presence in Guwahati and Delhi.
At their flagship address in Gurusaday Road, Bajoria informs that the brand is known for restoring old jewellery, an expertise that is popular among their customers. Showing us the design file, she says, “We redesign old jewellery in a way that it’s completely unrecognisable by the customer. They give us just one piece of jewellery, maybe a locket or a pair of chunky stud earrings, and without breaking or altering, the original piece we transform it into a more contemporary product that can be teamed with any western or Indo-Western outfit. And they love it.” Vasundhara, which refers to goddess Lakshmi, also has its strength in pirohi and some of the statement earrings using that technique were a stunner. A kurta button set with exquisite meenakari work attached by pirohi can jazz up any plain kurta and can be worn by women of any age.
The fresh ideas for designing stem from the in-house team, who are making jewellery more wearable for the new generation. Though the focus is more on bridal or festive jewellery, there are options aplenty in traditional as well as contemporary designs. One can find heavy gold and polka necklaces, mala, choker, bangles, chapka, amulet, haathphool and more in their collection. Also, a synthesis of Rajasthani and Bengali designs in heavy neckpieces makes their collection stand out.
Rs 1 lakh onwards