Anitha Sanju has always had a “fascination” for jewellery; so much so that she has taken to jewellery-making in a big way. Under the brand Glitter n’ Hues, the affable techie, who works in corporate communications at a multinational company at Technopark, designs and sells customised imitation jewellery to a growing clientele, mostly fellow techies. “I love mixing and matching shapes and hues to make statement pieces of jewellery,” says Anitha, who has “come to realise that jewellery-making is more than a hobby. Most people watch television or read a book to relax. I bust stress by making jewellery!”
Armed with the know-how from an earlier course that she did on jewellery making, Anitha started experimenting with beads when she was on a post-pregnancy break from work. “I used to have a lot of time on my hands and would make stuff, which my sister-in-law, Soumya, a college lecturer, would wear to work. Her colleagues liked the jewellery and started asking me to make custom pieces for them. That’s when I realised that I might just have a viable business on my hands,” says Anitha, a graduate of the Federal Institute of Science and Technology, Angamaly. Later, when she resumed work, the orders started pouring in from colleagues too.
Recently, Anitha started a Facebook page for the brand, where one can view all her collections. There are earrings, bracelets, neckpieces in a range of semi-precious and/or regular beads, in all manner of hues and styles. The collection includes elegant daily wear pieces and a few for special occasions too. “I source most of the beads from shops in Chalai market. Some I source from Kottayam and some others from Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates where my parents live,” says Anitha. Each photo on the website is accompanied by a brief description of the piece, product code and status of availability.
Quite a few of Anitha’s designs incorporate semi-precious stones, interspersed with one-gram gold beads. “Here in the city, most of my customers, young and old, seem to prefer jewellery with a hint of gold. I have a number of pieces with silver finish but tastes here mostly veer towards gold-based designs.”
Prices for Glitter n’ Hues collection range from Rs. 50 for earrings to Rs. 5, 000 for semi-precious jewellery sets. Contact: 9605930844
