Antique jewellery: The sheen of a bygone era

Old is gold and timeless too

For the patrons of vintage South Indian ornaments, a new collection has been launched — the Rewind collection by NAC Jewellers. A selection of intricate, handcrafted pieces that date back 75 to 100 years, the collection showcases a range of adornments set in gold with traditional pieces such as moppu, thalai billa, thalai set, earrings, neckpieces, bangles and rings seen predominantly.

The Chettinad-inspired theme is also carried on in their in-store lounges in Mylapore and T. Nagar, which have been refurbished to reflect the influences on the jewellery. It has always been a passion of Anantha Padmanbhan, managing director of NAC, to collect antiques. With his keen eye and appreciation for the workmanship of yore, he has been successful in building up his collection over the past three decades. “People from come to us directly or through a vendor with a piece to find out our interest in buying it. Many times, it happens that it’s a family heirloom that they don’t know the value of and just wish to sell it for the cash. Once it has been valued, we let them take a call whether they still wish to sell it or not,” he said.

There are a number of reasons why these pieces are highly sought after now. For one, creating jewellery with the finesse that these antiques possess is almost a lost art. Even if workers today try to replicate it, it takes almost two to three years longer, and the end product doesn’t seem to have the same quality. Furthermore, mines have been shut down and precious gems like Burmese rubies and Golkonda diamonds that are found in these pieces can no longer be obtained. Each antique piece is unique in the way it’s made, and has a premium value that is not calculated in the standard way gold is.       

 What many people don’t realise is the difference between originally antique pieces and antique-inspired jewellery, and that is one of the things they try to emphasise with this collection. The best way to identify whether a piece is antique-inspired or a genuine antique is to look at the finish. With a newer set, the gold will be brighter, the stones will shine more. Whereas with actual antiques the gold is dulled to match the centrepiece and make the overall appearance more cohesive.

Prices are as niche as purchasers of authentic antique jewellery, ranging anywhere between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 80 lakhs or more.

For further information on the collection, contact 044 4399 6666 or visit nacjewellers.com.