Art students and siblings Annyasha and Adrita Dey were always eager to create something that’s their own. Cuprum Quirks, a bijoux started by the sisters in 2021 is a result of that urge. Having grown up working on copper, the medium came easily to them and Cuprum offers hand-crafted jewellery on copper and brass mainly with different kinds of treatment on the metals. “The uniqueness about our brand is that everything we make, from design to the finished product, is made in-house by the two of us. We do not work with any kaarigar and believe in slow craftsmanship rather than mass production,” tells Adrita.
Their latest collection Janala is inspired by the stained glass windows that can be seen in old buildings around the city. The colours, the patterns, and the symmetry of the glass panes inspired bijoux pieces made of brass with rose-gold plating and meenakari (enameling) work on them. All the exquisite pieces in this collection are very simple yet elegant and have a quirk about them.
“We believe that our brand is different from the crowd because of the uniqueness of our designs and also the fact that we do work on the pieces every step of the way. We constantly draw inspiration from anything and everything around us – a tree, leaves, flowers, the sky, buildings, and so on. We are inspired by our surroundings, the environment and nature,” tells Annyasha.
It’s a perennial problem with metals like brass and copper starting to oxidize when they come in contact with moisture. To counter that, the sisters apply a protective coating on the pieces or electroplate them, making the ornaments tarnish-proof to some extent. “However, they do wear off with time, friction and continual use. Things like perfume or sanitizer break down the coating fast, it is best to avoid spraying them directly on the jewels. We can also avoid exposure to moisture as much as possible and dry them before storing them. Also, some pieces can be re-polished or re-plated,” Adrita says.
Since summer calls for airy, flowy clothes in muted colours, Adrita feels their minimalistic jewellery can be worn with both traditional and casual clothes and suggests that a pair of statement earrings or a neckpiece is a must-have for any woman to jazz up any outfit. “Rings too are also very versatile pieces to add to one’s own style statement,” Adrita adds.
With the label about to complete two revolutions around the sun, Adrita and Annyasha plan to reach out to more people. “We are also currently working on a couple of new collections. We would love to someday have a studio store so that anyone can walk in and experience our jewels in person and not have to depend on exhibitions to do so,” signs off Annyasha.
Price on request. Instagram: @cuprum.quirks